HIP Health Plan Named by American Business Awards As Having the Nation's Best Support Team
New York, NY June 21, 2006 - HIP Health Plan of New York has received from American Business Awards the organization's annual Stevie® award in the category of Best Support Team in the nation.
HIP was recognized for HIP Connected, a comprehensive Web and telephone-based medical management platform that enables providers to interact directly with HIP. American Business Awards is the only national, all-encompassing business awards organization honoring "great performances" in the workplace.
An interdepartmental Provider Electronic Products Team put into place by HIP brought together departments across the company to focus on achieving the common goal of finding an innovative way to use information technology. The purpose was to promote administrative and clinical efficiencies between HIP and its health care delivery partners. Some of the departments composing the team are Care Management, Claims, Communications, Customer Service, Facilities, Grievance and Appeals, Provider Relations and IT.
"The American Business Award category in which HIP won the Stevie recognizes that teamwork at HIP is what makes us successful as a leader in servicing our members and providers," said Anthony L. Watson, Chairman and C.E.O. of HIP.
Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs selected Stevie winners from among the Finalists. Business professionals nationwide chose finalists during preliminary judging earlier this year.
HIP Health Plan of New York is the largest HMO in New York City based on membership. HIP provides access to physician services and hospital care in a variety of ways. We contract with more than 160 hospitals, including major acute care institutions, in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts to provide services to our members. HIP members have access to HIP-contracted doctors in large, multi-specialty group practices and in facilities associated with some of New York's leading hospitals, as well as to those practicing in their own offices. HIP's total network, including subsidiaries, comprises nearly 43,000 physicians and other providers in over 72,000 locations in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
HIP acquired Vytra Health Plans in 2001; ConnectiCare, one of the largest health plans in Connecticut, in 2005; and PerfectHealth in 2006. Our combined membership is approximately 1.3 million. In 2005, the boards of directors of HIP and Group Health, Inc. (GHI) agreed to a merger. Together, HIP and GHI will have more than 4 million members and offer about 90,000 providers in over 145,000 locations. The merger is subject to regulatory approval. For additional information about HIP, please visit hipusa.com®. It is available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.
