(Council Bluffs, IA) – Alegent Health Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Des Moines today announced agreement of a contract effective August 1, 2003.

The signing of this contract means that Alegent Health Mercy Hospital will participate in all of Wellmark’s health plans, including Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa Alliance Selectsmand Classic Blue(r) plans, and Blue Advantage(r), Blue Choice(r), and Blue Accesssm plans offered through Wellmark’s subsidiary, Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. This agreement gives residents in southwestern Iowa, who have health insurance from Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, expanded options in healthcare providers.

The new contract includes the Council Bluffs hospital as well as 19 physicians who are employed at Alegent Health Clinic and 12 mental health providers who are employed at Alegent Health Psychiatric Associates. The addition of Alegent Health Mercy Hospital will give people who have chosen Alliance Select or Classic Blue the ability to choose any of the 115 hospitals in Iowa to receive in-network care.

In addition, members who have one of the Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa managed care products, Blue Advantage, Blue Choice, or Blue Access, will also be able to choose Alegent Health Mercy Hospital. With the addition of Alegent Health Mercy Hospital, 82 percent of the hospitals in Iowa will participate in Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa.

“Making Mercy Hospital accessible to Wellmark insurance members will have a positive impact on our community. From receiving diagnostic tests to delivering babies or simply visiting a trusted family physician, more families in our area will have choices for meeting their healthcare needs – right here in Council Bluffs,” said Marie Knedler, administrator, Alegent Health Mercy Hospital.

John Forsyth, Wellmark’s chairman and chief executive officer, said the addition of Alegent Health Mercy Hospital and its affiliated physicians provides Wellmark members, especially those who live in Council Bluffs and surrounding southwest Iowa communities, with one more option when seeking medical care.
“Our members want the broadest possible choices when choosing a hospital, doctor, or other healthcare provider,” Forsyth said. “With the addition of Alegent Health Mercy Hospital, members of our Alliance Select health plan, which has the largest membership of any private health plan in Iowa may now choose any hospital in Iowa.

“Our Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa network has experienced tremendous growth in the last 18 months. The addition of Alegent Health Mercy Hospital provides our western Iowa Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa customers with another choice for their healthcare needs and positions us well for future growth." Forsyth said.

Alegent Health, based in Omaha, Neb., is a non-profit integrated healthcare system, which focuses on caring for the sick through all of life’s phases. Providing comprehensive healthcare services in a 100-mile radius in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, Alegent Health is comprised of nine acute care hospitals with 1,829 licensed beds, more than 100 clinic locations and more than 1,200 physicians on its medical staff.

Alegent Health is a leader in providing primary care, cardiovascular services, orthopaedics, women’s and children’s services, oncology, physical rehabilitation, behavioral services, senior health and other services designed to meet the healthcare needs of the region.

Alegent Health, a faith-based healthcare system, was created by the consolidation of Bergan Mercy Health System and Immanuel Health System in 1996. The sponsors of Alegent Health are Catholic Health Initiatives and Immanuel Health Systems, which is affiliated with the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For more information about Alegent Health, visit www.alegent.com or call 1-800-ALEGENT.

About Wellmark
Wellmark, Inc. does business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Wellmark and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, including Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc. and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, insure or pay health benefit claims for more than 1.7 million members. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information regarding Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, please visit www.wellmark.com.