Health Net, Inc. customers traveling throughout the world now have
telephone access from more than 135 countries to service representatives
providing answers to questions and guidance about health insurance
coverage, the company announced today.
“Customers traveling abroad frequently require
medical attention,” said Kathleen Richard,
Health Net’s customer experience officer. “They
need quick and accurate information on how their particular insurance
plan covers the cost of care provided in other countries. When people
are away from home, they appreciate the comfort of a live voice.”
Health Net’s program uses AT&T’s
USA Direct® Service,
which provides toll-free, country-specific access numbers from more than
135 nations, connecting callers to a special Health Net number dedicated
to serving commercial and Medicare members traveling internationally. If
the access numbers or step-by-step dialing instructions are misplaced,
they are easily retrievable from http://www.att.com/traveler.
A link to this site also is posted at http://www.healthnet.com/.
Educating Customers About Accessing Care Away From Home
To better educate members about using their benefits while away from
home, Health Net’s California subsidiary,
Health Net of California, has developed a helpful travel guide. It
contains reminders about packing a Health Net ID card and essential
medications, reviewing coverage guidelines before leaving, what to do in
the event of a medical situation while traveling, and how to contact
Health Net for information and service. The guide also contains medical
and pharmacy claim forms, as well as instructions on how to complete
them, if care is obtained while traveling.
California Customers Have Greater Access to PPO Doctors and Hospitals
in the U.S.
In another enhancement benefiting travelers, Health Net of California
has bolstered its preferred provider organization (PPO) network to give
PPO customers greater access to doctors and hospitals while traveling
within the United States.
By partnering with First Health, a national PPO network of more than
490,000 doctors and 4,700 hospitals, Health Net of California PPO
customers traveling for business or pleasure, or studying at out-of-area
schools, pay the same out-of-pocket costs for in-network care as for
local in-network care.
“Whether at home or away, our PPO members
using our First Health network can take comfort in knowing that the same
coverage guidelines apply,” said Mark Morgan,
commercial officer for Health Net of California.
For information about Health Net’s travel
enhancements, or to order a travel guide (available June 1), customers
may call Health Net at the number listed on their Health Net
identification card.
About Health Net, Inc.
Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) is among the nation's largest publicly
traded managed health care companies. Its mission is to help people be
healthy, secure and comfortable. The company's health plans and
government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to
approximately 6.8 million individuals across the country through group,
individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE and Veterans Affairs
programs. Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary, MHN, provides
mental health benefits to approximately 6.9 million individuals in all
50 states. The company's subsidiaries also offer managed health care
products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care
product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative
services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.
For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit the company's Web
site at www.healthnet.com.
Cautionary Statements
Health Net, Inc. and its representatives may from time to time make
written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements
contained in news releases, in Health Net's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, in the company's reports to shareholders and in
meetings with investors and analysts, within the meaning of Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, that involve a number of risks
and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical
information provided herein, may be deemed to be forward-looking
statements. These statements are based on management's analysis,
judgment, belief and expectation only as of the date hereof, and are
subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Without limiting
the foregoing, the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects,"
"may," "should," "could," "estimate," "intend" and other similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual
results could differ materially due to, among other things, rising
health care costs, negative prior period claims reserve developments,
trends in medical care ratios, unexpected utilization patterns or
unexpectedly severe or widespread illnesses, membership declines, rate
cuts affecting our Medicare or Medicaid business, issues relating to
provider contracts, litigation costs, regulatory issues, operational
issues, health care reform and general business conditions. Additional
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
reflected in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited
to, the risks discussed in the "Risk Factors" section included within
the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to
publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances that arise after the date of this release.
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