May 29, 2012

HealthNow New York Selects Benefitfocus

Benefitfocus Release

Charleston, S.C. and Buffalo, N.Y. – May 29, 2012 – HealthNow New York Inc., (HNNY) the parent company of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and BlueShield of Northeastern New York, will partner with Benefitfocus to provide employers healthcare enrollment and e-billing technology.

When utilizing the BENEFITFOCUS(r) Platform, employers will be able to offer employees a streamlined coverage administration platform that will allow employees to select and enroll in healthcare options provided by the company. The feature will also double as an administrative tool. In addition, HealthNow will offer an e-billing component for employers that will provide a portal for paying company premiums electronically.

"Personalization at a very granular, employer-centric level is a big part of our design philosophy," said Shawn Jenkins, Benefitfocus President and CEO. "We provide multiple types of support tools to accommodate employer and customer needs. We are excited HealthNow will be able to engage its customers using our technology, and we are proud to support their mission of improving healthcare cost and quality through innovation."

"We are continually seeking value-added services that improve satisfaction and engagement," Kerri Garrison, Vice President, Venture Growth for HealthNow said. "The personalized plan selection tools and e-billing component in the Benefitfocus Platform takes that commitment to the next level by creating a portal that engages employers and members throughout the enrollment process. With Benefitfocus, we can help our customers make the best healthcare decisions."

In addition to a full spectrum of individual and employer-sponsored health plans, HNNY also provides members worksite wellness programs, pharmacy benefit management, behavioral health services and personal health concierges who serve as member advocates.

HealthNow joins other leading insurance companies managing their membership and benefits data in the world's largest benefits cloud. In addition to its plan selection tools, the Platform's sophisticated data exchange capabilities can manage data for even the largest, most complex employers. Synchronized enrollment and billing technology eliminates the time and cost associated with manual invoice reconciliation. HealthNow will be live on the Benefitfocus Platform by November 2012.

About HealthNow New York Inc
HealthNow New York Inc. is one of New York's leading healthcare companies that provide access to quality healthcare and innovative solutions for members throughout upstate New York. Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, the company is an independent Licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.

About Benefitfocus
Benefitfocus is the largest benefits technology provider in the U.S. More than 16 million consumers, 300,000 employers and 60,000 brokers use our cloud-based platform to shop, enroll, manage and exchange all their benefits in one place. From consumer engagement and education to enrollment, communication and billing, Benefitfocus is helping companies find a better way to manage their benefits. For more information, visit www.benefitfocus.com .