LifeWise Health Plan of Washington is announcing the following expansion of individual health-plan benefits to provide consumers with more choices and greater coverage:
- A new comprehensive plan with lower out-of-pocket costs.
- WiseChoices Prime will offer comprehensive coverage coupled with a reduced annual coinsurance maximum, reducing potential out-of-pocket costs for consumers by up to $2,000.
- A market leading catastrophic plan that adds prescription drug coverage.
- WiseEssentials Rx will provide consumers seeking catastrophic coverage the additional benefit of up to $3,000 in prescription drug coverage. No other catastrophic plan in Washington State combines multiple office visits, preventive tests at no cost, and now prescription drug coverage.
- Access to a national network of healthcare providers to better serve members.
- All LifeWise individual members will have access to a nationwide network as of January 1, 2010. Partnership with PHCS/Multiplan will provide members with access to more than 500,000 unique practitioners and 5,500 hospitals and ambulatory services across the country – in addition to the extensive LifeWise provider network in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
“This is a big step forward,” said Jeff Roe, President & CEO of LifeWise Health Plan of Washington. “Three years ago we made a commitment to providing first-dollar coverage of preventive care for our members. This was the right thing to do, and we have indications that commitment may also be contributing to an improved cost trend. We’re very happy to be offering expanded benefits while keeping rate increases below the rest of the market.”