Agreement between Avalon Healthcare & MDVIP Allows Consumers to Include Personalized Physician Service toward Health Plan Deductibles.

TAMPA & BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Avalon Healthcare, Inc., Florida's newest premier statewide health plan, has entered into an innovative agreement with MDVIP, Inc., the national leader in personalized and preventive medicine, to count the cost of joining MDVIP toward health plan deductibles for all Avalon plans with a $3,000 deductible or higher, the two companies jointly announced today.

On making the announcement, Charles O'Neill, Avalon's CEO said, "Under the new relationship with Avalon, annual fees of $1,500 paid to a participating MDVIP physician will be counted toward the Member's deductible when a member purchases an Avalon individual IFOCUS plan or is part of an Avalon Focus group plan with a $3,000 deductible or higher. The fee can be paid through an HSA account if the Member purchases an Avalon HSA compatible plan."

"The ability to receive a thorough, comprehensive medical exam from a leading physician is a tremendous benefit for an Avalon Member, and is worth counting the expense towards a plan deductible," continued O'Neill. "Working with MDVIP provides Avalon with another innovative tool to help consumers better manage their own healthcare both physically and financially.

"Avalon is convinced that MDVIP physician programs are creating healthier and happier consumers, reducing hospital stays and creating a better quality of life for Members," O'Neill added.

"We are very pleased to be partnering with Avalon Healthcare," said Steven M. Cohen, executive vice president and treasurer for MDVIP. "We believe that personalized, proactive medical care will reduce utilization and result in better health. By integrating with MDVIP, Avalon is providing state-of-the-art healthcare for its members."

How the Program Works

Through MDVIP, a consumer or employer signs up for an MDVIP affiliated physician. Each participating member pays a fee to a selected physician, oftentimes $1,500 per member, per year to participate in the preventive care program. At that time an individual or employer group also acquires an Avalon consumer directed health plan through their insurance broker.

In the first 30 days of the health plan period, members select their MDVIP-affiliated physician. The physician then submits the fee payment to Avalon as a claim, and Avalon places the claim against the member's annual plan deductible. If members select an Avalon plan first, they can join MDVIP within the first 30 days their plan is active, select their physician and receive the deductible benefit.

About Avalon

Florida based Avalon Healthcare is an innovative health insurance company offering consumer directed health plans to employers and individuals who need affordable healthcare and live and work in Florida. Based in Tampa, the Company is quickly becoming one of the most well-respected, quality health plans available statewide. www.avalonhealthcare.com

About MDVIP

MDVIP, Inc. is a privately-held firm, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. It is a national network of physicians who practice proactive, preventive and personalized healthcare, detection and treatment of disease. MDVIP-affiliated physicians reduce their practice to no more than 600 patients in order to focus on prevention and wellness, not just the treatment of illness once a patient gets sick. With prevention as the cornerstone of its program, MDVIP has proven that its carefully chosen affiliated physicians provide exceptional care and achieve exceptional outcomes. These outcomes include lower hospitalization rates. MDVIP currently serves more than 50,000 patients through 136 affiliated physicians located in 16 states and Washington, D.C. (Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Missouri and Virginia). For more information go to www.mdvip.com.