PersonalMD.com and HealthAxis.com Partner to Offer Consumers Online Medical
Records and Insurance Services
PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 13, 1999-- PersonalMD.com, a
premier destination health site providing online medical records and
personalized content, and HealthAxis.com, a subsidiary of Provident American
Corp. (Nasdaq:PAMC) and the leading online insurance marketer, today
announced a strategic partnership to provide consumers with a comprehensive
mix of online health and medical services.
The relationship will enable PersonalMD.com members to select and
purchase health insurance from a growing list of HealthAxis.com carrier
partners. HealthAxis.com has agreements to offer products from 12 insurance
providers, including Aetna U.S. Healthcare, CIGNA, Fortis Health and Blue
Cross of California.
HealthAxis.com members will have the option of creating a secure,
confidential online medical record and receiving a
PersonalMD.com/HealthAxis.com Emergency Card upon approval of the insurance
application. Members can then enter all of their vital medical records,
including current medications, known drug allergies and personal and family
medical history.
EKGs, lab reports and living wills can be faxed into the member's
secure, confidential files. Information contained in the record enable
emergency physicians to make better-informed, timely diagnoses regarding
patient care.
Chad Robins, director of business development for HealthAxis.com, said,
"PersonalMD.com is a great addition to our roster of strategic partners. The
ability to obtain online medical records and Emergency Cards will provide a
meaningful health benefit to our customers while giving PersonalMD.com
members the opportunity to protect themselves and their families with
quality, competitively priced health insurance."
"We are committed to providing our members with services that best
protect their health and well being," explained PersonalMD.com CEO/President
Suresh Challa. "Our partnership with HealthAxis.com furthers that goal by
offering our members immediate access to a strong portfolio of health
insurance options, while extending our life-saving services to HealthAxis.com
customers."
"Prior to PersonalMD.com offering consumer-based medical records,
emergency department physicians either had to rely upon an incoming patient's
memory during a very stressful time, conduct multiple tests, and/or wait
until the patient's primary physician was available for consultation,"
explained Thomas Booth, M.D., M.S., vice president of medical affairs for
PersonalMD.com. "In times of medical crisis, patients have lost their lives
because crucial information was not available at the moment it was needed."
All medical records on the co-branded and PersonalMD.com sites are
strictly confidential. Information is encrypted and safeguarded through a
series of security measures.
About PersonalMD.com
PersonalMD.com (http://www.PersonalMD.com) is the premier one stop
destination health site providing free health-related rich content and
life-saving services. It is the first consumer-oriented health information
site that has the potential to save lives by providing consumers with the
ability to truly take control of their own health records.
This is especially important in emergency situations, where a physician
might need someone's medical information immediately. PersonalMD.com makes it
possible to find the medical and health information you need, from your own
confidential medical records to scientific breakthroughs in disease
management and health issues, by just pointing and clicking.
The keys to the site are PersonalMD.com's proprietary e-file and
innovative Emergency Card. E-file enables consumers to fax paper-based
documents, including EKGs, lab reports and doctor's notes in a secure manner
for free. The Emergency Card provides the link between the online records and
medial professionals.
The member's user name, PIN Code (if desired), and Fax ID are printed
on the front of the Card, while pertinent information, e.g.: contact
physician and family names, drug allergies and blood type can appear on the
back.
About HealthAxis.com
HealthAxis.com, Inc. is a pioneer in the Internet distribution of
health and life insurance to the individual and small group markets.
HealthAxis.com does not engage in any insurance underwriting and assumes no
underwriting risk.
Through its interactive, user-friendly, one-stop insurance Web site,
www.healthaxis.com, HealthAxis.com provides customers with the ability to
purchase a full range of high quality, flexible insurance products and
services at competitive prices. HealthAxis.com also provides product and
health information, instant price quotes, electronic application processing,
online billing, claims status, policy or personal information changes and a
customer hotline.
Policyholders can easily and conveniently view billing information,
claims history and policy details -- day and night, seven days a week.
HealthAxis.com has Internet distribution agreements with AOL (Keyword:
HealthAxis), Lycos, CNET, Snap.com and Yahoo!.
HealthAxis.com recently signed a definitive agreement to merge with
Insurdata Inc., the leading provider of Internet-based healthcare plan
administration services to healthcare Payors. Upon the closing of the
transaction, the combined company will be uniquely positioned to provide
Web-enabled services to both consumers and Payors of health insurance.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995: Certain statements made by the Company which are not historical
facts may be considered forward-looking statements, including, without
limitation, statements as to trends, management's beliefs, expectations and
opinions, which are based upon a number of assumptions concerning future
conditions that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and may be affected by
various factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from
those in the forward-looking statements. For further information which could
cause actual results to differ from the Company's expectations as well as
other factors which could affect the Company's financial statements, please
refer to Provident American's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
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CONTACT:
PersonalMD.com
Susan Cossette, 925/460-9088
Susan@PersonalMD.com
or
Schwartz Communications, Inc. (for HealthAxis.com)
Doug Russell, 781/684-0770 (Media)
dougr@schwartz-pr.com
Michele Meagher, 781/684-0770 (Media)
mmeagher@schwartz-pr.com
or
HealthAxis.com
Deidre Holt, 610/275-3800 (Investor)
dholt@healthaxis.com |
