Health Advocate, Inc. Services Included In Independence Blue Cross Health Plans For AAA Mid-Atlantic Members

Plymouth Meeting, PA (PRWEB) May 01, 2012

Health Advocate, Inc., the nation’s leading independent healthcare advocacy and assistance company has been selected by Independence Blue Cross (IBC) to provide its health advocacy services exclusively to members of AAA Mid-Atlantic who purchase an individual IBC health insurance plan.

AAA Mid-Atlantic and (IBC) have teamed up to provide AAA Mid-Atlantic members who reside in southeastern Pennsylvania access to a broad variety of IBC health plans. AAA Mid-Atlantic will deliver a special perk for its members - providing Health Advocate services for no additional cost. Health Advocate provides consumers with access to a Personal Health Advocate who helps them get answers, find providers, secure second opinions, clarify medical coverage, and resolve billing issues so they can receive better care and reduce medical costs.

"We are pleased to partner with two great companies and are excited that IBC has designed a service just for members of AAA Mid-Atlantic,” said Michael J. Cardillo, Health Advocate president, CEO and cofounder. “We look forward to helping AAA members navigate the often confusing healthcare landscape.”

AAA Mid-Atlantic members who have an IBC health plan will have free access to Personal Health Advocates who are qualified nurses, benefits and claims specialists backed by a team of physicians. Personal Health Advocates assist members with all healthcare-related issues, such as finding a physician, explaining benefits, scheduling doctor appointments and clarifying billing statements. All members’ conversations with a Personal Health Advocate are kept confidential.

For example, a person facing a serious condition who wants help finding the most qualified physician in network can seek advice from a Personal Health Advocate, who is backed by other clinicians and experts.

“We are eager to extend the value of our most popular individual health plans to AAA Mid-Atlantic members,” said Daniel J. Hilferty, IBC president and CEO. “Independence Blue Cross is the first commercial health plan company to offer individual health coverage exclusively for AAA members. We are proud of this innovative relationship, as we drive toward new and better ways to help people stay healthy and successfully navigate the sometimes complex health care system.”

The health insurance landscape is changing dramatically, Hilferty said, as more and more consumers are buying their own health coverage. IBC is focused on simplifying the health insurance buying process for people who have never purchased health plans on their own before, he said, noting that IBC’s new relationship with AAA will help its members, who are accustomed to getting quality products and services through AAA, select top quality health insurance through IBC with the additional peace of mind of AAA’s endorsement.

Exclusively for AAA Mid-Atlantic members who reside in the Philadelphia five-county area, IBC’s individual health plans – including a complete suite of 13 medically underwritten HMO and PPO plans – offer services through Health Advocate that help individuals and families pursue better health outcomes, lower medical costs, relieve stress, and improve well-being.

“We are pleased to enter into a strategic relationship with IBC to expand our growing list of health care products and services for AAA members,” said Andy Zalescik, vice president, financial services, AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Our members demand exceptionally high levels of service, value in the form of an exclusive AAA benefit, and guidance from top tier providers such as IBC and Health Advocate due to the ever increasing complexities of health care decisions. Now AAA is helping them get the health coverage they need, for wherever life takes them.”

About Health Advocate
Health Advocate™, Inc., the nation’s leading independent healthcare advocacy and assistance company, serves 25+ million Americans through more than 8,200 client relationships, including many of the nation’s largest companies, helping members personally navigate healthcare and insurance-related issues, saving time and money. The company’s award-winning Core Health Advocacy service is centered around our Personal Health Advocates, who assist members with a range of clinical, administrative and insurance-related issues. Additional add-on, complementary solutions include our Wellness Advocate™, EAP+Work/Life™ and decision support programs.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, Health Advocate has received a range of awards including, 2011 Workforce Management magazine Optimas Award as the Worldwide Leader in Service, named one of the nation’s fastest growing privately-held companies by Inc., and rated one of the Top 20 Best Places to Work by Philadelphia magazine.
Health Advocate is not affiliated with any insurance or third party provider.
Visit us at:
http://www.HealthAdvocate.com
http://www.HealthProponent.com

About Independence Blue Cross
Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.1 million people. For 74 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit us at ibx.com. Fan us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter@ibx.
AAA Mid-Atlantic
AAA Mid-Atlantic serves nearly 700,000 members in the Philadelphia (5-county) region and nearly four million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, with personal insurance, financial, automotive and travel services through 58 retail branches, regional operations centers and the internet, at AAA.com.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9460848.htm