Vivius, MMA to Provide Colorado with First-of-its-Kind Consumer-Driven Health Plan More than 2,700 MMA physicians in Boulder, Denver and Longmont to accept Vivius

The first consumer-driven health care plan of its kind is now available to Colorado residents through a joint venture between Vivius, a personalized health care system based in Minneapolis, and MMA, one of the nations first preferred provider organizations. The agreement covers more than 2,700 MMA physicians located in metropolitan Denver, Boulder and Longmont.

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 15, 2002 -- The first consumer-driven health care plan of its kind is now available to Colorado residents through a joint venture between Vivius, a personalized health care system based in Minneapolis, and MMA, one of the nations first preferred provider organizations. The agreement covers more than 2,700 MMA physicians located in metropolitan Denver, Boulder and Longmont.
The new health plan, called MMA Select, is now being offered to a number of Colorado businesses that self-insure their benefits. MMA Select will begin covering employees on Jan. 1, 2003.

Were excited to provide Colorado residents with more choices and control over their health care coverage than theyve ever had before," said Dave Teckman, president, Vivius. With MMA Select, employees will be able to independently make their own health care decisions and personalize their plans to meet their unique individual and family needs."

Under MMA Select, employers give employees a set amount of money (a defined contribution) to help them purchase medical coverage for themselves and their family members. Employees then enroll online through the secure MMA Select Web site to create their own personal network of doctors and hospitals, which they can select on their own or based on recommendations from their favorite physician. Employees also select their own co-payment levels for doctor visits and hospital stays, as well as the amount of their payroll deduction.
MMA is excited to introduce Vivius to Colorado. Its the kind of innovative product our customers are demanding," said Rob Ruiz-Moss, president and CEO, MMA. For the first time, weve put the financial and decision-making process squarely in the hands of consumers and physicians."

Vivius agreement with MMA represents its second major launch in the United States within the past half-year. In April, Vivius signed an agreement with Health Net Life Insurance Company to provide a consumer-driven plan in Spokane, Wash., under the name, USelect. Consumer and physician reaction to USelect has exceeded expectations, according to Teckman.

All of the hospitals and more than 90 percent of physicians in the Spokane area have accepted USelect," Teckman said. And in July, more than 80 percent of 400 employees in our first Spokane employer group chose USelect, even though we were competing against the employers existing HMO plan. We expect similarly positive results in the Denver market, and plan to soon begin introducing our unique personalized health care system in several other major U.S. markets."
Unlike other consumer-driven health plans, Vivius provides employees with actual health care coverage, as opposed to plans that require employees to pay for individual services at the time of need. With these other plans, frequent users of health services, such as the sick and elderly, can quickly exhaust the amount theyve been allotted to pay for health care and potentially face significant out-of-pocket expenses.

Consumer-driven health plans, also known as defined contribution health plans, are poised for significant growth, according to health industry surveys. Approximately one-fifth of respondents in a December 2001 survey of employers by William M. Mercer said they are likely to adopt a defined contribution plan. Seventy percent of employers in a February 2001 Hewitt Associates survey stated that they wanted to shift health care decisions to employees.

About Vivius
Based in Minneapolis, Vivius, Inc., is a leader in the emerging consumer-driven health care industry, giving consumers, employers and physicians more choices, flexibility and control than traditional health insurance and managed care products. The Vivius Personalized Healthcare System (PHS) is a proprietary interactive system that allows consumers to build their own custom health plan with co-payments and provider networks that are unique to each family member. For more information, visit www.vivius.com.

About MMA
MMA is one of the countrys first preferred provider organizations and a nationally recognized leader in the health care industry. Established in 1979, MMA offers affordable and comprehensive access to physicians and hospitals throughout Colorado. For more information, visit www.mma-bp.com.