The Hartford teams with Blue Cross of California affiliate

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., a workers’ compensation insurance provider, will team up with BC Life & Health Insurance Co., an affiliate of Blue Cross of California to allow The Hartford’s workers’ compensation clients in California access to Blue Cross of California’s medical and service provider network.

“California is home to our greatest number of employees covered by workers’ compensation,” said Judith Kunisch, vice president of medical support and strategy at The Hartford. “When employees are injured on the job, it’s important for them to have easy access to the best physicians and health-care professionals possible, no matter what part of the state they call home.”

As part of the arrangement, The Hartford will offer a certified workers’ compensation medical network for California businesses enrolled in the program. That will enable employers to guide injured workers to a network of Blue Cross-credentialed medical providers and facilities, including primary and specialty physicians, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers. The certified plan also includes the network’s ancillary service providers, such as testing centers, orthotics facilities and medical equipment resources.

The Hartford provides workers’ compensation insurance to more than 7,000 companies in California. According to A.M. Best’s company, The Hartford is the fourth largest workers’ comp carrier in the nation.

The California Department of Insurance has approved The Hartford’s certified medical network plan, and companies insured by The Hartford can access the Blue Cross of California workers’ compensation network on May 15.

Blue Cross of California and BC Life & Health Insurance Co. serve more than 7.6 million medical members. Blue Cross of California and BC Life & Health Insurance Co. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association.