Louisville, Ky. (February 25, 2008) – SHPS, a leading provider of health advocacy and health benefits solutions, reports that it experienced significant growth in healthcare services in 2007, adding new plan sponsor clients covering more than 2 million members.

“In 2007, SHPS saw a trend whereby self-insured employers were increasingly interested in carving out their health management programs from the health plan,” says Rishabh Mehrotra, SHPS’ president and CEO. “A carve-out approach supports the creation of customized, integrated health programs and preserves employers’ ability to negotiate network discounts. It also allows companies to shift between health plans while ensuring objectivity and continuity of health strategy.”

SHPS provides comprehensive care management programs to large, self-insured employers, including both Fortune 100 organizations and major government entities. New clients added in 2007 include The Neiman Marcus Group and the North Carolina State Health Plan, along with additional customers spanning the retail, banking, automotive and communications industries. To accommodate accelerated business activities, the SHPS clinical staff grew more than 25 percent from 2006 to 2007. The trend is expected to continue in 2008, as more and more employers understand the role they can play in reducing healthcare costs.

According to Chris Ryan, chief strategy officer, “Our self-insured clients offer some of the most cost-effective health plans in the country by focusing on the health of their employees. But to succeed, they require sophisticated health analytics to continuously measure and manage the health risks of the population, meaningful interventions to drive better health and a strategic partner to help guide them. With this surge of new customers, it is evident that many self-funded companies now regard SHPS as the partner of choice.”

SHPS continues to drive sustained growth through its strong sales pipeline and thought leader positioning. In 2007, SHPS earned industry-wide recognition for the publication of the 2007 SHPS Health Practices Survey, which unveiled best benefit practices for deriving savings and provided a blueprint for self-insured employers. Complimentary copies of the are available for download in our Publications section.

About SHPS | Carewise Health
SHPS is a leading, independent provider of integrated health solutions that improve personal health and reduce spending. By integrating traditional health management and benefits administration services, SHPS delivers people-centric solutions that empower individuals to make wise healthcare choices. It serves large and mid-sized employers, government agencies, and third-party administrators through the company�s Carewise Health, Landacorp, and SHPS brands. Visit www.carewisehealth.com.

For More Information
LeAnn Ross
Director of Marketing
leann.ross@shps.com

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