Amerigroup to expand managed-care service to Nevada

Amerigroup Corp., which last month launched a managed-care program in New Mexico, said Wednesday that it will expand to Nevada in February.

The Virginia Beach-based health insurer said it contracted to serve the beneficiaries of Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Plan in Las Vegas and Reno. Amerigroup said it initially will serve about 50,000 Nevada residents in the two programs.

Amerigroup bid to participate in Nevada's Medicaid and SCHIP programs in 2006. The company was approached by the state when one of two managed-care providers in Las Vegas and Reno withdrew earlier this year, said Kent Jenkins Jr., an Amerigroup spokesman.

Having a presence in Nevada "was something we had a long-standing interest in," he said.

The Nevada contract is scheduled to run through at least June 30, 2011.

Amerigroup's managed-care programs serve 1.7 million low-income individuals in 11 states, including Virginia.

Tom Shean, (757) 446-2379, tom.shean@pilotonline.com