Louisville, Ky. (November, 6 2007) – SHPS, a leading provider of health advocacy and health benefits solutions and the first company to be accredited by URAC for its consumer education and support standards in 2005, has again been granted full URAC accreditation in this category in 2007. URAC, an independent, non-profit healthcare accrediting organization dedicated to promoting healthcare quality through accreditation, certification and commendation, developed the consumer education and support standards to address the growing role of consumers in the healthcare decision-making process.

“SHPS should be commended for meeting strict quality standards,” said Alan P. Spielman, URAC president and CEO. ”It is critically important for healthcare organizations to make a commitment to quality and accountability and URAC accreditation is a demonstration of that commitment. Quality healthcare is crucial to our nation’s welfare and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards and undergo rigorous evaluation by an independent accrediting body.”

SHPS led the way in earning the renewed accreditation based upon the use of its internal resources and available Web sites to help consumers manage their health throughout the healthcare continuum. The specific areas addressed by the accreditation include, but are not limited to, the company’s ability to:

• Provide consumers decision tools with practice guidelines and cost information;
• Offer personal health assessment tools for areas such as prevention and wellness;
• Present information in different languages and formats; and
• Provide information to individuals with cognitive or physical impairments.

“We stand today as not only the first organization to achieve this accreditation but one of only two in the country that has met this performance benchmark,” says Rishabh Mehrotra, president and CEO of SHPS. “This recognition of our ongoing commitment to consumer education and support reinforces our goal of creating consumer-centric healthcare.”

The URAC accreditation process demonstrates a commitment to quality services and serves as a framework to improve business processes through benchmarking organizations against nationally recognized standards. Accreditation also requires compliance with URAC’s core standards for key functions such as organizational structure, staff qualifications, training and management, regulatory compliance, quality management and consumer protection.

SHPS is also accredited by URAC for health utilization management, case management, disease management, health and workers’ compensation, health call center and HIPAA privacy.

“The success and growth of healthcare consumerism is directly dependent upon providing individuals with high quality tools and information, and URAC accreditation tells us we’re doing our job well,” says SHPS’ director of healthcare compliance and quality, Lyn McMullen, RN, MSN, CCM. “When consumers have the resources to make appropriate decisions, they make better choices.”

SHPS’ consumer education and support standards accreditation is effective through October 2009.

About URAC
URAC, an independent, non-profit organization is well-known as a leader in promoting healthcare quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the healthcare system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire healthcare industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

About SHPS
SHPS provides a broad range of innovative health management tools, resources and services that empower consumers to make wise healthcare decisions. With comprehensive services that transform consumer health behaviors, SHPS’ integrated delivery system maximizes the value of consumers’ and employers’ healthcare dollars. Among its many clients, SHPS serves large and mid-sized employers, health insurance carriers, third party administrators, Medicare Part D providers and government agencies. The company employs registered nurses and health professionals, employee benefit specialists and IT experts in facilities across the United States. Visit www.shps.com.

For More Information
Sarah Bovine
Director, Corporate Communications
sarah.bovine@shps.com

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