Connecture launches private health insurance exchange solution, On Ramp

Connecture, Inc. ("Connecture"), a leading provider of web-based information systems used to create health insurance marketplaces, today announced the immediate availability of On Ramp, a full service, private health insurance exchange solution and corresponding benefits portal that provides the functionality needed to dramatically enhance the delivery of employee benefits and empower consumers to make more informed health insurance decisions with ease. Demonstrations of On Ramp are available upon request.

The use of private exchanges is expected to increase dramatically as the online distribution of health insurance and other benefits increases. On Ramp is the only private exchange offering that combines industry-shaping innovation with software applications refined and tested in their use by the millions of Americans who have selected and enrolled online in health insurance on Connecture's platform.

Modular by design for added flexibility, On Ramp includes the shopping, enrollment, quoting, sales, benefit administration and member engagement capabilities needed to offer an effective private health insurance exchange and corresponding benefits portal that can be easily customized to meet the unique needs of each client. Some of the many noteworthy capabilities and features within On Ramp include:

• Support for a Broad Range of Consumers: On Ramp can be easily configured to address the needs of people in every health insurance segment, including those in the individual, group, under 65, Medicare and retiree markets.
• An Intuitive Shopping Experience: It's simple. A private exchange is most effective when first time users can navigate without assistance. On Ramp automatically prompts users with questions that personalize the plan selections they should consider, all while presenting information that proactively addresses their questions, such as whether their physician participates in plans being considered.
• Complete Benefits Store: On Ramp makes it easy to create new revenue streams and provide greater value to clients, partners and end users by offering additional benefits, including wellness programs and ancillary insurance offerings such as dental, vision, life, disability and more through an online benefits store. Users can easily shop for the benefits they want, while employers can offer additional value in the effort to attract and keep top talent.
• Out-of-Pocket Cost Calculator: One of the many online decision support tools within On Ramp that empower users to make sound decisions, the Out-of-Pocket Cost Calculator reveals the actual total annual cost of any given plan being considered, not just the premium, based on the user's unique situation and anticipated events such as the birth of a child, planned surgery or disease state. According to a Connecture study, 90 percent of people who select a plan based on premium alone ultimately pay more annually than if they had considered other factors.
• Prescription Drug Savings: DrugCompare, a technology within On Ramp, draws on Connecture's drug shopping data set – one of the largest in the industry. Coverage for drugs varies widely based on the chosen health plan. DrugCompare provides transparency and allows users to compare prices for options that are equally effective. On average, users save nearly $1,000 per year, as revealed by the millions of seniors that utilize DrugCompare at Medicare.gov. Such transparency increases adherence to doctor's orders often resulting in healthier employees. On Ramp also makes it easy to review plan formularies and see where preferred pharmacies are located.
• Robust Quoting and Sales Administration: On Ramp makes it easy to manage multiple facets of the private exchange business, from generating proposals, to setting up groups and analyzing results. Additionally, the Sales Dashboard within On Ramp gives brokers the tools they need to quickly and efficiently answer clients' and users' most detailed questions.
• Fast and Effective Benefits Administration: On Ramp integrates seamlessly with clients' and partners' systems, including payroll, and makes it easy to administer benefits, from managing rosters to processing life and work change events.

"The nation's brokers and benefits consultants are keenly aware of the dramatic changes shaping the health insurance landscape and the growing role that technology will play in helping Americans make sound decisions that lead to happier and healthier lives," said Doug Schneider, CEO of Connecture. "On Ramp simplifies the online selection and enrollment process for health insurance and other benefits while putting facts and data at brokers' fingertips enabling them to expand on their singular role as a trusted benefits advisor."

Connecture's technology currently powers more than 30 private, state and federal exchanges. And more than 70 health plans, including 20 of the top 25 health plans (based on total enrollment), sell and distribute their products online with systems built by Connecture. Connecture's personalized health insurance shopping experience is also available to all 52 million Medicare beneficiaries through the company's plan comparison technologies used at Medicare.gov.