Dive Brief:
- Cleveland-based HealthSpan Partners, an affiliate of Cincinnati-based Mercy Health, plans to disband its approximately 150 physicians on March 31 as a result of major losses in 2015.
- The group is currently the preferred provider for 60,000 HealthSpan Partners insurance customers, the Cincinnati Business Courier reports.
- A Mercy Health financial report indicates HealthSpan lost $117 million during the first nine months of 2015, compared to $30 million during that time in 2014.
Dive Insight:
While HealthSpan is ceasing its role in the region as a direct-care provider, it will continue to offer health coverage. HealthSpan spokesman Chuck Heald says the insurance program will continue and has 180,000 customers in Ohio.
“The future is that we’re now just an insurance products company, and we’re not going to be redundant in the physician area,” Heald told the Courier. “We feel we’ll be able to maintain our affordability in the insurance area. We’re going to remain competitive.”
Some of the physicians in the group are expected to find roles with MetroHealth System of Cleveland, which announced plans to hire more than 40 primary care doctors, and another 25 soon after. The system intends to take over care provision at some of HealthSpan's facilities.