Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation, Aurora Health Care and HealthEOS Announce Settlement Agreement

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS), Aurora Health Care and HealthEOS announced today that they have reached an agreement to settle a contract dispute.


MADISON, Wis., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ — As a result of the settlement agreement, WPS customers that use the HealthEOS and HealthEOS Plus networks will have access to Aurora physicians and facilities through the end of 2008. The services provided to these WPS customers will be billed at in-network rates. Any other continuing relationship between WPS and Aurora beyond Dec. 31, 2008, would need to be negotiated by the two parties. Customers directly contracted with HealthEOS or HealthEOS Plus will continue to have uninterrupted access to Aurora in 2008 and thereafter.


As part of the agreement, WPS agreed to dismiss all legal claims made against Aurora Health Care and HealthEOS.


About WPS:


WPS Health Insurance is a not-for-profit company that has been providing quality health and benefit plan administration for businesses and individuals throughout Wisconsin for over 60 years. In addition, the WPS Medicare division administers Part B benefits for 4.5 million seniors in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota and the WPS TRICARE division serves more than 4.5 million members of the U.S. military families worldwide. For more information about WPS Health Insurance, visit http://www.wpsic.com/.


About Aurora Health Care:


Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin health care provider and a nationally recognized leader in efforts to improve the quality of health care. Aurora offers services at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin.


About HealthEOS:


HealthEOS is Wisconsin’s largest independent primary PPO network. Founded in 1989 as Wisconsin preferred provider Network, the company has grown over the last 18 years through the acquisition of Health Care Network, Associates for healthcare, Inc., and Touchpoint Preferred to create a statewide network of 159 hospitals, 1,115 ancillary care facilities, over 20,000 professionals and every one of Wisconsin’s major health systems. The company serves over a thousand employers and their approximately 1.2 million members.

   Contacts:  Jeff Squire         James Sawaya         Megan Hakes
Aurora Health Care HealthEOS WPS
414-647-3408 800-952-8661 x3798 414-788-6599


First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:


Source: WPS; Aurora Health Care; HealthEOS


CONTACT: Jeff Squire of Aurora Health Care, +1-414-647-3408; or James
Sawaya of HealthEOS, 1-800-952-8661, ext. 3798; or Megan Hakes of WPS,
+1-414-788-6599


Web site: http://www.wpsic.com/