News
HEALTHAMERICA OFFERS NEW ALTERNATIVE CARE PROGRAM IN 2000
HARRISBURG/PITTSBURGH, PA (November 8, 1999)-- HealthAmerica Pennsylvania, Inc. announced today that it will provide a complementary and alternative care discount program for its HMO members beginning January 2000. The program will be rolled out to HealthAssurance PPO and POS members by the 2nd Quarter of 2000.
HealthAmerica's new Members Choicesm program gives HMO members substantial discounts on services they have been asking for to broaden their health care options. The services include massage therapy, acupuncture, nutritional supplements and vitamins, and discounts on health club memberships. The discount program is being offered through a partnership with American Specialty Health Networks (ASHN).
Effective January 1, 2000, HealthAmerica HMO members will receive discounts on:
- Nutritional supplements and vitamins;
- ASHN’s national network of fitness clubs, offering "best-rate guarantees" and the chance to try a participating club at no charge for a week prior to joining.
Effective February 1, 2000, HealthAmerica HMO members will have access to:
- ASHN’s credentialled network of acupuncturists and massage therapists, in which participating providers have agreed to accept an average 25% reduction in their fees to HealthAmerica members. Under this program, members will access providers directly and also pay them directly for their services.
To receive these discounts, HealthAmerica members simply show their HealthAmerica ID card.
"HealthAmerica is pleased to offer Members Choicesm as an advantage of being a HealthAmerica member. There is no premium or charge to either employers or members for providing this program," says HealthAmerica President and CEO Francis S. Soistman, Jr. “Our members have been asking for these type of health care options. We realize that no single type of health care is right for everyone, so HealthAmerica responded by offering this alternative program package. We believe it’s one of the first in this area.”
In addition, Healthyroads.com, an ASHN affiliate, will offer a comprehensive Internet strategy for complementary health care for HealthAmerica HMO members, effective January 1. Healthyroads.com will be linked to HealthAmerica’s website, www.healthamerica.cvty.com, and include:
- Healthysources.com, which offers comprehensive educational information on complementary and alternative medicine.
- Buyhealthy.com, which offers over 1,200 health and wellness products at guaranteed low pricing.
- Choosehealthy.com, which offers a national network directory of acupuncturists, massage therapists and fitness clubs participating in the ASHN network. Members will be able to quickly and easily locate a participating complementary health care provider anywhere in the country. Members can also obtain travel instructions from this website as well as a certificate to access to their chosen provider while travelling out of HealthAmerica’s service area.
“Complementary or alternative health care is one of the industry's most rapidly growing areas and is in hot demand by consumers," says ASHN President and CEO George DeVries. “We are pleased to partner with HealthAmerica to provide extensive network access and cutting edge Internet and e-commerce solutions,” he adds.
HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance are licensed trademarks of Coventry Health Care, Inc. (CHC). Through HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance, CHC provides managed health care products and services including HMO, POS, PPO and Medicare + Choice to 6,300 employers and more than 507,000 members in Pennsylvania and Ohio. For more information, visit its web site at www.healthamerica.cvty.com.
American Specialty Health Networks (ASHN) provides network access programs and managed care programs nationwide to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups and trust funds. Its affiliate, American Specialty Health Plans (ASHP), is the nation’s first and largest healthplan for chiropractic and acupuncture services, operating in California.