Health Net of California’s ground breaking health insurance program, Salud con Health Net, which has been offering access to affordable, quality care to Latino workers on both sides of the United States/Mexico border for nine years, today announced its expansion into San Diego County.

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Health Net’s Salud HMO y Más program is being offered to employers and employees of small and mid-sized businesses between the Mexico border and Los Angeles County and also is available in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

“San Diego is a vital border market with a unique makeup of employers, employees and individuals who need and deserve access to quality health care services both here and in Mexico,” said Ana Andrade, vice president of Latino Programs for Health Net of California. “We see our program as a gateway to improving their health status.”

“Since the 2000 introduction of our Salud con Health Net suite of products and services,” said Andrade, “membership has grown to more than 35,000 customers drawn by the products’ access to quality, culturally sensitive and culturally competent health care from doctors, specialists and hospitals both here in the United States or just across the Mexican border.”

For business owners in particular, the Salud HMO y Más plan offers cost-effective health benefits for their employees. Employers who have purchased Salud HMO y Más plans have enjoyed cost savings of 25 percent or more, compared to similar Health Net plans offered in the same local markets. The greatest savings are realized when patients use a specialized network of culturally competent and cost-effective health care providers in Southern California who focus on caring for the needs of the Latino population. Additional savings are realized due to the lower cost of contracted health care services available in the Mexico cities of Tijuana, Mexicali, Tecate and Rosarito.

“Having a doctor who you can see on a regular basis is very important to maintaining good health,” said Monica Cepin, MD, a general practitioner and pediatric physician for Multicultural Primary Care Medical Group. “By partnering with Health Net, we want to provide patients who come to us through Salud HMO y Más with high-quality medical care that will improve their overall quality of life. We are excited about reaching more Latinos who may not have health insurance through innovative programs like this one.”

The growing need for a cross-border solution to the health care needs of many Latinos working in California is evident. According to the June 2009 edition of Medical Care, nearly one million Californians visited Mexico from June 2008 to June 2009 for medical, prescription or dental services. Salud HMO y Más can potentially reduce the number of uninsured and alleviate the number of patients seeking care from emergency rooms because its members are able to pay for the care they receive and have direct access to their own primary care physician.

Health Net’s contracted network of Mexico-based health care providers is made available by Sistema Medicos Nacionales, S.A. de C.V. (SIMNSA), the only Mexican health plan licensed and overseen by the California Department of Managed Health Care, the same regulatory body that oversees HMOs doing business in California.

As with all plans offered by Health Net, Salud HMO y Más provides added value to its members by offering a strong focus on health education, prevention and wellness. It includes member access to Health Net’s Decision Powersm health coaches, who are experienced clinicians available 24 hours a day, have Spanish-speaking capabilities and empower our members to work closely with their doctors to manage their medical conditions.

“Small- and mid-sized companies that dominate the San Diego business landscape are an important focus for us,” said Pedro Reyes of Barney and Barney, a major San Diego-based insurance brokerage. “We are seeing more small-business owners struggle with providing health insurance for their employees. Because Latinos make up such a big slice of the local workforce, the Salud HMO y Más product now offers my clients an affordable option to help keep their finances more stable and their employees happier and healthier.”

According to U.S. Census data, one out of every four San Diego residents is Latino and the overall population of Latinos in the region has increased by 50 percent in the last decade. The county’s population is estimated at more than 907,000 Latinos, with the highest concentration residing in the National City area. San Diego County also is the third-largest in California in the number of Hispanic-owned businesses, and the fifth-largest in the United States. Coupled with the number of employers based in Tijuana, this bi-national region ranks third in the nation in the total number of Hispanic-owned firms.

About Health Net of California

Health Net of California, a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), is one of the largest health plans in the state. Together with Health Net Life Insurance Company, it serves more than 2.2 million members statewide and contracts with more than 56,000 physicians, 300-plus hospitals and nearly 5,000 pharmacies, giving its members greater choice and more convenient access to care. Its commercial HMO and POS, Medicare and Medicaid lines of business have received the “Excellent” Accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. For more information about Health Net, visit its Web site at http://www.healthnet.com/.

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