American Specialty Health Insurance Company Now Offering Complementary and Alternative Insurance Plans to Maryland Employers

Employers Can Purchase New Health Coverages Directly as Supplemental Benefit for Employees

Employers with 51 or more employees are able to purchase these benefits as a supplemental group benefit rider, similar to purchasing vision, dental, or behavioral health coverage. The benefits are offered by American Specialty Health Insurance Company (ASH Insurance), a subsidiary of ASH, and are available for both in-state and out-of-state employees.

Employers are increasingly eager to offer complementary health care coverage because of growing evidence that it can help reduce employee medical utilization as well as the overall costs of health care, according to George DeVries, chairman, president, and CEO of ASH. In a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, employees with chiropractic insurance coverage had 41 percent fewer hospitalizations for back pain than employees without chiropractic coverage. They also had 32 percent fewer back surgeries and significantly lower utilization rates for CT/MRI scans and X-rays than employees without chiropractic insurance.

Employers also are interested because of growing employee demand for complementary health services. According to a recent Centers for Disease Control study, 36 percent of consumers use some sort of complementary or alternative therapy.

“Our company is stepping in to meet a growing need that is often unfulfilled by mainstream insurers,” said DeVries. “As a result, coverage is becoming easier for employees to get. For example, the number of employees covered by acupuncture benefits increased from 33 percent in 2002 to 47 percent in 2004, while chiropractic coverage increased from 79 percent of workers in 2002 to 84 percent in 2004,” DeVries explained. “As medical costs continue to increase, more and more employers will be looking to these less costly options for care of employees.”

Jeffery Deschamps, DC, a Frederick, Md.-based chiropractor, believes the availability of complementary health coverage has become more important to patients because it offers a broader choice of treatment options.

“Patients today are much more sophisticated and better understand the role that alternative therapies can play in maintaining good health and in relieving chronic conditions,” said Dr. Deschamps. “Complementary care providers offer more natural or drug-free alternatives than traditional doctors. Patients want this kind of choice today. It’s especially important for those who have a history of chronic conditions, like back pain, that hasn’t been resolved through traditional medicine or by taking prescription drugs.”

Employees covered by ASH Insurance can access statewide network of contracted providers. Insureds who travel additionally have access to a national provider network of contracted acupuncturists, chiropractors, dietitians, massage therapists, medical doctors, and osteopathic physicians. In many cases, ASH Insurance may also cover employees residing in other states.

ASH is the nation's leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care, providing health benefits, health education, affinity network, and wellness programs to employer groups, trust funds, health plans, and insurance carriers nationwide. Based in San Diego, ASH has more than 500 employees and covers more than 12.1 million members in benefit programs nationwide. Its subsidiary, ASH Insurance, is licensed or admitted as an insurer in 43 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit ASHCompanies.com or call 800.848.3555.