Abri Health acquisition means more jobs for Milwaukee

Long Beach, Calif.-based Molina Healthcare Inc.’s acquisition of West Allis-based Abri Health Plan mean’s an additional 40 to 50 jobs for the Milwaukee area community.
“Prior to the acquisition, (Abri) just signed a new ten year lease at our building on 102nd St., in West Allis,” said Ron Scasny, president of Abri Health Plan. “We plan to add an additional 40 to 50 employees at our location, bringing us close to 100 employees in West Allis.”
Abri Health is a Medicaid managed care organization.
According to Scasny, Abri will add additional executive level and middle management positions in addition to customer service representatives and administrative assistants. Abri is actively recruiting and hiring for those positions now, Scasny said.
“We’re really busy recruiting now so they are on staff for the enrollment period,” Scasny said. “It’s a long and difficult process, there are a lot of good people out of work right now. We’re excited for the changes, some of these positions are new to Abri, and work that we usually outsourced out. The acquisition has allowed us to bring some of those jobs in house.”
None of the current Abri employees are at risk of losing their job due to the acquisition, Scasny said.
The purchase price for the acquisition is approximately $16 million, subject to adjustments. Abri Health Plan serves approximately 18,000 Medicaid members and the company expects more growth, Scasny said.
For the meantime, Abri Health Plan will retain its name at least through the Medicaid enrollment period, Scasny said.
“Abri Health Plan is known in the community,” he said. “Molina does not have that name recogniztion here in the state yet and so I suspect we will retain the name at least throughout enrollment period.”
A Molina company spokesperson indicated it was typical for Molina to brand its health plan acquisitions, but acknowledged Abri’s name recognition here in the state.
“Right now people are choosing their health plans,” said Kathleen O’Guin, Molina company spokesperson. “Abri has a wonderful reception in the community and it’s extremely important that people know they can still choose Abri.”
Medicaid customers have three months to choose their plan beginning later this year and then another 90 days to make changes, Scasny said. The topic of a name change might resurface again in February after that process.
“The acquisition actually means great things for customers in Wisconsin,” Scasny said. “Molina brings so many new programs for our customers through this acquisition.”
This week Abri implemented a 24-hour nurse line, something the company never had prior to the acquisition, Scasny said.
Molina Health Care is a physician run organization and has locations in Missouri, Ohio and Michigan, but this is the first plan in the state of Wisconsin, O’Guin said.  Abri Health Plan is currently in 23 counties across the state and plans to grow significantly over the next few months.
Molina provides Medicaid-related solutions to meet the health care needs of low-income families and individuals and to assist state agencies in their administration of the Medicaid program.
Abri Health Plan provides health care services for BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid SSI members in 23 counties in Wisconsin. Abri Health Plan was a 2009 Future 50 Master Mettle company.