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CMS Selects TrailBlazer Health Enterprises to Administer Medicare Program in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi

DALLAS, July 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, LLC announced today that the company has been awarded a new contract by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to serve as the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for Jurisdiction 7, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The full period of contract performance is five years, including implementation, a base operations period and four available option years.

TrailBlazer already serves as the MAC for Jurisdiction 4, composed of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado, and will begin implementing operations in the new service area immediately. TrailBlazer's implementation plan includes extensive, ongoing communications with Medicare providers regarding transition activities and schedules.

Gil R. Glover, TrailBlazer's president and chief operating officer, indicated the states in MAC Jurisdictions 4 and 7 comprise more than 13 percent of the national Medicare fee-for-service workload. MAC contractors generally are responsible for claims payments, Medicare provider enrollment and customer service, and audit activities. There are 15 MAC jurisdictions nationally for administration of the Medicare fee-for-service program.

"TrailBlazer is very pleased to have earned the confidence of CMS over a period of many years. The commitment, efforts and accomplishments of TrailBlazer's highly experienced and talented staff are reflected in this new contract award," Glover said.

TrailBlazer's Medicare operations span the history of the federal health program from its inception in 1966. In 2008, TrailBlazer processed more than 130 million Medicare claims, handled nearly 6 million inquiries, and made payments of more than $23 billion to hospitals, physicians, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, ambulance service providers, dialysis centers, and others providing health care to Medicare beneficiaries.

TrailBlazer is also the designated national MAC for Indian Health Service providers, and conducts other specialized national and regional Medicare operations.

About TrailBlazer Health Enterprises

Based in Dallas, Texas, TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, LLC is a diversified government contractor, providing services to Medicare and other government programs. TrailBlazer's 1,000-plus employees are located primarily at the company's Dallas, Texas, headquarters and its Texoma Operations Center in Denison, Texas. Audit operations are also conducted in San Antonio, Texas. More information about TrailBlazer's Medicare operations is available at http://www.trailblazerhealth.com.

SOURCE TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, LLC