BridgeHealth Reaches One Million Member Milestone for Travel to Surgical Centers of Excellence Via Contracted TPAs, Insurers, and Employers

"This is a major milestone for BridgeHealth because it means that well-respected, national health care administrators and carriers see great value in offering this innovative specialty travel network," says Arthur Laffer, Ph.D., noted economist and creator of the Laffer Curve, economic advisor to President Ronald Regan, and member of the Board of Directors of BridgeHealth. "While these entities may be inundated daily with multiple program opportunities, they now value and prioritize what BridgeHealth has to offer. Collectively, they have chosen to dedicate time, effort and resources to introduce this plan enhancement to their constituents as a realistic way to blunt anticipated cuts to employee health benefits."

BridgeHealth offers worldwide access to quality accredited hospitals and qualified physicians, bringing affordable coverage to small and large businesses alike. Individuals benefit from the end-to-end coordination of high quality, lower cost procedures -- both domestically and abroad -- that help reduce costs across-the-board for consumers, employers, and insurers.

Victor Lazzaro, Jr., CEO of BridgeHealth Medical, Inc., explains, "Channel partners regard the BridgeHealth offering as a clear differentiator in this highly competitive benefits marketplace, with many seeing a medical travel option as a positive way to help combat large year-over-year rate increases for plan sponsors. In a tough economy, this type of benefit is very appealing."

He says that the number of health care administrators and carriers in the BridgeHealth pipeline grows steadily, with respected organizations now recognizing that the medical travel option means real savings on claims, value to employers and employees, and a market differentiator for the program sponsor.

"While this benefit can be added off-cycle, we have significant interest from plans to be ready for a January 1, 2010, effective date," he continues. "Our channel partners are anxious to deliver a right now solution for their clients' healthcare costs where those plans can save 30-80 percent on surgical case fees and share some of those savings back to employees to go toward their out-of-pocket costs."

According to Bruce Flunker, CEO of Employee Benefit Consultants of Milwaukee, WI, "We selected BridgeHealth as a partner because they mirror our own organization's position at the leading edge of quality improvement and cost control within healthcare choices for our employer clients. Access and experienced support for employees to travel to surgical centers of excellence has become a reality within US healthcare channels; we are actively rolling this option out as an improved choice for members covered under their company plan."

Allied National, Inc., a third party administrator of fully insured plans for individuals and small employers, is offering the BridgeHealth program as a standard feature to all of its policyholders. Bill Ashley, CEO, notes, "They will now have an opportunity for greater choice and cost-efficient health care without compromising on quality. In particular, we believe this program will be extremely valuable to our clients with high out-of-pocket plans."

As BridgeHealth validates market momentum, Sam Havens, former CEO of Prudential Healthcare, director and business development catalyst for several leading-edge health care technology firms, and a member of the Board of Directors for BridgeHealth, concludes, "The BridgeHealth domestic network is a premier option for surgery, offering consumers increased quality, choice of providers, cost savings, and patient education - the key elements of every proposed health care reform package. BridgeHealth is also filling a need on the international side by integrating agencies and hospitals with data to support the medical travel advantage."

About BridgeHealth Medical

BridgeHealth Medical (BridgeHealth) is the premier provider of medical travel services to high quality surgical centers of excellence at significantly lower prices, founded with a vision "to create a trusted bridge to the world of medical care." BridgeHealth offers both US domestic and international networks and serves health plans, insurance carriers, employers, third party administrators, individuals accessing benefits via voluntary benefits plans, health and affinity card programs or Consumer Directed Health Care Plans (CDHP), and individual consumers seeking medical travel options. Visit www.BridgeHealthMedical.com.

CPR For BridgeHealth Medical:
Jim Stroh, 201-641-1911 x18
Jstroh@cpronline.com