Best Doctors U.S. Announces Significant Growth in First Half of 2009

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Best Doctors U.S., a provider of an employer-based health benefit that helps members navigate the health care system through its care advocacy services, expanded its membership base in the first half of 2009 by 75 percent and increased revenue 100 percent over the same period last year. Additionally, the Company is well positioned to sustain this rapid growth with significant investments in the Company's operational systems and member engagement programs.

New employers added to the Best Doctors client roster represent major corporations across a wide spectrum of industries such as education, defense and automotive. Clients include: JELD-WEN, Chrysler, Willis North America and several major benefits consortia including Allegheny County (PA) Schools Health Insurance Consortium. These client additions join Best Doctors' premier customer base, which are some of the nation's largest employers that self-fund their employee health care benefits, including EMC Corporation, Genzyme Corporation and others.

"In conjunction with our other benefit programs Best Doctors has made a direct and positive impact on the lives of our employees and costs for our company," said Tom Galluze, trustee, Allegheny County Schools Health Insurance Consortium. "Having access to world-class medical expertise has been an enormous benefit as it helps our employees become better informed health care consumers, playing an active role in their medical decisions. The service has allowed us to save money by not spending resources on the wrong care for our employees and their families."

During the first half of 2009, Best Doctors has made significant investments to strengthen its leadership position as a care advocate, empowering its members to be educated health care consumers. Operational investments include:

• Development and deployment of information systems, enabling the Company to develop client-specific programs and integrate with other health benefit providers
• Launch of the See First Blog (www.seefirstblog.com), the Company's thought leadership platform on health care reform, quality and other current topics
• Expanded member engagement communications capabilities
• Diversified customer base, bringing value across all populations and alleviating member uncertainty while helping people engage in the health care system at the right time
• Investment in the Best Doctors team, adding key medical director positions, clinical operations staff, and strategic senior marketing staff

Best Doctors has proven customer ROI for improving health care quality and driving down costs. By providing medical decision support for its members, Best Doctors serves as a trusted navigational advocate for some of the toughest medical situations, such as: conflicting diagnoses; choosing a course of treatment; whether a sub-specialist is required; who the best specialists are for a given condition; or, what questions patients should ask of their physicians. The Company works with its customers to raise awareness of the benefit through proven member engagement programs, which helps ensure utilization.

A Best Doctors analysis of clinical cases warranting review by their experts uncovered alarming rates of systemic medical errors and misguided care including:

• Wrong treatments occurred 61 percent of the time
• Surgery was inappropriately recommended in 38 percent of surgical cases
• Insufficient work-ups reported in 31 percent of cases
• Misinterpretation of pathology or diagnostic tests occurred in 12 percent of cases

"I think our success is due to more companies realizing the impact that incorrect health care decisions can have on their employees and their bottom line," said Evan J. Falchuk, president and chief operating officer of Best Doctors. "Employers that manage healthcare costs effectively know that the right diagnosis and treatment is at the heart of healthcare quality and cost containment. We offer a concrete health benefit that has a direct and immediate positive impact on employee lives, while also helping companies avoid the high cost of inappropriate care."

About Best Doctors

Best Doctors, Inc. is the trusted medical resource for ensuring that individuals have the right diagnosis and the right treatment, helping to dramatically improve the quality of care and reduce costs. Offered as a health benefit through employers, the company's expert medical consultation service is currently available to more than 1.5 million members in the United States. Founded in 1989 by two Harvard Medical School professors, Best Doctors serves more than 260 insurers, employers and health plans, touching 15 million people in 30 countries. For healthcare insights from Best Doctors, visit our blog at www.seefirstblog.com.





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Source: Best Doctors, Inc.