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Highmark Offers Resources to Help Pennsylvanians Without Health Insurance During Cover the Uninsured Week

Posted on: Monday, 16 March 2009, 13:10 CDT

Uninsured, including those who are recently unemployed, can attend a local seminar or talk to a health insurance expert

PITTSBURGH, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- As the nation marks National Cover the Uninsured Week from March 22 to 28, Highmark is offering resources to help Pennsylvanians without health insurance understand their coverage options. A recent study by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department found that the uninsured ranks in Pennsylvania have risen to one million Pennsylvanians in 2008, up from some 900,000 individuals in 2004.

Cover the Uninsured, a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a national effort to highlight the fact that some 46 million Americans, including nine million children, do not have health care coverage.

"As the country struggles with an economic downturn and increasing layoffs, we know that more and more individuals need to purchase health insurance on their own," said Ken Cikovic, director of individual markets at Highmark. "Through our extensive health insurance knowledge and various individual program options, we hope to transition these individuals to a health insurance plan that is right for them and their families."

To help the uninsured understand their health insurance options and apply for health coverage, Highmark is offering "Health Insurance Programs for Individuals" seminars at its two Highmark Direct health insurance retail store locations.

Highmark Direct Mechanicsburg Highmark Direct Pittsburgh Monday, March 23, 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, 4 p.m. Thursday, March 26, 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 27, 1 p.m. Call 717-302-7900 to register for Call 412-544-5400 to register for the the seminar at Silver Spring seminar at McKnight Siebert Shopping Square, 6416 Carlisle Pike, Center, 4885 McKnight Road, Suite 1500, Mechanicsburg, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa.

Individuals can also call Highmark directly to learn more about their health insurance options, including products that are based on income, products based on medical history and those available to everyone, or guaranteed issue products.

"A lot of individuals don't understand that Highmark offers a wide variety of products to meet their health insurance needs," said Cikovic. "We work with the state to provide state-administered health insurance programs such as CHIP and adultBasic. We also offer our own products that are medically underwritten, which means that individuals complete a health questionnaire, and those that are guaranteed issue, and don't require completing a health questionnaire. Either way, we have many options that fit the needs of many people."

Those individuals living in the following counties should contact the phone numbers below to learn more about Highmark's health insurance products.

1-866-698-4077 1-866-488-7481 Central Pennsylvania and Lehigh Western Pennsylvania counties of: Valley counties of: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Centre, Columbia, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mifflin, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Montour, Northampton, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union, York Washington, Westmoreland

About Highmark

As one of the leading health insurers in Pennsylvania, Highmark Inc.'s mission is to provide access to affordable, quality health care enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. Based in Pittsburgh, Highmark serves 4.6 million people through the company's health care benefits business. Highmark contributes millions of dollars to help keep quality health care programs affordable and to support community-based programs that work to improve people's health. Highmark exerts an enormous economic impact throughout Pennsylvania. A recent study states that Highmark's positive impact exceeded $2.5 billion. The company provides the resources to give its members a greater hand in their health. Highmark Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.

SOURCE Highmark

Source: PR Newswire

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