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Optima Health Selects American Specialty Health to Administer Chiropractic Benefit for Medicare Plan SAN DIEGO (October 13, 2005) – American Specialty Health (ASH), the nation’s leading complementary health care benefits organization, will administer a chiropractic benefit program for the new Optima Medicare Preferred PPO in Virginia. American Specialty Health Networks, Inc. (ASH Networks), an ASH subsidiary, has administered chiropractic benefits for Optima’s commercial health plans since 2001. The addition of Medicare Preferred members in Virginia is an extension of that collaboration.
ASH Networks will provide access to a chiropractic network and administration services for Optima Medicare PPO members in the state of Virginia. Members will pay a $10 copayment for in-network services and a $15 copayment for out-of-network services.
“We look forward to administering chiropractic benefits for Optima’s Medicare PPO members in Virginia,” said George DeVries, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of ASH. “American Specialty Health has collaborated with Optima since 2001, and we are pleased to extend chiropractic care to their Medicare PPO plan.”
“We've been pleased with ASH’s work on our commercial products and we look forward to that same good service and administration of our Medicare PPO. Our Medicare customers expect added value and good service and we expect that will be the case with ASH,” said Michael M. Dudley, president of Optima Health.
ASH Networks also provides chiropractic network and administrative services for Commercial plans offered by Optima Health Plan. In addition, Optima Health Plan utilizes discount affinity programs through ASH Networks and ASH subsidiary Healthyroads, Inc.
ASH Networks provides network access and administrative services for chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, dietetics, and naturopathy plans. Healthyroads provides members with discounts on more than 2,400 health and wellness products that can be purchased online through Healthyroads.com. Healthyroads also offers wellness programs and other tools to help members get in shape, eat healthier, and achieve positive lifestyle habits.
First introduced in 1984, Optima Health Plan serves 330,000 members throughout the state of Virginia. Optima Health’s provider network, which is operated through Sentara Health Plans, is continuously evolving and currently consists of more than 6,000 physicians throughout the commonwealth. Optima Health Plan received the highest level of accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for six consecutive years. It is Virginia’s only commercial HMO to maintain NCQA’s highest accreditation since 1998. In addition, Optima Health Plan holds the distinction of being the region’s first managed health care plan.
American Specialty Health is the nation's leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care, providing health benefits, health education programs, and affinity discount network programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds nationwide. Based in San Diego, ASH has over 500 employees and more than 12.1 million members in benefit programs nationwide. ASH also covers more than 80 million members in affinity discount network programs nationwide. ASH is located at 777 Front St., San Diego, Calif. 92101; phone (800) 848-3555.
For more information, visit ASHCompanies.com.
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