明尼阿波利斯医保机构UCare裁员约102人，州医疗补助合约转移所致
明尼阿波利斯消息——总部位于明尼阿波利斯的非盈利医疗保险机构UCare宣布裁员约102人。据MinneapoliMedia报道，裁员自10月2日开始，将持续至11月；公司已按规定向州政府提交《工人调整与再培训通知》（WARN），其办公地点位于斯廷森大道600号（600 Stinson Blvd）。
此次裁员的直接原因是明尼苏达州医疗补助（Medicaid）合约重新分配：UCare原先承保的部分郡县合约转至另一家医保机构Medica，相关变动于10月1日生效。合约流失导致参保人数下降，公司称不得不相应缩减运营与客服人力。
UCare成立于1984年，长期为明尼苏达州的低收入群体、长者与残障人士提供政府医疗保险计划。公司表示，将协助受影响员工过渡，并确保现有参保人在合约转移期间的就医与福利衔接不受影响。州内医疗补助市场的这次洗牌，也引发外界对非盈利医保机构生存空间的讨论。
根据联邦《工人调整与再培训通知法》（WARN Act），雇员人数较多的企业在大规模裁员前须提前向州政府与员工发出通知，这也是此次裁员信息公开的原因。明尼苏达州的医疗补助计划为全州大量低收入居民、长者与残障人士提供医疗保障，管理式医疗合约的每一次重新分配，都会牵动数以万计参保人的就医网络。州政府此前表示，合约转移期间设有过渡安排，参保人原有的多数诊疗关系在过渡期内可获延续，遇到就医受阻可向州消费者服务部门求助。对UCare而言，失去部分县郡合约后如何调整业务结构、保住其在州内医保市场的地位，将是这家有40多年历史的非盈利机构接下来必须回答的问题。
图片来源：明尼阿波利斯天际线与密西西比河，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 4.0，Guywelch2000
UCare Lays Off About 102 Employees in Minneapolis as Medicaid Contracts Shift
MINNEAPOLIS — UCare, the nonprofit health insurer headquartered in Minneapolis, announced layoffs of about 102 employees. According to MinneapoliMedia, the cuts began October 2 and will continue through November; the company filed a federal WARN notice with the state, listing its offices at 600 Stinson Boulevard.
The layoffs follow a reshuffling of Minnesota Medicaid contracts: coverage UCare previously administered in a number of counties shifted to rival insurer Medica, with the changes taking effect October 1. UCare said the resulting drop in enrollment forced it to scale back operations and customer-service staffing.
Founded in 1984, UCare has long provided government health plans for low-income residents, seniors and people with disabilities across Minnesota. The company said it will support affected employees through the transition and work to keep members' care and benefits continuous during the contract change. The reshuffle has also stirred debate about the place of nonprofit insurers in the state's Medicaid market.
The layoffs became public because the federal WARN Act requires larger employers to notify the state and affected workers ahead of mass layoffs. Minnesota's Medicaid program covers a large share of the state's low-income residents, seniors and people with disabilities, so every redistribution of managed-care contracts affects the care networks of tens of thousands of members. State officials have said transition arrangements are in place, that most existing care relationships can continue through the transition, and that members who hit obstacles can seek help from state consumer services. For UCare, the open question after losing several county contracts is how a nonprofit insurer with more than four decades of history restructures and defends its place in the state's health coverage market.
Photo: Minneapolis skyline across the Mississippi River, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0, Guywelch2000
图片来源：明尼阿波利斯天际线与密西西比河，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 4.0，Guywelch2000
