KAISER PERMANENTE OF OHIO TO OFFER MEMBER COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Ohio (November 18, 1999)-- Kaiser Permanente of Ohio will soon be offering complementary and alternative medicine services to its members at a discounted rate through a new arrangement with American Specialty Health Network (ASHN).

Under this new arrangement to begin in early 2000, Kaiser Permanente members will have direct access to services including chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage therapy by ASHN-credentialed providers throughout the area. These providers have agreed to offer their services at a discounted rate of 25 percent. Additionally, Kaiser members will have access to the ASHN internet site for more information on complementary and alternative care, as well as discounts on herbal supplements, and 1,200 other health and wellness products such as exercise videos. ASHN’s “healthyroads.com” web site also allows members to “ask the expert”, where they can get personalized answers to their health questions.

Complementary health care includes a growing number of “non-allopathic” approaches to health care. The use of complementary care in the United States has grown in recent years. A recent study by Stanford University showed that 69 percent of respondents said they had used such therapies (chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, herbal and vitamin therapy) in the past year, up from 34 percent in a separate 1990 study.

“About twenty percent of Kaiser’s membership have expressed interest in these types of services. As more and more people are turning to complementary and alternative care to help improve their wellness, we are able to offer it to them at a discounted rate,” says David Crosby, director of sales for Kaiser Permanente. “We are constantly looking at ways to increase choice and service to our members to help them get what they want to improve their quality of life,” he added.

“Complementary and alternative health care is an important component of most consumers’ personal health care system,” said George DeVries, president and chief executive officer of American Specialty Health Networks. “ASHN is committed to delivering high-quality information and products. We are pleased to be able to offer Kaiser Permanente of Ohio such a broad and progressive program.”

The services announced today are not covered benefits and are separate from those included in Kaiser Permanente’s prepaid health plan. Kaiser Permanente members will use the services in the arrangement with ASHN at any time, on their own, without a referral from their physician. Those who choose to use the program will pay the alternative care provider directly for services and receive a special discounted rate.

Kaiser Permanente is the nation’s largest and oldest non-profit group practice pre-payment health plan founded in 1945, providing comprehensive health care and hospital services to 8.5 million members in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Kaiser Permanente serves nearly 200,000 members in Northeast Ohio through the Ohio Permanente Medical Group practice with 350 physicians, 900 network-affiliated physicians, and 2,000 non-physician employees. Kaiser Permanente of Ohio received its second full three-year accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the nation’s toughest watchdog for managed care organizations. To learn more about Kaiser Permanente of Ohio, please visit our web site at www.kaiserpermanente.org/ohio.

American Specialty Health Network (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 health plan for chiropractic and acupuncture services, operating in California. ASHN/ASHP provides comprehensive services including utilization management, quality management, member and provider services, claims and credentialing. ASHN/ASHP have received seven full two-year accreditations from the American Accreditation Health Care Commission/URAC. Together, ASHP and ASHN cover over 13 million members nationwide. With over 400 employees, ASHP/ASHN are based in San Diego with regional offices in Honolulu, Atlanta and Chicago.