UnitedHealthcare is continuing to try to win the South Region Tricare contract.
The military division of UnitedHealthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth Group Inc., Minnetonka, Minn. (NYSE:UNH), has filed a formal protest of the U.S. Defense Department’s recent decision to award the South Region contract to unit of Humana Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE:HUM).
UnitedHealthcare is competing with Humana for a chance to provide health coverage for 3 million Tricare enrollees.
Tricare manages health benefits for military personnel, dependents and retirees who get care away from military and Veterans Department facilities.
The new contract could last about 6 years and has a total potential estimated value of about $22 billion.
The old contract expired March 31, 2010.