HM Insurance Group Launches Next Generation Worksite Product Line | Health Care Solutions and Benefits Management

Full-service Enrollment, Flexible Product Design Create Solutions

PITTSBURGH (Dec. 11, 2008) — To better meet the needs of employee benefit brokers and consultants, HM Insurance Group, a Highmark company, has launched its next generation HM Worksite Advantage product line, which features dedicated worksite sales specialists, redesigned products, seamless account administration, targeted enrollment techniques and membership management in a highly coordinated approach for the growing worksite marketplace.
     "Employee benefit brokers want to work with salespeople who are dedicated to worksite products," said Dan Lebish, HM Insurance Group president and CEO. "At HM, our team of experts can deliver smarter answers faster. HM Worksite Advantage is designed to generate strong participation through our easy-to-offer products that employer groups and their employees can understand."
     The HM Worksite Advantage product design for its critical illness, accident and disability income products incorporates key elements for brokers and employers: guaranteed issue amounts at every group size, coverage for groups with as few as 10 (the minimum number of employees required to issue the policy) employees and benefit levels that are among the highest in the market.* HM matches a custom approach to each group by working with employee benefit brokers to design a plan and implement a full-service enrollment, administration and billing solution.
     "We have dedicated resources to control every phase of the worksite sale and set-up, from pre-sale to enrollment to claims," said Neal Lucchi, senior vice president of worksite products. "We work with brokers to develop customized communications plans for their groups that help create mutual success for our brokers and their clients."
     The cornerstone of HM's new approach to the worksite marketplace is HM Enrollment Advantage, which features full-service, comprehensive enrollment support from a dedicated staff to manage all aspects of enrollment, including technology solutions.
     The HM Worksite Advantage products and supporting enrollment services are designed to be simple, direct and easy to understand, and enrollment information is customized to the group's needs. Such features are designed to enhance communications and expand the participation numbers and member persistency that are essential to the short-term and long-term success for all parties – brokers, employers and employees. The new critical illness, accident and disability income plans will be available in January 2009.

New product highlights:

Critical illness helps to protect employees and their families in the event of 11 major critical or life-changing illnesses, including cancer, heart attack, paralysis and stroke. Employees can choose plan designs with coverage amounts up to $200,000. In addition, the plan is designed to be compatible with high deductible health plans and includes an annual health screening benefit.
The accident plan covers injuries such as dislocation, dismemberment, coma, concussion, fractures and lacerations. Accidental death, catastrophic accident and paralysis benefits are included and pay up to $200,000. With a continuing focus on health, all plan designs include a wellness screening benefit.
The disability income plan provides employees with significant flexibility that allows them to select a benefit amount in $50 weekly increments for a covered disability resulting from an accident or sickness. Both total and partial disability benefits are available, paying up to $7,500 per month.

About HM Insurance Group
HM Insurance Group offers a product portfolio that includes HM Worksite Advantage – Critical Illness, Accident and Disability Income plans – and HM Care Advantage, a limited benefit medical plan. And, HM is a recognized leader in excess loss and reinsurance, including Employer Stop Loss, Provider Excess and HMO Reinsurance. Our product portfolio of health risk solutions addresses a range of risk situations confronting employers and healthcare providers.
HM Life Insurance Company and HM Life Insurance Company of New York have an "A-" (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best Company, one of the country's oldest and most respected rating agencies.
Through its insurance companies, HM Insurance Group holds insurance licenses in 50 states and the District of Columbia and maintains sales offices across the country.

*Source: Proprietary Competitor Research, HM Insurance Group, 2008.