BENU Washington Expands Products and Access to Affordable Health Benefits Exchange in Washington State.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 22, 2003 BENU, Inc.: -- Innovative Exchange now available to groups with 75+ employees -- Group Health Options and CIGNA CIGNA CG (Connecticut General Life Insurance Company) INA (Insurance Company of North America) HealthCare to offer up to 20 new plan designs, including high deductible That which may be taken away or subtracted. In taxation, an item that may be subtracted from gross income or adjusted gross income in determining taxable income (e.g., interest expenses, charitable contributions, certain taxes). options -- Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. Northwest to Bring More Choices to Southern Washington In a move that expands health insurance plan options for mid-sized Washington businesses, BENU Washington today announced that it will begin offering its exclusive menu of insurance products and services to employer groups employer group Association of employers Managed care An entity with a current group benefits agreement in effect with a health plan to provide covered health care services to its employee-subscribers and eligible dependents. with as few as 75 employees, effective immediately. Previously the company's "benefits center" was only available to groups with more than 100 employees. Additionally, the company has broadened its Washington health plan offering by adding 20 new health plan designs from CIGNA and Group Health Options, including higher deductible options. No other single carrier in Washington currently gives mid-sized employers such a broad menu of health benefits that features multiple and competing delivery networks and benefit designs. The product options now include defined-physician network plans, a preferred-provider organization (PPO PPO abbr. preferred provider organization PPO Managed care Preferred provider organization, see there Infectious disease Pleuropneumonia-like organism, see there ), and point-of-service (POS (1) See point of sale and packet over SONET. (2) "Parent over shoulder." See digispeak. POS - point of sale ) plans. In addition, Washington employees can choose other insurance products including dental, vision, life, and long- and short-term Short-term Any investments with a maturity of one year or less. short-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss on the value of an asset that has been held less than a specified period of time. disability. In addition, BENU Washington has expanded its geographical and product availability to Southern Washington through the addition of Kaiser Permanente Northwest. "Kaiser Permanente Northwest will provide coverage in the Southern Washington service area that previously was not available through Group Health Options," said Jeff Closs, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. for BENU. "We now offer a single source solution for employers seeking the best group model and the coordinated care network benefits in that area." With Kaiser Permanente Northwest in the BENU line-up of carriers, and the introduction of 20 new plan designs, BENU offers more choice and financial control for mid-sized employers in Washington State than ever before. The recent introduction of BENU Oregon Oregon, city, United States Oregon, city (1990 pop. 18,334), Lucas co., NW Ohio, a suburb adjacent to Toledo, on Lake Erie; inc. 1958. It is a port with railroad-owned and -operated docks. The city has industries producing oil, chemicals, and metal products. has also increased the options for Washington employers with employees located in Oregon. "With eight new plan designs from Group Health Options and 12 new plans from CIGNA, plus our new relationship with Kaiser Permanente, we now have one of the most flexible, choice-driven health plans available in the market," said Bob Bray, Northwest Market Leader for CIGNA HealthCare. "The new plan designs incorporate some higher deductible options, with the goal, basically, of providing something for everyone." "Cost and product choice are big problems for employers of all sizes," added Closs. "We are pleased to increase our geographic scope, significantly expand our product choice as well as lower our group size threshold. By taking these steps, we can better meet the demand from smaller employer groups seeking out affordable, flexible health plans to meet their budget while satisfying their employees' needs for choice and variety in plans and benefits." Closs added the expansion will allow BENU to serve an estimated 125,000 more people in Washington State. "BENU appeals to mid-sized companies that usually cannot afford the administrative costs administrative costs, n.pl the overhead expenses incurred in the operation of a dental benefits program, excluding costs of dental services provided. of offering multiple plans from different vendors," said Maureen McLaughlin, CEO of Group Health Options. "In those situations, their employees have been restricted to a choice of only one or two benefit designs from a single carrier. BENU Washington offers a ground-breaking proposition that allows smaller employers to provide choice and financing control without increasing their administrative costs. With the addition of Kaiser Permanente, BENU has taken another positive step toward health plan affordability in all regions of this state." BENU Washington was launched in the fall of 2002 and initially targeted employers and their employees in Western Washington
Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington west of the Cascade Mountains. and the greater Spokane area. It now will be available statewide through regional health insurance brokers and agents. For sales information about BENU Washington, contact Tim Kussie at 206-262-7352, or visit www.benu.com. About Group Health: Group Health Cooperative Group Health Cooperative, based in Seattle, Washington, is a consumer-governed nonprofit healthcare system. Established in 1947, it today provides coverage and care for about 540,000 people in Washington and Idaho and is one of the largest private employers in Washington. is the Northwest's largest health care system, serving nearly 600,000 people. It includes medical centers, an associated 1,050-physician group practice, thousands of providers, two health carriers offering choices of different kinds of health plans, a research center, and a charitable foundation. Group Health Options, Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Group Health Cooperative, is a health care service contractor. About Kaiser Permanente Northwest: Kaiser Permanente is the nation's largest nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. health plan, and has been providing health care in the Pacific Northwest since 1945. Kaiser Permanente Northwest has more than 700 physicians and nearly 400 affiliated clinicians who are organized in a group practice. The program operates 26 medical offices in the Northwest, owns and operates one hospital, and has relationships with various community hospitals to serve its members. Currently, the program serves the medical care needs of about 435,000 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Across the nation more than 8.3 million people choose Kaiser Permanente for their health care needs. Nationally, Kaiser Permanente has 11,000 physicians and 134,000 employees and owns and operates 30 medical centers with 431 medical offices. About CIGNA HealthCare: CIGNA HealthCare provides health coverage and employee benefit services to nearly 200,000 individuals throughout Washington. The CIGNA HealthCare provider network in Washington includes more than 15,000 medical providers and more than 80 hospitals. CIGNA HealthCare provides medical coverage through managed care and indemnity Recompense for loss, damage, or injuries; restitution or reimbursement. An indemnity contract arises when one individual takes on the obligation to pay for any loss or damage that has been or might be incurred by another individual. programs to approximately 14.2 million people, dental coverage to approximately 13.1 million and mental health coverage to approximately 14.2 million. It employs some 30,000 professionals and is headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn. "CIGNA HealthCare" refers to various operating subsidiaries An operating subsidiary is a business term frequently used within the United States railroad industry. In the case of a railroad, it refers to a company that is a subsidiary but operates with its own identity and rolling stock. of CIGNA Corporation. Products and services are provided by these operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. About BENU: BENU, Inc., headquartered in San Mateo San Mateo (săn mətā`ō), city (1990 pop. 85,486), San Mateo co., W Calif., on San Francisco Bay; inc. 1894. It is a commercial and retail center with some high-technology manufacturing. San Mateo, Spanish for St. , Calif., is a pioneering benefits solutions company offering an expanded choice of insurance products and services and more control over health care expenditures for the mid-sized employer marketplace (with 75-1000 employees). BENU Washington conveniently packages the products of leading insurance carriers to create unprecedented benefits choices in a defined contribution environment. BENU is able to deliver this choice affordably because of its proprietary Risk Adjustment Mechanism and benefit automation technologies. |
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