Short-term plan also includes value through virtuwell.com care
BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For the first time, Minnesotans have the opportunity to have health insurance that is entirely paperless, affordable and provides covered visits to virtuwell, a 24/7 online clinic, without any additional out-of-pocket cost.
With Link90 from HealthPartners, members won’t receive a large envelope filled with complex legal language about benefits. Their mailboxes won’t be filled with notices and notification. They won’t even receive a membership ID card in the mail.
Instead, everything is done online and paper-free. And while members can print out an ID card if they desire, the card can also be accessed on their smart phones and faxed to a provider with the touch of a few buttons.
Link90, an affordable, 90-day plan aimed at individuals in transition or just out of school was designed to make health care coverage as easy and convenient as possible for members. Depending on age and which one of two deductible options is selected, members can get 90 days of coverage starting at about $100.
“We’ve been wanting to create a plan like this for a while,” HealthPartners CEO Mary Brainerd said. “We’ve been getting messages from members that they want options that are simple, easy, convenient and low cost. We’re excited about this product.”
Link90 is yet another way HealthPartners is working to meet members and patients where they live their lives. Over the past year, HealthPartners has launched several initiatives to make health care simpler and more convenient for busy customers, such as virtuwell, online virtual coaching and posting online wait times for urgent care facilities and the Regions Hospital emergency center.
Going paperless is a natural extension of that work. Many members would prefer to not receive printed pieces regarding their health insurance and would rather have an electronic option. For HealthPartners, Link90 is the first plan aimed at reducing the number of paper products produced.
HealthPartners plans to introduce more earth-friendly plans moving forward, including with some employer groups. While members who want paper would be able to choose that option, those who would rather receive online communication may have that option in the future.
In addition to being paperless, Link90 also provides unique value that isn’t available in short-term offerings.
Like most short-term plans, Link 90 provides coverage for significant medical emergencies, but it also allows members to be treated for many common ailments without additional out-of-pocket cost. That is because Link90 members will receive three free virtuwell.com visits with their premium.
An online clinic developed by HealthPartners, virtuwell offers diagnosis, treatment and prescriptions if needed for common illnesses such as pink eye, sinus infections, flu and bladder infections. Launched in late 2010 and staffed by nurse practitioners, virtuwell is available 24/7 to people living in or working in Minnesota or Wisconsin.
Each virtuwell visit costs non-members up to $40, a value of $120 for Link90 members who use all three free visits. Also, each member receives a coupon that allows them to purchase a full dental exam, cleaning an x-rays for $99. The retail value on the dental offering is up to $343. Link90 members will also receive other health and wellness discounts.
About HealthPartners
Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of health care companies serves more than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community. HealthPartners is the top-ranked commercial health plan in Minnesota and is also ranked 19th in the nation according to NCQA's Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2010-11 - private.
CONTACT:
HealthPartners
Jeff Shelman
Office: 952-883-6198
Cell: 612-859-4632
[email protected]
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