Oklahoma Employers Can Enrich Their Health Benefits Through New Complementary Health Care Coverages

Breakthrough Program Helps Employers Meet Demand for Alternative Medical Care Without Squeezing the Bottom Line

San Diego, CA (March 23, 2004) -- For the first time, Oklahoma employers can directly purchase complementary health benefit plans from a specialty health insurance company, making popular options such as acupuncture and chiropractic care more accessible and affordable for their employees. Other high demand treatments, including massage therapy and dietetic counseling, also are available. Employer groups are able to purchase complementary health benefits as a supplemental group benefit rider, similar to purchasing vision, dental, or behavioral health coverage.

These new health benefit programs are available to Oklahoma businesses with 51 or more employees through American Specialty Health Insurance Company (ASH Insurance Company). ASH Insurance Company is a subsidiary of American Specialty Health, Incorporated (ASH), the nation’s largest complementary health care organization. ASH covers over 9 million members across the United States for complementary health care benefit plans.

According to Oklahoma-based chiropractor Michael Lepien, DC, who participates in ASH Insurance Company’s local provider network, the availability of direct purchase complementary coverage is of increasing importance to patients. "Roughly half of all Americans use some form of complementary health care each year," said Lepien. "These alternative therapies offer broader treatment options for patients, especially those who suffer with chronic or life-threatening conditions. As indicated by new research just released last week, cancer patients are twice as likely to turn to acupuncture and herbal therapies in addition to their medical treatments as people suffering from other diseases. Typically they are looking to new, less invasive and more holistic types of therapies, which they may use in conjunction with traditional medical treatments.

"Likewise," added Lepien, "chronically ill patients–who may have persistent neck or back pain–seek alternative care such as chiropractic because traditional medicine hasn’t resolved their health problems."

Local broker David Fleet of Horton Insurance Agency in Oklahoma City said that until recently, the biggest problem with alternative therapies was that "they weren’t covered by health insurance, so most patients had to pay the entire amount of the care out-of-pocket. This could be extremely costly to chronically ill patients who needed treatments over many years. The consumer demand for alternative care over the last ten years has caused some large insurance carriers to include alternative care coverage, but for employers who can’t get coverage through their health plan, ASH offers the advantage of direct purchase plans."

"In these days of double-digit health benefits increases, business owners are beginning to view complementary health benefit additions as a positive way to enhance their employee benefit package at a very low cost," said George DeVries, president and chief executive officer of ASH. "In fact, complementary health benefit plans are one of the few programs employers are continuing to add to their employee benefit packages during the current trend of double-digit rate increases." DeVries attributes this trend to two compelling factors–low cost and high demand from employees.

"Adding these benefits allows employers to attract and retain employees through a low-cost enhancement benefit that costs roughly the same as, or even less than, vision or dental benefit riders," said DeVries.

The new product offerings in Oklahoma are part of ASH Insurance’s strategy to help meet today’s heightened consumer demand and to fulfill employer demand for such coverage. When insureds are traveling, they have access