Network Health Plan members to have access to ThedaCare

Network Health Plan offers the Fox Valley more choice in health care

July 21, 2010

Menasha, Wis. - Network Health Plan and ThedaCare announce they have signed an agreement that allows Network Health Plan members to see ThedaCare providers in addition to Affinity Medical Group providers.

"Health care consumers and members want more choice from their local health insurance company. Network Health Plan can now offer our members coverage with more local providers combined with superior customer service and innovative wellness and medical management programs designed to keep costs down," said Sheila Jenkins, president of Network Health Plan. "We've been listening to what our community has been asking for and now we're able to offer it."

Network Health Plan members will have access to ThedaCare providers and services beginning August 1, 2010.

"This agreement is good news for the areas we serve," said Dean Gruner, MD, president and CEO of ThedaCare. "For years, ThedaCare has been working to improve the health of the communities we serve. We've lowered medication errors, implemented same-day access, and lowered costs, just to name a few things. Now the members of Network Health Plan will have access to our high-quality care, including ThedaCare Behavioral Health, our hospitals and ThedaCare Physicians."

"This past year, Affinity Health System began welcoming Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield members. This next step of giving Network Health Plan members access to ThedaCare Physicians is one more strategic move that we can offer as an integrated health care system," said Daniel E. Neufelder, president and CEO of Affinity Health System. "We are committed to offering personalized care throughout the system, and Network Health Plan is an integral part of our promise to members."

To date, Network Health Plan has more than 115,000 members who currently have access to Affinity Health System's providers.

Network Health Plan members are encouraged to call the customer care team at (800) 826-0940 to determine in-plan provider coverage.

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Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley's third-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and has been nationally listed for two years in a row among the top 50 hospitals for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare; 2009, 2010). For eight consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation; Affinity ranks no. 29 in the 2009 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier/CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It has been nationally ranked in the Top 50 Health Insurance Plans for five consecutive years in the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 26 family practice and specialty clinics, including two fully operational Medical Home models, in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.