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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 27 H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S In its simplest terms, private exchanges take employers that want to provide health benefi ts out of the role of being a gatekeeper and puts those choices in the hands of employees. How it works "I don't think 'one size fi ts all' works very well," says Michael Karp, Liazon's chief revenue offi cer. "You need to give people an array of choices." But Karp quickly adds Liazon's Bright Choices Exchange platform goes well beyond a simple list- ing of health insurance plan options. Its proprietary software, he says, uses algorithms that help guide the users' decision-making process based on the responses they give to questions about health care needs, personality and fi nancial consider- ations. Under "health," users respond to questions about "expected utilization," "health status" and "network preferences." Under "personality," they identify their "risk tolerance," "health and fi nancial concerns" and "health care consumerism." And under "wealth," they respond to questions about "income" and "savings." e algorithm crunches those replies to create a recommendation spelling out types of plans that match the respondent's needs and wants, a cost that balances premiums with expected out-of-pocket expenses and a match to physician network prefer- ences and overall objectives and concerns. As Karp puts it, " e technology asks the right intelligent questions and then makes the recom- mendation that fi ts that person's need." " e technology is only one piece of what we do," he adds, pointing out that the Bright Choices Exchange platform includes educational materi- als to help users make better-informed judgments about the health benefi t that best meets their needs. "You've got an entire infrastructure that works with our broker partners in support of our technology." Deschaine says the private exchange and the support it provides for employers considering a shift toward a defi ned contribution approach to their employee health benefi ts off ers greater stability for both businesses and their employees: Businesses can decide and budget what they feel they can aff ord as their yearly contribution, while employees, once they've selected the policy that best meets their needs, no longer have to fear that the next year they'll be asked to change to a diff erent carrier or level of coverage. ey can stick with their choice as long as the policy continues to meet their needs. " e proof will be in the fi nal product," Deschaine acknowledges.. Noting that the Cross division's footprint extends from Rhode Island to Maine, with Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts being the core of its customer base, Deschaine says for most clients in that territory, the question isn't so much "if " health care benefi ts will be off ered, but rather "how" those benefi ts can be provided in an aff ordable and sustainable way. He believes the private exchange off ers promise as a solution. " e businesses we work with are faced with a need to recruit and retain employees," he says. "Most companies need a strong benefi ts package as part of their compensation strategy." JameS McCartHY, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at JmccartHY @ mainebiz.biz and @ JameSMainebiz The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has recognized the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute cardiac surgery program with its highest rating – three stars. Only 10 to 15 percent of heart surgery programs nationwide earn this honor. The STS comprehensive rating system compares the quality of cardiac surgery at some 750 hospitals in the U.S. CMHVI is among the top-tier cardiac surgery providers. The National Quality Forum has endorsed the STS quality measurement program. 300 MAIN STREET, LEWISTON 753-3900 or 1-800-760-6622 www.cmhvi.org Cardiothoracic surgeons Paul Weldner, M.D., (left) and Carmine Frumiento, M.D. Society of Thoracic Surgeons awards top rating for Cardiac Surgery to CMHVI

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