SHPS Presents Strategies for Third Party Administrators to Expand and Enhance Their Services to Employers at SIIA's 28th Annual National Educational Conference & Expo

Business Wire, Sept 29, 2008

SIIA: October 5-8, 2008, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix, AZ

LOUISVILLE, Ky. & PHOENIX -- With third party administrators (TPAs) nationwide seeking to expand their service offerings beyond insurance claims and transaction processing to a strategic advisory role, SHPS (www.carewisehealth.com) will present "Helping Employers Become Better Risk Managers: What Every TPA Should Know" at the Self-Insurance Institute of America's (SIIA) 28th Annual National Educational Conference & Expo, Monday, October 6, 2008, 10:15 am, JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix, Ariz. (www.siia.org) SHPS, a leading provider of health improvement and health benefits solutions, will articulate ways that TPAs can leverage claims data into a superior turnkey care management service that identifies the unique clinical risks driving a population's costs, is outcomes-based, and is the foundation for an integrated care management strategy.

Co-presenters Penny Moore, senior vice president, Channel Healthcare, and Gregg Bond, vice president, Channel Sales, will lead the discussion and present findings from the 2007 SHPS Health Practices Study (www.carewisehealth.com/corp/publications/order_healthstudy.stm), which examines effective strategies for lowering healthcare costs and demonstrates that using wellness promotion and education as a primary health management strategy results in higher overall healthcare costs.

"As an independent, objective and trusted resource for TPAs, SHPS is uniquely positioned to share its care management expertise in the development of an overall healthcare strategy -- the single most effective step in managing healthcare cost trends," says Moore, noting that the SHPS' Carewise Integrated Care Management is a total population approach that combines health metrics and disease, case, and utilization management.

"Drawing on our proven, scalable solutions, SHPS offers a much-needed foundation for an integrated care management strategy, and will enhance a TPA's speed to market, eliminate IT risk and investment, and provide best-in-class solutions."

The SIIA conference is the world's largest event dedicated exclusively to the self-insurance/alternative risk transfer (ART) industry. With SHPS' cutting-edge thinking, clinical expertise, technology, health metrics, delivery models, and care plans, it provides TPAs with the tools they will need to fuse disparate data banks into actionable information.

About SHPS

SHPS is a leading, independent provider of integrated health solutions that improve personal health and reduce spending. By integrating traditional health management and benefits administration services, SHPS delivers people-centric solutions that empower individuals to make wise healthcare choices. It serves large and mid-sized employers, government agencies, and third-party administrators through the company's Carewise[R] Health, Landacorp, and SHPS brands. Visit www.carewisehealth.com.

About SIIA

The Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc. (SIIA) is the only national association dedicated exclusively to protecting and promoting the self-insurance and alternative risk transfer industry. Since its founding in 1981, the association has grown significantly and now includes members from across the nation and several countries around the world. Major membership constituencies include self-insured employers (healthcare and Workers' Compensation), group self-insured Workers' Compensation funds (SIFs), third-party administrators (TPAs), managing general underwriters (MGUs), excess/stop-loss insurance carriers, and a variety of other companies involved in the self-insurance/alternative risk transfer business. SIIA provides membership services in four primary areas: information, education, networking and legislative/regulatory representation. The association's corporate office is located in Simpsonville, South Carolina. It also maintains a government relations office in Washington, D.C. Visit www.SIIA.org.