NEW YORK, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ — Effective January 1, 2008, Group Health Incorporated (GHI) has announced that its more than 10,000 GHI Medicare Choice PPO members may now call a toll-free number to speak with their own independent Personal Health Advocate (PHA) for help with healthcare and administrative issues. This new service is made available through Health Advocate, Inc., the nation’s leading health advocacy and assistance company.
Since 1937, GHI has been a leader in health insurance, committed to quality health care coverage for all New Yorkers, including those on limited incomes. According to GHI CEO Frank J. Brancinini, “The addition of the Health Advocate service to GHI Medicare Choice PPO Plans at no extra cost exemplifies GHI’s commitment to making quality health care coverage simple and affordable for those who qualify for Medicare.”
Personal Health Advocates, typically highly trained Registered Nurses backed by a team of medical directors and administrative experts, help Medicare members resolve a range of issues including insurance claims, billing, and payment problems. They help find the best doctors and hospitals; get second opinions; secure appointments with specialists, and research treatment options, as well as locate other providers. Personal Health Advocates also provide assistance with eldercare issues; help explain a medical condition; coordinate and arrange wellness services, and arrange transportation through community services, where available.
“We are very pleased to support GHI’s Medicare Advantage members to help enhance their overall healthcare experience,” said Abbie Leibowitz, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Health Advocate, Inc. “Our personalized service is designed to facilitate better understanding of, and access to, medical services for seniors.”
Medicare members will be connected to the same Personal Health Advocate every time they call, helping to ensure continuity of service. Members may call as often as needed, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time. After hours and during weekends, on-call staff is available to assist with issues that need to be addressed during non-business hours.
About GHI
Group Health Incorporated (GHI) is a statewide health insurer serving New Yorkers since 1937. GHI and its wholly owned subsidiary, GHI HMO, provide health care coverage and administrative services to more than 2.6 million people. GHI offers customers a variety of PPO, EPO and HMO programs, as well as prescription drug, dental, and vision plans. GHI’s network in the tri-state area includes nearly 79,000 practitioners at over 120,000 locations. Throughout its history GHI has pioneered many of the programs that are now standard in the health insurance field. For additional information about GHI, please visit http://www.ghi.com/.
About Health Advocate, Inc.
Health Advocate was founded to help employers and other organizations and their respective employees better navigate the clinical and administrative complexities of the nation’s healthcare and insurance systems. The company currently serves more than 10 million Americans nation-wide through its relationships with 3,000+ employers, unions, third-party administrators and insurers, including some of the nation’s largest companies as well as a wide range of local and regional organizations. The company has received widespread news media coverage, was identified by Inc. 500 Magazine as one of the nation’s fastest growing privately held companies, and recognized by Philadelphia Magazine as one of the “Best Places to Work.” More information can be found at http://www.healthadvocate.com/.
Group Health Incorporated
CONTACT: Ilene Margolin of GHI, +1-212-615-0098; or Kristen McMahon ofRubenstein Associates – Public Relations, +1-212-843-8268
Web site: http://www.ghi.com/http://www.healthadvocate.com/
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