HealthLink, Inc. is one of the largest health care organizations in the central United States, serving approximately 1 million medical enrollees and 1.8 million Workers’ Compensation enrollees of health plans that access a HealthLink network program. HealthLink contracts with more than 25,000 physicians and other health care professionals and more than 300 hospitals and facilities in its core service area of Missouri, Arkansas and (Southern) Illinois.

Recently, HealthLink expanded its network service arrangements into (Northern) Illinois, Texas, Ohio and Kentucky.

In addition, HealthLink maintains business arrangements with more than 200 payors. HealthLink offers network rental, administrative services and other non-underwritten health benefit programs to employers, unions, government subdivisions, school and insurance companies.

The company was formed in October 1984 and incorporated in January 1985 by a consortium of Greater Metropolitan St. Louis hospitals. In August 1995 HealthLink was acquired by RightCHOICE Managed Care. In January 2002, HealthLink became part of the WellPoint Health Networks Inc. one of the nation's largest publicly traded health care companies, after the merger of RightCHOICE and WellPoint.
As a result of the November 2004 merger of WellPoint Health Networks Inc. and Anthem, Inc. HealthLink is now part of WellPoint, Inc.

HealthLink is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri and employs approximately 325 associates.

Business Approach
Consumer choice and empowerment are the hallmarks of HealthLink’s business approach. By offering a diverse portfolio of network programs and superior customer support, HealthLink provides health security to its customers. Recognizing that one size does not fit all, HealthLink’s internal divisions apply creativity and appropriate resources in meeting the unique needs of its customer groups. In addition, the Company has a strong customer service orientation. HealthLink’s goals focus on choice, enrollee satisfaction, quality programs and services, and consistent financial performance.

With a growing reputation for innovation, HealthLink also works collaboratively with physicians, health care institutions and other health care professionals. The Company’s consistent operational and financial success, and the recognition associated with it, directly reflects the leadership of an innovative senior management team and dedicated hard-working associates.

Network Programs and Administrative Services
HealthLink’s primary objective is to arrange for the delivery of contracted health care services.To do this, HealthLink contracts with physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals to support preferred provider organization (PPO), health maintenance organization (HMO), point of service (POS), Open Access (OA), and Workers’ Compensation PPO arrangements.

HealthLink markets its networks and managed care programs through two distribution channels. HealthLink’s internal sales staff markets directly to self-insured businesses and to insurance carriers. Contracted insurance carriers market HealthLink’s network programs to their existing and prospective clients through the efforts of their sales staffs and community brokers. This strategy permits HealthLink to carry its network programs to a diverse marketplace and to maximize flexibility in benefit plan designs, plan administration and service. Carriers and self-funded clients generally co-brand their enrollee communication materials to indicate a collaborative arrangement between the health plan sponsor and the HealthLink network program(s).

HealthLink is affiliated with a prominent PPO network program– National Capital PPO (NCPPO) headquartered in Springfield, VA. The NCPPO medical network serves nearly 100,000 enrollees of health plans that contract to access the services of approximately 20,000 physicians and other health care professionals and more than 100 hospitals throughout Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and West Virginia. For more information about NCPPO, please visit www.ncppo.com.

Network Demographics & Accreditation
HealthLink works with more than 200 insurance carriers and third party administrators and trust funds to deliver contracted services to its more than 1.8 million enrollees accessing HealthLink networks throughout the central United States. The company’s membership is defined through medical membership, which includes approximately one million enrollees, and Workers’ Compensation membership, which includes nearly 1.8 million enrollees accessing HealthLink networks.