BridgeHealth Medical Names Prominent Economist and Business Strategist, Arthur Laffer, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors, Advancing Leadership in Medical Travel.

Noted creator of the "Laffer Curve" contributes expertise on interconnecting macroeconomic, political, and demographic changes affecting global financial markets

DENVER & NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- BridgeHealth Medical, Inc. (www.BridgeHealthMedical.com), the nation's premier provider of medical travel services, announces the appointment of Arthur Laffer, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors, further elevating the Company's position as a strategic partner to employers, health plans and other stakeholders. Drawing upon his distinguished career as an economic strategist for some of the great political and business forces of our time, Dr. Laffer will help to shape the expansion of BridgeHealth's medical travel options and services and accelerate market uptake.

"A highly respected pioneer in his field who is acknowledged for economic achievements, Dr. Laffer brings vast experience in institutional economic research, finance and investment management that will be reflected in our corporate positioning as well as our product portfolio," says Victor Lazzaro Jr., CEO of BridgeHealth. "Dr. Laffer's robust background and expertise introduces a new level of competence to this burgeoning industry, and BridgeHealth takes pride in welcoming this accomplished individual."

In the 1980s, Laffer's economic acumen and influence triggered a world-wide tax-cutting movement that earned him the title 'Father of Supply-Side Economics.' One of his earliest successes in shaping public policy involved the California initiative Proposition 13, which drastically cut property taxes in the state.

Currently founder and chairman of Nashville, Tenn. based Laffer Associates, an institutional economic research and consulting firm, and Laffer Investments, an institutional investment management firm utilizing diverse investment strategies, Dr. Laffer is world-renown for his success in advising on a governmental level. His firms provide research and investment management services to a diverse group of clients, which includes institutions, pension funds, corporation, endowments, foundations, individuals, and others.

Dr. Laffer served as a member of President Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board for both of his two terms (1981-1989). He also advised Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on fiscal policy in the United Kingdom during the 1980s.

Formerly the Distinguished University Professor at Pepperdine University and a member of the Pepperdine Board of Directors, Dr. Laffer also served as the Charles B. Thornton Professor of Business Economics at the University of Southern California from 1976 to 1984. He was an associate professor of Business Economics at the University of Chicago from 1970 to 1976 and a member of the Chicago faculty from 1967 through 1976.

Between 1972 and 1977, Laffer was a consultant to Secretary of the Treasury William Simon and Secretary of the Treasury George Shultz. He was the first to hold the title of Chief Economist at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Mr. Shultz from October 1970 to July 1972.

Dr. Laffer has been widely acknowledged in high-profile venues, notably Time Magazine's cover story "A Century of Science" (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990633,00.html), for inventing the Laffer Curve, which it deemed one of "a few of the advances that powered this extraordinary century." He was listed in the Los Angeles Times, "A Dozen Who Shaped the '80s," (http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-01/business/fi-188_1_jay-chiat) and the Wall Street Journal, "A Gallery of the Greatest People Who Influenced Our Daily Business," (6.23.1989). His creation of the Laffer Curve was deemed a "memorable event" in financial history by the Institutional Investor (July 1992) Silver Anniversary issue, "The Heroes, Villains, Triumphs, Failures and Other Memorable Events."

"As the international leader in medical travel, BridgeHealth is clearly poised to springboard to the next phase of this explosive new industry," says Dr. Laffer, who received a B.A. in economics from Yale University in 1963, and an M.B.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University in 1965 and 1972, respectively. "I look forward to helping the company expand its scope of domestic and international Centers of Excellence, which represent the most compelling opportunities for accessing high-quality health care at lower cost. BridgeHealth answers the economic and quality demands of global health care delivery."

BridgeHealth offers worldwide access to quality accredited hospitals and qualified physicians, bringing affordable coverage to small and large businesses alike. Individuals benefit from the door-to-door coordination of high quality, low-cost procedures -- both domestically and overseas -- that help reduce costs across-the-board for consumers, employers, and insurers.

About BridgeHealth Medical

BridgeHealth Medical (BridgeHealth) is the premier service provider in the burgeoning medical travel industry, founded with a vision "to create a trusted bridge to the world of medical care." BridgeHealth offers both US domestic and international networks and serves health plans, insurance carriers, employers, third party administrators, individuals accessing benefits via voluntary benefits plans, health and affinity card programs or Consumer Directed Health Care Plans (CDHP), and individual consumers seeking medical travel options. Visit www.BridgeHealthMedical.com