WestCare Health System and UnitedHealthcare Sign Agreement

UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and UnitedHealthcare commercial health plan members will have full access to the health system's services

March 7, 2008

SWAIN COUNTY NC NEWS -- WestCare Health System and UnitedHealthcare have signed an agreement, effective today, March 7, providing UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and UnitedHealthcare commercial health plan members with access to the health system's full range of services. The agreement includes Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, and Swain County Hospital in Bryson City, North Carolina.

"We welcome the opportunity to deepen our relationship with the WestCare Health System and to become a stronger presence in western North Carolina and surrounding communities," said Austin Pittman, president and CEO of UnitedHealthcare of the Carolinas. "This new agreement makes it possible for our Medicare Advantage and commercial health plan policyholders to access WestCare Health System's many well regarded services, and reflects our goal of providing our customers a broad a range of health care services."

Swain County Hospital is located in Bryson City, North Carolina. The 48-bed, fully accredited hospital has been a stable force in providing health care to the citizens of Swain and Graham Counties for over 50 years. The mission of Swain County Hospital has always been to provide the best primary medical care to residents and visitors in the Bryson City area.

Harris Regional Hospital is an 86-bed acute care facility located in Sylva, North Carolina. A fully accredited, not-for-profit community hospital, Harris Regional has experienced strong growth in recent years, with major expansions in 1970, 1986, 1989, 1994, and 1995. The hospital's primary service area consists of Jackson, Macon, Swain and Graham Counties of western North Carolina. More than 50 percent of the hospital's patients come from outside Jackson County.

UnitedHealthcare provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of more than 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 560,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,800 hospitals nationwide to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information visit (www.unitedhealthcare.com)

Published by:
Rob Cross
mailto:editor@357news.com

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