News

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

American Specialty Health Helps Employers Meet Growing Demand for Alternative Medical Care Without Squeezing the Bottom Line

San Diego, CA (June 22, 2004) -- American Specialty Health (ASH), the nation’s largest complementary health care organization, is offering expanded direct-to-employer complementary health care benefits in California through its subsidiary, American Specialty Health Insurance Company (ASH Insurance). Now, California employers with 51 or more employees have access to PPO benefits, including out-of-state coverage for benefits such as massage therapy, dietetic counseling, acupuncture, chiropractic/manual manipulation, and various health products.

Employer groups are able to purchase complementary health benefits as a supplemental group benefit rider, similar to purchasing vision, dental, or behavioral health coverage.

"Popular chiropractic and acupuncture benefits have been offered to California employers for a decade through American Specialty Health Plans of California, Inc. (ASH Plans)," said George DeVries, president, and chief executive officer of ASH. "But through our new ASH Insurance subsidiary, employers can directly purchase a much wider range of services and benefit plans."

"In these days of double-digit health benefit increases, business owners view complementary health benefits as a positive way to enhance their employee benefit package at a relatively low cost compared to traditional medical options," said San Diego health insurance broker Steve Finden of Barney and Barney. "In fact, complementary health benefit plans are one of the few programs employers are continuing to add to their health benefit packages as traditional health care costs continue to rise in price and utilization in the current market."

According to Camarillo-based chiropractor Mark Stone, D.C., who is an ASH Insurance provider, the availability of direct-to-employer complementary health care coverage is of increasing importance to patients. "Roughly half of all Americans use some form of complementary health care each year," said Dr. Stone. "These alternative therapies offer broader treatment options for patients, especially those who suffer with chronic conditions such as neck or back pain."

Dr. Stone added that the problem with alternative therapies previously was that "they weren't covered by health insurance, so patients had to pay the entire amount of the care out-of-pocket. This is costly for chronically ill patients needing treatments over many years," he said.

The new product offerings in California are part of ASH Insurance's strategy to help meet today’s heightened demand for such coverage. Employees covered by this benefit can access a California network of almost 5,000 contracted providers. Furthermore, when traveling, insureds have access to a national provider network of more than 22,000 contracted acupuncturists, chiropractors, dietitians, and massage therapists. In many cases, California employers now can cover employees residing in other states, too.

ASH Insurance allows employers to choose from roughly 15 different combinations of complementary health benefits, with 25 different benefit plans for each benefit combination. Employers may also choose whether to offer an out-of-network benefit since both an EPO (in-network benefits only) and a PPO (in and out-of-network benefit) design are available. There are also benefits available for health products such as vitamins and minerals, herbal supplements, homeopathic products, and nicotine replacement therapy. These products are available on an EPO basis through Healthyroads, an affiliate of ASH Insurance. Healthyroads provides e-commerce and mail order fulfillment through its Web Site, Healthyroads.com.

ASH is the nation's leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care, providing health benefit, health education, and affinity network programs to employer groups, trust funds, health plans, and insurance carriers nationwide. Based in San Diego, ASH has over 500 employees and more than 9 million members in benefit programs nationwide. Its subsidiary, ASH Insurance, is currently licensed or admitted as an insurer in 42 states and the District of Columbia. For more information about American Specialty Health, visit ASHCompanies.com.