Group Health to Close Vision Center in Kennewick

By Laura Kate Zaichkin, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Feb. 11–Group Health Cooperative will close its local Vision Center on April 30 in an effort to streamline its format of contracting with local providers, a spokesman said.

This change should be seamless for Group Health members — there are about 530,000 in Washington and Idaho — because Group Health contracts with local optometrists, said Kirk Williamson, a Group Health spokesman. He said members’ vision care will not change, and co-pays and cost shares will remain as they are.

“Not that our Vision Centers weren’t doing well,” Williamson said. “But the way we do business in central Washington, except for vision, is we contract with local providers.”

Yakima’s Vision Center will also close, he said.

This is happening now because the four optometrists in Yakima and the Tri-Cities expressed interest in opening private practices, Williamson said.

Drs. Kurtis Hill and James Kintner still plan to serve Tri-City Group Health patients at their private practices, Williamson said.

Though the optometrists plan to contract with Group Health, eight employees each at the Kennewick Vision Center and in Yakima will lose their jobs, Williamson said. He said Group Health’s separation policy includes severance and career counseling.

Group Health’s Kennewick location still will house administrative staff, marketing and provider services, and nurse care managers after the center closes.

For more information, call customer service at 888-901-4636.

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Copyright (c) 2008, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

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