Blended acupuncture/chiropractic HMO benefit first of its kind in state; Landmark Healthcare furthers idea of alternative care in managed care settings.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--April 30, 1997--Landmark Chiropractic IPA of California, a subsidiary of Landmark Healthcare, Inc. and a chiropractic provider network which contracts with HMOs to provide managed care services, has teamed with San Jose-based Lifeguard, Inc. to lead the West in providing wide access to a unique alternative care benefit.

This summer, 86,000 Lifeguard members with chiropractic coverage will also have access to acupuncture care, pending the California Department of Corporations' approval.

The innovative program combines acupuncture and chiropractic in a single alternative care supplemental benefit, allowing a combination of medically necessary and appropriate care, up to 20 visits in a calendar year. The "blended" benefit marks the first of its kind within a California HMO environment, enabling member self-referral and new choices for treatment.

"Landmark is pleased to collaborate with Lifeguard in pioneering an alternative care benefit that provides options for treatment and direct access to care," noted Kevin Buron, Landmark's marketing vice president. "A progressive program like this speaks to the increasing public interest in alternative care therapies and suggests new possibilities for the future of health care."

Landmark moved forward with its acupuncture product development activities when a 1996 Landmark-sponsored research effort showed that chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapy were consistently selected as the top therapies of interest. The survey polled HMO marketing and medical directors in 13 states with significant managed care penetration rates and garnered a 51 percent response rate. The findings solidified Landmark's commitment to the development of managed alternative care.

Last fall, Lifeguard approached Landmark to design the blended program in response to members' demand for an alternative care benefit and Landmark Acupuncture Network formed as an adjunct network to the chiropractic IPA. As with the chiropractic IPA, the acupuncture network upholds stringent provider credentialing criteria and requires providers to participate in quality and utilization management activities to ensure patient-centered, efficacious and cost-efficient care. Recruitment of qualified, licensed acupuncturists is ongoing to satisfy access requirements prescribed by California regulation.

Landmark Healthcare, Inc., a Sacramento-based managed care firm, is dedicated to the delivery of complementary alternative care therapies for group health, workers' compensation and Medicare populations. Its comprehensive programs offer sophisticated managed care solutions throughout the Southwest and California with developing operations across the United States.

For the Landmark-sponsored research brochure, "Health Maintenance Organizations and Alternative Medicine: A Closer Look," e-mail Landmark at: [e-mail] . Visit Landmark's Web site at: http://www.LandmarkHealthcare.com .

CONTACT: Landmark Healthcare, Inc.

Lynette Lasell, 916/569-3325

Sheri Chow, 916/569-3326