Choice Hotels Selects PAI as Qualified Vendor to Offer Health Benefits to Part-Time, Hourly Workers in Its Franc...( COLUMBIA S.C. April 24 -- Choice...),Health

COLUMBIA, S.C., April 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International (Choice) announced today that it will make HospitalityCare, a limited benefit health insurance plan from Planned Administrators Inc. (PAI), available to its franchisees and their part-time and hourly employees nationwide.

With the announcement, the franchisees that own and operate the more than 4,400 Choice brand hotels in the United States now have the option of offering HospitalityCare to their part-time and hourly employees. Enrollment is under way.

HospitalityCare is an affordable, limited benefit plan customized to meet the needs of part-time and hourly workers and employers in the hospitality industry.

Offering limited health benefits to hourly and part-time workers will help Choice franchise owners recruit and retain the best employees, according to Choice's Paul Payette, senior director, franchisee solutions, brand solutions. Choice is the nation's second-largest hotel franchisor, with 4,400 hotels in the United States and more than 5,500 worldwide. Choice's U.S. franchised hotels employ approximately 40,000 workers.

"This totally new and unique plan has not before been made available on this scale in the hospitality industry," Payette said. "It's a way of doing our part to help our franchisees make health care more readily available to their hardworking hotel employees and their children. It's no secret that a happy, healthy employee is more productive, more loyal and will provide better customer service.

"Choice will always be committed to helping franchisees find innovative solutions to better their business."

PAI, based in Columbia, S.C., administers HospitalityCare, providing customer service to employers and covered employees, maintaining provider networks, and paying claims. HospitalityCare plans are designed and sold through Insurance Applications Group (IAG) of Greenville, S.C., and underwritten by BCS Insuranc
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