Employees insured by MethodistCare to see change

Employees
insured by MethodistCare to see change
…………………………………………………………………

WellPoint Health
Networks Inc., one of the nation’s largest publicly
traded health insurance companies, announced recently that
it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire MethodistCare,
the managed care subsidiary of Methodist Health Care System
and one of the health insurance programs offered to Rice
employees.

As part of the
transaction, WellPoint’s UNICARE Life and Health Insurance
Co. national operating unit, which currently serves 322,240
medical members throughout Texas, signed a five-year agreement
with Methodist Health Care System, one of the nation’s
premier health care systems, to provide covered medical
services to all members of UNICARE’s HMO and PPO networks.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“As we all know, the health benefits landscape is continually
changing. This change is good for Rice faculty and staff.
Wellpoint has remained an HMO provider of choice in other
parts of the country, and MethodistCare’s financial
stability is enhanced,” Mary Cronin, associate vice
president for human resources at Rice, said.

“We are
excited to join with WellPoint, which is well-known for
its customer focus and financial stability,” said Albert
R. Zimmerli, chief financial officer and executive vice
president, Methodist Health Care System. “MethodistCare
has a history of strong membership growth and consistently
high member satisfaction. This agreement builds on that
foundation,” he said.

The transaction
is expected to close during the second quarter of 2002.
More information will be available to Rice staff and faculty
by open enrollment in April. In the meantime, as in previous
years, Rice will negotiate new health premiums to be effective
July 1, 2002. Members of the Rice community
currently enrolled in MethodistCare do not need to take
any action now. WellPoint is committed to offering a range
of products that deliver choice and flexibility and put
members in control of their health care. WellPoint Health
Networks Inc. serves the health care needs of approximately
10 million medical and more than 44 million specialty members
through Blue Cross of California, Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Georgia and UNICARE. The company offers a broad spectrum
of quality network-based health products, including open
access PPO, POS and hybrid products, HMO and specialty products.
Specialty products include pharmacy benefit management;
dental, vision, behavioral health, life and disability insurance;
long-term care insurance; flexible spending accounts; COBRA
administration; and Medicare supplements.

MethodistCare,
one of Houston’s largest health maintenance organizations,
comprises a growing number of facilities and community-based
health care organizations offering preventive and primary
care in addition to traditional hospital services