NEW YORK and EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- RelayHealth Corporation, the nation's premier provider of online doctor-patient communication services, today announced an agreement with Group Health Incorporated (GHI), a leading New York-based health plan covering over 2.6 million lives, through which GHI members will gain access to online services from their own physicians by using the RelayHealth(R) service.
Building on GHI's recent innovations, including deployment of electronic prescribing, disease management programs that improve care processes and quality, and a new Web-site offering increased interactivity, this three year initiative with RelayHealth enables members to get assistance in managing chronic conditions and non-urgent symptoms by engaging their own physicians securely online using RelayHealth webVisit technology. The program gives GHI members new choices when they wish to communicate with their own physicians. In addition to webVisits, RelayHealth enables GHI members to take care of routine matters online, including secure appointment requests, prescription renewals, lab results, and simple messages.
"GHI is committed to utilizing technologies that improve service and quality of care for our members. This initiative provides additional opportunities for interaction between doctors and their patients," says Aran Ron, MD, chief medical officer at GHI. "The RelayHealth Service represents a best-of-breed solution for enabling clinical online communication in healthcare. By being among the first plans nationally to reimburse our network physicians for care delivered online, we are making a clear statement within our market about the importance of aligning incentives and recognizing the value our providers can deliver members by extending the point of care online," added Dr. Ron.
"We applaud GHI's decision to play a leadership role in deploying this new form of communication and care within the New York market, as well as the commitment they are making by reimbursing for webVisits," said Giovanni Colella, MD, president, and chief executive officer of RelayHealth. "We are gearing up for a successful rollout in New York, working hand in hand with the GHI team," added Dr. Colella.
The GHI agreement is the latest of a series of agreements signed by RelayHealth with major health plans across five states, and comes on the heels of the recent announcement by the American Medical Association of a new reimbursement code, or CPT code, for online medical communications between doctors and patients. The new code becomes effective July 1, 2004 and is applicable only for online communications between doctors and their established patients that meet specific clinical criteria.
About GHI
GHI is a statewide not-for-profit health insurer serving New Yorkers since 1937. GHI and its wholly-owned subsidiary, GHI HMO, provide health insurance and administrative services to more than 2.6 million people. GHI offers customers a variety of medical, hospital, dental, prescription drug, and vision options, as well as administrative-services-only arrangements. For more information, visit http://www.ghi.com/.
About RelayHealth Corporation
RelayHealth is the premier provider of secure online healthcare communication services linking patients, healthcare professionals, payors, and pharmacies. RelayHealth's Internet-based, doctor-patient communication platform connects doctors and their patients efficiently, affordably, and securely. Tuned for both the small and large group practice environment, the RelayHealth(R) service improves and streamlines healthcare delivery and access through modular features-like the webVisit clinical consultation-which tackle complex issues unique to healthcare, including clinical structure, practice workflow, and reimbursement. More secure and efficient than telephone or e-mail, RelayHealth combines HIPAA-ready secure messaging and eScript(R) end-to-end electronic prescribing for the most seamless, comprehensive, and powerful communication platform available to healthcare professionals and their patients. For information, visit http://www.relayhealth.com/.
RelayHealth CorporationCONTACT: Briana Pompei of RelayHealth Corporation, +1-510-428-7853, orbriana.pompei@relayhealth.com; or Ilene Margolin of Group Health Incorporated,+1-212-615-0098, or imargolin@ghi.com; or Michael Woloz of Connelly andMcLaughlin, +1-212-437-7373, or mwoloz@candm1.com, for Group HealthIncorporated
Web site: http://www.ghi.com/
Web site: http://www.relayhealth.com/
