New Agreement Signed with Novanet

PREFERRED Therapy Providers has signed a group health PPO agreement with NovaNet for Alabama, Georgia, and select counties in Florida.

NovaNet was founded in 1994 to participate in the rapid evolution of healthcare, moving from traditional fee-for-service to a managed care environment. NovaNet is a national PPO that provides comprehensive coverage in 50 states and represents over 599,000 physicians and over 4,200 hospitals. The national network is made up of NovaNet's proprietary networks in Alabama, Georgia, and the north central and panhandle of Florida, while NovaNet's Affiliate Networks, which are the strongest state and regional networks in their respective service areas, provide coverage in all other areas of the country.

Working with NovaNet provides our network another opportunity to connect with health plans on a regional level. NovaNet’s delivery system in Alabama, Georgia, and counties of Florida provide our members in those respective states exposure to provide therapy services locally.

For more information on NovaNet, please call (800) 513-7177 or visit the company’s web site at www.novanetppo.com.

California First Health Providers

Looking for a resource to help you understand the recent legislative changes in California’s Workers’ Compensation system?
Check out the Medical Provider Network (MPN) Manual on First Health’s web site and perform the following steps:

• Go to www.firsthealth.com
• Select “Doctors & Hospitals”
• Enter your user name and password (you need to register with First Health to receive this)
• Under “What’s New” select California Medical Provider (MPN) Manual

AZ, CA, NV, OK & TX Pacificare Providers

Your time is valuable, why spend it waiting on the phone on hold? Check out the new and improved Pacificare website Provider Portal. You can now check eligibility and claim status by performing the following steps:

• Go to www.pacificare.com
• Select I am a Provider

To take full advantage of the services offered you will need to register for a user name and password with PacifiCare.

Evaluating Health Plan Agreements

Each month in 2005, we are asking network members to visit our web site and complete a questionnaire on a selected health plan. Responses will be collected on the last day of each month. Data gathered will be used internally to help PREFERRED evaluate existing health plan relationships.