VISTA awarded health benefits contracts with School Board of Broward County and renews with Broward County Government and Broward Sheriff’s Office
30,000 employees eligible for health plan membership
HOLLYWOOD - October 23, 2003 - Vista South Florida, Inc. (VISTA), a health benefits company, announced today that it has renewed its contracts to provide health insurance benefits to employees of Broward County Government (BCG) and the Broward Sheriffs Office (BSO) and has been awarded a five-year contract to insure employees of the School Board of Broward County (SBBC).
More than 30,000 employees and their dependents will have choices from among VISTA’s portfolio of employer group health benefits plans. SBBC employees will choose between VISTA’s health maintenance organization (HMO) and preferred provider organization (PPO) plans. Employees of BCG will be offered HMO and point-of-service (POS) plans. All three plans - HMO, POS and PPO - will be available to BSO employees.
“We are pleased the county’s three top agencies recognize VISTA’s continued commitment to providing their employees with access to affordable quality health care,” said Peter Joseph, VISTA’s senior vice president of commercial sales.
Employees can choose from VISTA’s network of more than 5,000 physicians. Those selecting the HMO will choose a primary care physician to coordinate their care and enjoy in-network benefits including low out-of-pocket co-pays and preventive services covered at 100%.
Employees choosing the POS plan will have both in- network and out-of-network benefits and select a primary care physician to coordinate their specialist care. When choosing a provider in the network, POS members will benefit from the same co-pays and low out-of-pocket costs as HMO members. Slightly higher out-of-pocket costs will apply when members choose a provider who does not participate in VISTA’s network. SBBC and BSO employees selecting the PPO plan will have higher premiums, both in-network and out-of-network benefits and can self refer to specialists. All plans include preventive services, access to VISTA’s disease management and pre-natal programs. Employees will also receive value-added services including discount programs for alternative medicine and fitness club membership throughout the country.
“VISTA’s plans provide our employees access to affordable health care and one of the largest physician networks in South Florida,” said Ron Weintraub, director of benefits for the SBBC. “As the county’s largest employer, choice, value and affordability are a must in choosing a health plan.”
In June, Vista South Florida, Inc. was awarded a three-year accreditation, the highest level of achievement for a health plan, from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) for its commercial, Medicare and Medicaid HMOs. Status as an accredited health plan means that Vista has passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality care standards and access to care set by the AAAHC.