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PHP and Pro-Claim Plus Merger

By: Kimberly TruesdellBusinessPeople

A unique merger allows PHP and Pro-Claim Plus to operate as they have, but with access to the resources and knowledge that each has acquired.

Stronger Together

Physician's Health Plan and Pro-Claim Plus, Inc. merger brings together health care leaders.

Physicians Health Plan (PHP), a local health insurance company, and Pro-Claim Plus, Inc. which offers self-funded administrative services, have each earned a reputation for excellent service and strong values. But together, they offer unparalleled access and solutions for employers seeking health coverage for their employees. A unique merger, effective Oct. 1, allows PHP and Pro-Claim Plus to operate as they have, but with access to the resources and knowledge that each has acquired. “Everybody in the marketplace sees this as a real benefit. Our insurance brokers, our clients—all are just as excited about this merger as we are,” says Karla Linvill, president and CEO of Pro-Claim Plus. “It is exciting because they see the potential and the opportunity this provides for the business community. PHP is very good at what they do—full risk insurance—and Pro-Claim is very good at what we do, administering self-funded benefit plans. We both have our expertise and this move brings everything under one umbrella.”

PHP’s president and CEO, Mike Cahill, says the partnership began when he approached Linvill to lease the third-party administrator’s operating platform. As the two leaders talked, they realized that while the two companies provide different services in the insurance industry, working together would not only benefit the individual companies but also the employers they serve.

“Our ability to deliver, beyond what anyone else can do locally—whether it be staff, data, access—that changes the game,” Cahill says. “The combined depth of resources is huge to both lines of business.” For PHP, this partnership brings them together with a respected and experienced full service administrator that specializes in self-funded benefit plans, which is significantly different than the full-risk business. For Pro-Claim Plus, this means it can now deliver access to PHP’s large network of physicians and health care providers, including both major hospital systems in the region.

The merger also allows Pro-Claim Plus to tap into the experienced staff at PHP, which is especially important as data and analytics play an even greater role in the insurance industry. Another advantage is having medical professionals such as physicians, nurses and a pharmacist on staff. “Between our two companies, we’re overseeing the records of more than 60,000 individuals, with a majority living in northeast Indiana,” Cahill says. “Health care is very local. Finding someone with that amount of data, concentrated in this area, makes a huge difference overall.” Working together, they say, they can make an even greater impact. “One company, one stop where employers can access both funding platforms,” Linvill says. “And that, to me, is a huge selling point.”