National Health Plan Marks 25 Years of Caring for Uniformed Service Families

US Family Health Plan Celebrates Its Commitment and Service

to the Nation’s Military Health System

US Family Health Plan, recognized nationally for consistently high patient satisfaction ratings, marks a major milestone in 2006 in service to the nation’s military health system. As of this year, the Plan will have provided healthcare to military families for 25 years through six not-for-profit organizations across the United States. During this quarter century, the US Family Health Plan has worked as a valued partner with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and has been an integral part of the military health system by continuing to serve more than 94,000 uniformed services beneficiaries today.

US Family Health Plan’s roots date back to 1981 when the Omnibus Reconciliation Act designated 10 public health hospitals as U.S. Treatment Facilities (USTFs) to provide care for the uniformed services through an agreement with DoD. In 1993, that designation evolved into a fully at-risk managed healthcare plan named US Family Health Plan. The Plan’s popularity grew in the regions where it was offered. In 1996, the National Defense Authorization Act designated the USTFs as TRICARE Prime Designated Providers and made the US Family Health Plan a permanent part of the military health system. US Family health Plan, a comprehensive health plan designed for military families, provides the same benefits as TRICARE Prime at the same cost structure, and is offered today through the Plan’s six not-for-profit healthcare systems on the East, Gulf and West coasts.

US Family Health Plan members receive care through networks administered by Johns Hopkins Medicine (serving central Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia), Martin’s Point Health Care (serving Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and northeastern New York), Brighton Marine Health Center (serving Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Rhode Island and northern Connecticut), St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (serving parts of New York, all of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and southern Connecticut), CHRISTUS Health (serving Texas and Louisiana) and Pacific Medical Centers in Washington state.

“US Family Health Plan is honored to have served military families and retirees by being part of the military health system for 25 years,” said David Chicoine, chairman of the US Family Health Plan Alliance Board. “We are proud to have earned the highest beneficiary satisfaction ratings among all TRICARE providers year after year. Our anniversary celebration in 2006 will be an exciting and memorable occasion for honoring those whom we have served, and to the dedicated providers who have worked with us so successfully over the past 25 years to ensure quality healthcare for our members.”

Chicoine said the Plan would hold anniversary activities throughout the year including a dinner at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., in April.

US Family Health Plan is a TRICARE Prime option available to families of active duty military, National Guard, reservists, retirees and their eligible family members, including those age 65 and over, through networks of community-based hospitals and physicians in six areas of the country. US Family Health Plan enrollment is offered through:

     —  JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE 1-800-801-9322         Serving central Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of         Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia      —  MARTIN’S POINT HEALTH CARE 1-888-241-4556         Serving Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and northeastern New         York      —  BRIGHTON MARINE HEALTH CENTER 1-800-818-8589         Serving Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Rhode Island and         northern Connecticut      —  SAINT VINCENT CATHOLIC MEDICAL CENTERS 1-800-241-4848         Serving parts of New York, all of New Jersey, eastern         Pennsylvania and southern Connecticut      —  CHRISTUS HEALTH 1-800-678-7347         Serving southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana      —  PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTERS 1-888-958-7347         Serving the Puget Sound area of Washington state 

For more information, visit the US Family Health Plan Web site at www.usfamilyhealthplan.org.