MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic (http://www.minuteclinic.com), the pioneer and largest provider of retail health care in the United States, announced that it has become a participating provider with Milwaukee-based Assurant Health (http://www.assuranthealth.com), a national provider of individual medical, small group and specialty health insurance products.
When visiting a MinuteClinic health care center, members enrolled with Assurant Health will receive in-network health care services. Assurant Health serves 1.1 million people across the U.S.
"We are very pleased to be entering into this agreement with MinuteClinic," said Jim Oatman, Assurant Health senior vice president and chief actuary. "Providing our customers with access to quality health care that is convenient for them is a priority for Assurant Health - and our partnership with MinuteClinic greatly expands the range of affordable and accessible options for sale."
Assurant Health members can visit a MinuteClinic health care center in the following markets: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Detroit, Hartford, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, Northern New Jersey, the New York City metropolitan area, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, Seattle, South Florida, Southern Connecticut, Winston-Salem/Greensboro, the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. and the Virginia Suburbs.
More than 45 insurance providers extend coverage to patients who visit MinuteClinic health care centers.
"Our goal is to integrate simple health care solutions into consumers' lifestyles," said Michael C. Howe, MinuteClinic chief executive officer. "By offering quality and convenient treatment that is covered by companies such as Assurant Health, we are helping to reduce costs and the time patients spend away from their families and the workplace."
MinuteClinic health care centers are staffed by master's-prepared, board- certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who specialize in family health care and are trained to diagnose and treat patients for common illnesses such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections. MinuteClinic also offers common vaccinations, such as influenza, tetanus, MMR, and Hepatitis A & B. Practitioners work in collaboration with physicians and may prescribe medication when it is part of the treatment plan.
MinuteClinic health care centers are open seven days a week, no appointment needs to be made in advance and visits typically take 10-15 minutes.
MinuteClinic practitioners utilize nationally recognized medical protocols to diagnose and treat health conditions. With the patient's consent, treatment information is shared with his or her primary care physician to facilitate continuity of care.
About MinuteClinic
Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic is a subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), the No. 1 provider of prescriptions and related health care services in the nation. MinuteClinic launched the first retail health care centers in the United States in 2000 and is the first provider to establish a national presence with 250 locations across the country. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to consumer demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. The company has generated nearly a million patient visits with a 99 percent customer satisfaction rating. A recognized leader in the patient-centric health care movement, MinuteClinic consistently brings innovation to the marketplace and sets new standards for clinical quality that exceed the national guidelines established for store-based clinics by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). MinuteClinic is the first and only retail health care provider to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.MinuteClinic.com
About Assurant Health
Assurant Health has been in business since 1892 and is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by Time Insurance Company, John Alden Life Insurance Company and Union Security Insurance Company. Together, these three underwriting companies provide health insurance coverage for almost one million people nationwide. Each underwriting company is financially responsible for its own insurance products. Primary products include individual medical, small group, short term and student health insurance products, as well as non-insurance products and consumer-choice products such as Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements. With almost 3,000 employees, Assurant Health is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., and has operations offices in Minnesota, Idaho and Florida, as well as sales offices across the country. The Assurant Health Web site is http://www.assuranthealth.com.
SOURCE MinuteClinic -0- 09/04/2007 /CONTACT: Brent Burkhardt, +1-410-986-1303, bburkhardt@tbc.us, or Nicole Atkinson, +1-410-986-1317, natkinson@tbc.us, both of TBC Public Relations, for MinuteClinic; Peter Duckler of HLB Communications, +1-312-423-4930, pduckler@hlbcomm.com, for Assurant Health/ /Web site: http://www.MinuteClinic.com http://www.assuranthealth.com / (CVS)