VA makes next CCN care network regional award

The Veterans Affairs Department has made the next major contract award for its eight-year, multibillion dollar effort to stand up a new care service provider network across the U.S.

In a Beta.Sam.Gov notice Thursday, the VA announced TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp. as the winner of the Community Care Network’s Alaska region also known as CCN Region 5.

That portion of CCN has a ceiling value of $5 billion and represents a second major piece of the overall effort that has gone to Triwest, which began work on CCN Region 4 last year to work in 12 Mountain and Pacific time zone states along with Hawaii.

Region 4 has a $26 billion ceiling for Triwest, while UnitedHealth Group’s Optum business was awarded contracts worth up to $55.1 billion combined in January 2019 for services in three CCN regions that cover the Eastern and Central time zones.

Region 6 has yet to see a solicitation released for that piece, which covers the U.S.’ Pacific Ocean territories.

CCN aims to connect veterans with medical, dental and pharmacy benefits if they are unable to access those at local VA medical centers. That effort was established after the VA Mission Act was signed into law in June 2018.