• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

SCAN Arizona Takes Leading Role in Formation of the New Arizona Association of Health Plans

Posted on: Monday, 22 December 2008, 07:00 CST

PHOENIX, Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- SCAN Health Plan Arizona has joined with six other Arizona health insurers to form the Arizona Association of Health Plans, Inc. The association will work to ensure that health care in Arizona remains affordable, accessible and available.

"As a nonprofit health plan, SCAN has always focused on offering members access to high-quality, affordable health care," said Tom Lescault, president of SCAN Health Plan Arizona. "We are extremely pleased to now be working collaboratively with other health plans to help ensure that such care is available to all Arizonans."

Joining SCAN in forming the new association are: Arizona Physicians IPA, Mercy Care Plan, Care1st Arizona, University Family Care, Phoenix Health Plan, and Health Choice AZ. Additional commercial and Medicaid plans will be announced in the future.

The association will focus on fostering and maintaining the cost-efficient and quality delivery of health care services to Arizonans with the goals of:

-- Assuring that every effort is made to make health care affordable and accessible in Arizona.

-- Expanding membership and collaboration to include other Arizona commercial and public health plans.

-- Supporting the Arizona Medicaid program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), currently a national leader in quality service with the lowest per-member cost of any state.

-- Partnering with health providers to ensure that appropriate medical services are delivered to patients and that providers are compensated in a fair and timely manner.

The new Arizona Association of Health Plans will work closely with the administration of AHCCCS to promote and further its goals. The association also will work with legislators, government agencies and health care providers to seek improvement in the quality, availability and cost of health care delivery in Arizona. It will partner with other health care entities and providers to improve the quality and availability of health care while promoting efficient, fair payment for services.

Kathryn Busby, an Arizona lawyer and experienced health care advocate, will serve as the executive director of the new association. "Kathy is uniquely qualified to direct the association's efforts," said Lescault. "She is a highly regarded attorney with over 15 years of experience in health plan operations, compliance and legal work. She also has longtime familiarity with policy development and has experience working in conjunction with government officials, legislators and others in the health care field."

For more than 30 years, SCAN Health Plan has been focusing on the unique needs of people with Medicare and today is the fourth-largest nonprofit Medicare Advantage Plan in the United States. In Arizona, SCAN offers a health plan for Medicare and Medicaid-eligible individuals, provides long-term care services to individuals enrolled in the state's long-term care system in Maricopa County, and in 2009 will be offering a Medicare Advantage Plan in Maricopa County. The company currently serves nearly 105,000 members in Southern California. Further information may be obtained at www.scanhealthplan.com.

SOURCE SCAN Health Plan Arizona

Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category