Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Consumer-Driven Healthcare Plans: Tuning Up
Enrollment Vehicles for Consumer Traffic

Manasquan, N.J., USA, July 5, 2006 – With many health plans and employers ramping up for fall open enrollment season, summer is an optimal time for healthcare organizations to tweak the communication strategies, educational tools and technology supporting their consumer-driven healthcare initiatives. During Empowering and Educating Consumers for Effective Consumer-Driven Healthcare Plans, a July 26, 2006 audio conference sponsored by the Healthcare Intelligence Network (HIN), participants will receive a roadmap for accelerating consumer education efforts and reducing the complexity often associated with the emerging consumer-driven healthcare model. For more information, please visit the HIN bookstore.

In theory, today’s consumer-driven healthcare options offer members and employees more flexibility in allocating their medical dollars and determining healthcare coverage. But the freedom of choice and nuances of plan coverage often overwhelm the savviest consumer. During the 90-minute live interactive audio conference at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on July 26, healthcare thought leaders will reveal how they’ve raised consumer confidence levels at their organizations by simply presenting plan information in a easily navigable site, employing multiple channels to deliver the information and crafting a successful communication campaign.

Marie Dufresne, consultant with the Hay Group, and Philip Micali, founder and CEO, bWell International, will provide inside details on their successes, including creating a campaign that educates consumer-driven healthcare enrollees on how to effectively choose health plan options and use the plans to reach and sustain optimal health status.

Melanie Matthews, HIN executive vice president and chief operating officer, has watched the consumer-driven healthcare trend take hold over the last decade. The healthcare publisher has conducted several audio conferences and web-based surveys on various aspects of the topic. “Health plans and employers tells us that by far, communicating the intricacies of health plans—deductibles, co-pays and quality ratings, to name a few—is the most formidable task facing these organizations.” Matthews structured the July 26, 2006 live audio conference to equip health plans with strategies for communicating change and implementing electronic tools to further the education process.

CEOs, providers, insurers and any healthcare executive involved in the development, production, marketing or technology support of consumer-driven healthcare products will derive value from this audio conference, Matthews added.

In addition to the live audio conference on July 26, the presentation will also be available as an on-demand rebroadcast beginning July 28 and on CD-ROM with printed transcript in mid-August 2006. To register and obtain details on audio conference formats, please visit the HIN bookstore.

About the Healthcare Intelligence Network – HIN is the premier advisory service for executives seeking high-quality strategic information on the business of healthcare. For more information, contact the Healthcare Intelligence Network, PO Box 1442, Wall Township, NJ 07719-1442, (888) 446-3530, fax (732) 292-3073, e-mail info@hin.com, or visit http://www.hin.com.

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Contact: Patricia Donovan