TriWest Healthcare Alliance, which contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide private-sector health care for veterans, is furloughing 191 workers in Kansas City and laying off another 17.
The Phoenix-based company said it anticipates the furloughs will last less than six months but could last longer.
“Due to the economic impact of COVID-19 … TriWest is implementing measures to ensure the financial stability of the Company,” TriWest said in a letter addressed to Missouri’s Office of Workforce Development and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
The notification letter under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) said the pandemic has affected the company’s business “significantly.”
Although the letter was dated May 1, it said the furloughs began on April 20.
Of the 191 employees being furloughed, 137 are patient services representatives. The 17 workers laid off were also patient services representatives.
The furloughed and laid off employees worked at the company’s offices at 1480 N.W. Vivion Road.
The company serves the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Patient-Centered Community Care program, which provides veterans access to civilian health care when VA care isn’t available.
TriWest did not respond to a request for comment.
