Presbyterian Health Plan selects ikasystems to gain required business agility in its sales, underwriting, and administrative processes.

In a move designed to automate the majority of its administrative processes Presbyterian Health Plan (PHP) has chosen the ikaSystems' solutions suite (ikaEnterprise) to automate the sales and underwriting processes of its commercial business lines. ikaSystems' self-service web portal platform will be used to automate quotes for new business, sold case submissions, final underwriting for small group cases, renewal rating for commercial business, financial forecasting, and rate filing preparation.

"After extensive due diligence we chose ikaSystems because in addition to providing a robust solution they really understand how the underwriting process can impact sales and user satisfaction," said Carole Henry, PHP's head of underwriting.

Ms. Henry added, "We wanted a solution that would automate renewal processing and relieve our underwriters of many manual tasks allowing them to focus on the higher value risk analysis and account management aspects of underwriting. I believe that the advantages of implementing ikaEnterprise will include a unified view and easier access to account information by our underwriting, sales and marketing staff, and equally importantly, our brokers. It will not only eliminate double-key entry into multiple systems but will also automate many of the functions that facilitate book-of-business management and allow for more frequent (weekly-monthly) review and what-if scenario analysis."

"Our web portal solutions are different from other business process automation solutions because they allow the incorporation of intelligence that enable health plans to address business objectives effectively, whether it be reducing member, provider and broker risk or increasing user (broker, member, employer) satisfaction," said Ravi Ika, President and CEO of ikaSystems.

"ikaEnterprise will provide PHP's administrative staff and its trading partners a single technology platform that they can use to conduct all processes easily and securely. Our solutions can also help PHP utilize the medical information collected during underwriting process to make care management more effective. It can help manage underwriting risk by enabling health plans to verify pre-existing conditions during the adjudication of claims submitted on behalf of new members. This is a first in the market place," added Ika.

About Presbyterian Health Plan
Presbyterian Health Plan serves more than 400,000 commercial, Medicare and Medicaid members throughout New Mexico and is the state's largest health plan. PHP is part of Presbyterian Healthcare Services, a private, not-for-profit integrated delivery system and the state's largest provider of care.  For more information, visit www.phs.org.