HUMANA WILL `WAIT AND SEE WHAT THIS MEANS'

Humana, at one time a top competitor for managed health care in the area, withdrew its Southeast Missouri presence by closing the Cape Girardeau office last year.

Robert Burd, executive director for Humana in Missouri, said the office was closed in a consolidation effort.

Personnel from Humana's office in Jefferson City administer the program throughout the region. "We have people who drive across the state," Burd said. "We still have a book of business there."

Burd wasn't aware of Med-America HealthNet's announcement of plans to dissolve the company.

"We'll have to wait and see what this means," said Burd. "There are a lot of on-going issues there."

He mentioned recently announced talks concerning affiliation of Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center and an on-going investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into MedAmerica HealthNet Blue.

In May 1996, the trade journal Modern Healthcare published a report that MedAmerica HealthNet was under investigation by state and federal authorities for possible antitrust violations.

The Department of Justice asked MedAmerica HealthNet for information, but nothing has been released about the investigation.

In 1995, after Humana was unable to contract with either Cape Girardeau hospital for managed care, the company designated Southeast Missouri Hospital its local provider.