Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire Gives Boost to Help Small Businesses in the Gra...( CONCORD N.H. July...),Health

CONCORD, N.H., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of an innovative new program championed by New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire has announced that it will begin offering a New Hampshire HealthFirst product to small employers beginning October 1, 2009.

In making the announcement Anthem indicated that its recently approved New Hampshire HealthFirst filings included premium base rates that met the price point of 10% of the state median wage, as established by the New Hampshire HealthFirst enabling legislation.

"Small businesses can save thousands of dollars a year, while still offering their employees quality health insurance. Small businesses can invest that savings in growing their companies or hiring new employees," said Gov. Lynch.

"Any serious health care reform effort must involve collaborative public-private partnerships," said Douglas J. Wenners, general manager and president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire. "This initiative between Governor Lynch, the Department of Insurance, and Anthem demonstrates how, by working together, we can introduce new coverage options for the small employers in our state."

The New Hampshire HealthFirst plan is focused on keeping members healthy, said Richard Lafleur, M.D., medical director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire. "As with all of our plans, there are leading edge programs to help our members manage their chronic diseases. What makes this plan unique are the incentives for healthy individuals. By engaging in or maintaining healthy behaviors, members can qualify for incentives of up to $200.00 in the first year and can reduce their deductibles in the second and third years by up to $1000.00 per year. These are real dollars," he said.

"New Hampshire HealthFirst is also about changin
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