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Humana expanding Tampa call center

The private Medicare provider expects to have 200 new employees in place by the fall.

By KRIS HUNDLEY
Published June 22, 2005

Humana Inc., the largest provider of private Medicare plans for seniors in Florida, is adding more than 200 call center positions in Tampa.

The recruits will handle telemarketing and customer support for members of Humana's Medicare HMO and PPO plans throughout Florida. The workers, who are expected to be in place by fall, will field inbound and outbound calls out of newly leased office space at NetP@ark on East Hillsborough Avenue.

Humana's expansion will bring its local work force to about 525. The Louisville, Ky., health benefits company will keep its Westshore area office, which has about 320 employees including a 200-person call center.

In Florida, Humana has nearly 240,000 members in its Medicare HMOs and PPOs, known as Medicare Advantage; 62,000 members are in the Tampa Bay area.

Under these plans, the private insurer provides comprehensive medical services to plan members. The company is reimbursed by the federal government for these services, receiving a certain amount of money per member per month.

Humana is bulking up its customer support network as Medicare prepares to inaugurate extensive prescription coverage for beneficiaries in 2006. Government reimbursement for prescriptions will be available through traditional Medicare, private plans like Medicare HMOs and private drug plans. Humana has filed to operate a stand-alone drug plan and will continue to offer drug coverage through its Medicare Advantage plans.

"This telesales call center expansion reflects the significant membership growth of our Medicare Advantage plans in Florida and throughout the nation," said Fred Wheeler, Humana vice president of Medicare sales. "We anticipate robust growth in Florida with our many new plan offerings and we're committed to providing our Medicare members with a unique health care experience."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal agency overseeing Medicare, bans private insurers from marketing their plans using door-to-door cold-calling. But telemarketing, as well as direct mail and seminars, are permitted.

For its newest call center in Tampa, Humana is recruiting entry-level workers, supervisors, managers and trainers. Mitch Lubitz, Humana spokesman, declined to disclose pay range for the hires, saying only that it would be "competitive" based on experience and skills.

According to the state's Agency for Workforce Innovation, average wage statewide for call center workers is $11.46 an hour, while experienced telemarketers make $13.62 an hour.

[Last modified June 22, 2005, 01:08:17]