HealthPlan Services to serve AVMA GHLIT policyholders

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The AVMA Group Health and Life Insurance Trust is pleased to announce that it has finalized a partnership agreement with HealthPlan Services Inc. to provide certain services for the 34,000 AVMA members covered under the GHLIT insurance plans.

Beginning June 1, 2003, HealthPlan Services will provide all nonclaims services for new and existing GHLIT members. These services involve areas such as invoicing, enrollment, eligibility, renewals, underwriting, claims reporting, sales, and marketing.

Previously, Harrington Benefit Services was administrator of those nonclaims services. A strong partner of the GHLIT for 46 years, Harrington will continue to perform claims administration.

New York Life, an industry-leading insurance company, will remain the GHLIT insurance carrier. The provider network offered through FirstHealth will also remain the same, as will the prescription benefits provided through Advance PCS.

Since 1957, the AVMA GHLIT has been successfully providing quality health, life, disability, and other lines of coverage to its members nationwide.

GHLIT Chair Jody Johnson, a veterinarian, said, "HPS brings the AVMA GHLIT new technology, fresh marketing ideas, and a portfolio of new products that we can make available to meet our members' needs.

"We look forward to being able to further enhance the service we provide to our existing members, and to increasing overall participation in the program and gaining more exposure to our program within the student population."

The potential new products that will be studied include a dental product, long-term care, and some form of staff coverage. In terms of fresh marketing ideas, the goal is to provide more educational pieces to help members be informed consumers of health care.

The new technology that HPS will bring includes the company's fully Web-enabled Total Administrative Solutions platform, which handles all aspects of individual billing, enrollment, eligibility, agent commissions, rating, and renewals. The platform's Web capabilities will enable agents and members to access real-time data 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A mailing to GHLIT insureds will detail the services that HPS will provide as well as its Web-based platform, which will be transitioned in after June 1. AVMA members are encouraged to periodically access the GHLIT Web site through the Member Center of the AVMA Web site, www.avma.org, to familiarize themselves with the various administrative services as they are being added.

Located in Tampa, Fla., HealthPlan Services is part of HealthPlan Holdings Inc., a business process outsourcing company providing services for employee benefits.

Jeff Bak, HealthPlan Services president and CEO, said, "HPS is proud to be associated with the AVMA GHLIT and with one of America's most trusted professions. The AVMA GHLIT fits our strategy of becoming a leading administrator and marketer of association plans. Our Web-based administrative platform is ideal for individual benefit administration."