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A.M. Best Takes Various Rating Actions on 50 Health Maintenance Organizations

Posted on: Monday, 14 July 2008, 09:00 CDT

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings (FSR) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of 30 health maintenance organizations (HMO), downgraded nine FSRs and ICRs, upgraded eight FSRs and ICRs, assigned two FSRs and ICRs and withdrew one FSR and ICR. (See below for a detailed list of the companies and ratings.)

These ratings are based solely upon public information and present the most informed view A.M. Best can offer, short of an insurer participating in the full interactive rating process. A.M. Best uses the same rating scale and definitions as it does for its long-term financial strength interactive ratings but applies a pd modifier to ensure the user is aware of the more limited information basis for the rating.

A.M. Best's HMO pd ratings will be released regularly over the next three months. Each month, A.M. Best will provide an update of the recent rating actions.

A.M. Best has affirmed the FSRs and ICRs of the following HMO companies: Company FSR ICR Aloha Care B+ (Good) "bbb-" CommunityCare HMO, Inc. C++ (Marginal) "b" DC Chartered Health Plan, Inc. B- (Fair) "bb-" Driscoll Children's Health Plan C- (Weak) "cc" Fallon Community Health Plan, Inc. B (Fair) "bb+" Florida Health Care Plan, Inc. B (Fair) "bb" Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin B+ (Good) "bbb-" Group Health Cooperative B++ (Good) "bbb" Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire B- (Fair) "bb-" Health Alliance Plan of Michigan B++ (Good) "bbb" Health Plan of Michigan B- (Fair) "bb-" Health Plan of the Upper Ohio Valley, B (Fair) "bb" Inc. Health Right, Inc. C++ (Marginal) "b" HealthPlus of Michigan, Inc. B- (Fair) "bb-" HealthPlus Partners, Inc. C (Weak) "ccc" HMO of Northeastern Pennsylvania B (Fair) "bb" Managed Health, Inc. C++ (Marginal) "b+" McLaren Health Plan, Inc. B (Fair) "bb" Midwest Health Plan, Inc. B (Fair) "bb" New West Health Services C+ (Marginal) "b-" Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation B (Fair) "bb" Preferred Plus of Kansas, Inc. B- (Fair) "bb-" Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, B- (Fair) "bb-" Inc. SelectHealth, Inc. B+ (Good) "bbb-" Sharp Health Plan C++ (Marginal) "b" Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization, Inc. B (Fair) "bb" UTMB Health Plans, Inc. C++ (Marginal) "b" Vantage Health Plan, Inc. B- (Fair) "bb-" Virginia Premier Health Plan B- (Fair) "bb-" VIVA Health, Inc. C++ (Marginal) "b" A.M. Best has upgraded the FSRs and ICRs of the following HMO companies: Company FSR ICR Athens Area Health Plan Select, Inc. C++ (Marginal) "b" El Paso First Health Plans C+ (Marginal) "b-" Inter Valley Health Plan, Inc. C (Weak) "ccc" Mount Carmel Health Plan, Inc. B++ (Good) "bbb" M-Plan, Inc. B (Fair) "bb" Neighborhood Health Plan, Inc. B (Fair) "bb" Seton Health Plan, Inc. B+ (Good) "bbb-" Upper Peninsula Health Plan, Inc. B- (Fair) "bb-" A.M. Best has downgraded the FSRs and ICRs of the following HMO companies: Company FSR ICR Columbia United Providers, Inc. C+ (Marginal) "b-" Community Health Choice, Inc. C+ (Marginal) "b-" Community Health Plan of Washington, B (Fair) "bb" Inc. Cook Children's Health Plan C+ (Marginal) "b-" Inland Empire Health Plan C (Weak) "ccc" Preferred Health C (Weak) "ccc" PreferredOne Community Health Plan B- (Fair) "bb-" Santa Clara County C- (Weak) "cc" Scripps Clinic Health Plan Services, C- (Weak) "cc" Inc. A.M. Best has assigned an FSR and ICR to the following HMO companies: Company FSR ICR PSO Health Services, LLC C (Weak) "ccc" WPS Health Plan, Inc. B- (Fair) "bb-"

A.M. Best has withdrawn the FSR of B- (Fair) and ICR of "bb-"and assigned a category NR-5 (Not Formally Followed) to Physicians Health Plan of South Michigan, an HMO company.

Founded in 1899, A.M. Best Company is a global full-service credit rating organization dedicated to serving the financial and health care service industries, including insurance companies, banks, hospitals and health care system providers. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Source: Business Wire

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