Physician's Health Plan of South Michigan
Agent E-News for Second Quarter, 2006

Now offering Plan K with 100% drug coverage

PHPSM is now quoting Plan K as one of our high deductible health plan options. Plan K has a $1250/2500 medical deductible with 100% RX coverage after the deductible has been met. We have revised our HDHP benefit matrix to include Plan K. If you would like a copy of our HDHP benefit matrix, please visit the Agent portal of PHPCares.com or call one of our Account Service Representatives.

Delta Dental Products

PHPSM is offering four Delta Dental plans for new and renewal business. Benefit plan summaries, rates and employer applications can be found at PHPCares.com in the Agent portal.

New Phone System

In order to better route your phone calls, PHPSM has implemented a new automated phone system to accept calls when our receptionist is away from her desk. You can dial by name or extension, or can choose Option 3 to be transferred to the Sales Department Administrative Assistant. You can also call our direct-dial phone numbers listed on the Contact List below.

$$$ Broker Bonus Program $$$

We are pleased to inform you that the current broker bonus program will remain in effect through December 31, 2006 with minimal changes. To be eligible for the quarterly bonus, each broker must have at least four employer groups or 25+ subscribers that have a renewal/new effective date within the quarter. Bonuses will be paid out within 45 days of the end of each quarter.

FREE for New Members

PHPSM encourages new members (including agents who have PHPSM) to take our New Member Satisfaction Survey. This survey helps us evaluate our benefit and marketing materials. New members will be sent a Free PHPSM T-shirt for completing the survey. To complete the survey:
  1. Call 517-841-7477 to access the survey system.
  2. Press 7 to select the New Member Satisfaction Survey.
  3. Follow the voice prompts for completing the survey.
At the end of the survey, please include your name, address and t-shirt size to receive your FREE t-shirt. The t-shirt will be mailed to the address given.

Reminder: New Group Deadlines

To help ensure that the members are entered and ID cards are generated before a group's effective date, paperwork for new groups must be received by PHPSM a minimum of 15 days prior to the effective date. Required documentation includes:
  • Group Policy Information Sheet
  • Enrollment Forms
  • Employment Verification: Prior Insurance Bill or MESC.
Thank you for your consideration regarding this timeline.

How are we doing?

How is our Agent E-News? Do you find it a convenient communication tool? What would you like to see included in our next newsletter? Help us make YOUR newsletter better by giving us your feedback. Please email any comments or suggestions to carmela.lazarus@phpcares.com.

Sales Department Contact Information

  • PHP of South Michigan
  • One Jackson Square, 8th Floor
  • P.O. Box 4055
  • Jackson, Michigan 49204-9914
  • ph: 517-782-7154
  • fx: 517-782-4512

  • Candy Shafer
  • Account Executive
  • Large and Small Group Sales
  • 517-768-7746

  • Kathy Lucas
  • Account Executive / Service Representative
  • Renewals & service groups 50+ subscribers
  • 517-768-7743

  • Stacey McCluer
  • Account Service Representative
  • Renewals & service groups 2-49 subscribers
  • 517-768-7747

  • Carmela Lazarus
  • Marketing Coordinator
  • Marketing and Advertising
  • Ext. 6270

  • Kimberly Christen
  • Implementation Coordinator
  • Quotes and New Groups 2-25
  • Ext. 6720

  • Kristen Edwards
  • New Sales Coordinator
  • Quotes and New Groups 25+
  • Ext. 6717

  • Janice Beach
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Ext. 6734

PHPSM, A Good Choice for Your Clients

Medical Doctor

How can PHPSM help you and your clients? Here are the Top Ten reasons why PHPSM is a valuable choice for your clients.

PHPSM:

  • Is locally owned and operated.
  • Our office is located in downtown Jackson so our members can talk to us live over the phone or in person.
  • Account Service Representatives are available from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and sometimes after hours to serve the needs your group may have. This includes informational meetings, open enrollment meetings, delivery of PHPSM materials, lunches, etc.
  • Informational packets and materials are available upon request.
  • Has partnered with local organizations to offer health and wellness programs to employees at discounted prices. Some of these include It's Your Life health management program, A NEW You, and Weight Watchers.
  • Employs a Medical Doctor and Care Management Registered Nurses to assist members in making medical decisions.
  • Has in-house wellness programs including Smoking Cessation, Living Well with Diabetes, AsthmaWatch, and Overcoming Depression.
  • Maintains a Provider Network comprised of 1,394 providers with 96% of them accepting new patients.
  • Offers a wide variety of benefit and prescription drug plans to meet each groups individual needs.
  • Offers high deductible health plans with first dollar coverage for preventive services.
There may be even more reasons to choose PHPSM based on your customers specific needs. Call one of our Account Executives today for more information.

A NEW You

A NEW You
A NEW You is a brand new 13-week program administered by the Foundation for a Healthy Community that is now offered to PHPSM members for only $25. A NEW You can be used alone or as a follow-up to our 13-week Weight Watchers program. A NEW You, led by a Registered Dietitian, focuses on:
  • Behavior modification
  • Eating awareness
  • Exercise
  • Healthy dietary habits
Participants set their own weight loss goals under the guidance of a dietitian. For more information on A NEW You, please contact your Account Service Representative at PHPSM, or the Foundation for a Healthy Community at 517-780-7306.

Taking Care of You

Stacey McCluer
One of the things that never changes is the fact that the Sales Staff at PHPSM wants to make sure that our agent partners are supported. Some things that do change are the roles different individuals take within our organization. On April 1st, several of our staff members moved to new roles. So, to make sure you can find the contact that you need, everyone and their areas of responsibility is listed below:
  • Candy Shafer - Account Executive (new group sales)
  • Kristen Edwards - New Sales Coordinator (new group sales)
  • Stacey McCluer - Account Service Representative (groups 2-49)
  • Kathy Lucas - Account Executive (groups 50+)
  • Carmela Lazarus - Marketing Coordinator
  • Kim Christen - Implementation Coordinator
  • Janice Beach - Administrative Assistant
If you have any questions about our staff changes, please feel free to give us a call. Please refer to the Contact section of this paper for new phone numbers and extensions.

Technology Upgrade

Technology Upgrade
We are very pleased to announce PHP's technology upgrade. The upgrade will include software and business processes powered by Trizetto, a leading health plan technology company. The upgrade will bring enhanced capabilities and will be introduced in late 2006 and early 2007. The transition to Trizetto will be transparent and without disruption to you, your groups and employees. Please look for future updates on the implementation process.

eValue8

PHPSM is stepping up to the plate to share our quality information with employers in our area through participation in eValue8.

eValue8 is a tool widely used by employers to assess the quality of health care vendors. eValue8 embraces the publics interest in health care quality. The key project objectives for eValue8 are to:

  • Provide a community-based forum for communication between purchasers and plans
  • Encourage health plans to evaluate the delivery systems that make up the network
  • Promote consumer engagement and informed decision making
The results are shared with employers and consumers to help them in selecting a health plan. PHPSM submitted their responses in February and will share results with constituents this summer.