Medical Mutual Launches New, Improved Website

CLEVELAND, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Mutual of Ohio has launched a redesign of its award-winning Web site with upgrades and innovative features to help its members make more educated healthcare decisions.

“With today’s consumer-focused trend in healthcare, we listened to our customers and we’re ready to give them the best online experience possible,” said Chris Hoffman, Medical Mutual manager of Internet Communications.

Hoffman said the new MedMutual.com contains all of the essentials that Medical Mutual Web-site users have enjoyed in the past, but the site now offers an entirely new feel and easier navigation, in addition to providing more consumer information and interactive tools. “One of the main goals of the redesign is to make it much easier for customers, employers, brokers and providers to use the company’s online services,” said Hoffman

The project began in June of 2004 with Medical Mutual customers having a huge say in the Web redesign. Hoffman and his staff gathered input from users of the company’s My Health Plan, a Web-based program offering personalized account and claims information to Medical Mutual customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Among the Web redesign questions posed to customers: Is My Health Plan organized in the most user-friendly way possible and how can it be improved? The customer focus-group offered suggestions which, Hoffman said, was invaluable to the final redesign features of MedMutual.com.

Among some of the new features:

Health Estimator. In the Healthcare 101 section, members are provided with a Health Estimator which displays the cost of the top 100 most commonly performed procedures that occur in either a hospital or doctor’s office. Coming online in March, Health Compare will provide customers with hospital quality information.

MDhub. This feature provides secure, online communication between Medical Mutual members and their physicians, where they can schedule an appointment, renew a prescription, obtain laboratory tests or request a referral.

The redesigned Web site also provides easier access and navigation of Medical Mutual’s popular SuperWell Health Management Health Programs and WebMD, the leading provider of online information, educational services and communities for physicians and consumers.

“We not only have to provide our members with more consumer information, but we have to do it in a way that’s easy to use and understand,” added Hoffman.

According to Hoffman, the new Web site includes tighter online security. “The site provides more security for members by allowing them to create their own unique user name and password instead of using Social Security numbers, which are currently used only for registration,” said Hoffman.

About Medical Mutual:

Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual is the oldest and largest health insurance company based in Ohio. The company serves its customers through high-quality, affordable group and personal health insurance plans, and third-party administrative services to self-insured group customers. Medical Mutual’s annual revenue in 2004 was $2 billion. Based in Cleveland, Medical Mutual also has offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, Dayton and Youngstown. For more information, visit the company’s award-winning Web site at http://www.medmutual.com/ .

Medical Mutual of Ohio

CONTACT: Ed Byers, Senior Media Relations Specialist of Medical Mutualof Ohio, +1-216-687-2685, or E-mail, ed.byers@mmoh.com