EmployerDirect Chief Medical Officer Philip Sanger M.D. to Speak at SouthWest Benefits Association in Lost Pines Texas on Thursday May 8

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - May 5, 2014) - EmployerDirect, a leader in value-based healthcare that helps large, self-insured employers improve the quality of their employees' planned medical procedures, is pleased to announce that its Chief Medical Officer, Philip Sanger, M.D., will speak at the SouthWest Benefits Association (SWBA) 39th Annual Conference in Lost Pines, Texas on Thursday, May 8, from 2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. Dr. Sanger will appear on a panel discussing savings for employer health benefit plans through narrow, high-performance provider networks. The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, located at 575 Hyatt Lost Pines Road.

"I look forward to appearing on a panel with representatives from Aon Hewitt, Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Healthcare," said Philip Sanger, M.D., EmployerDirect's Chief Medical Officer and a founder of Healthspring Medicare Advantage Program. "I will explain how EmployerDirect's SurgeryPlus allows companies to drastically lower the cost of their healthcare while maintaining the highest standards. Our complication rate has proven to be best-in-class without any readmissions or mortalities."

SurgeryPlus is a supplemental benefit plan that reduces the costs of planned medical procedures by 30-50 percent through bundled case rates at high-quality providers. It pre-negotiates and consolidates all costs before surgery. SurgeryPlus is an easy overlay to any existing self-funded medical plan and offers an expanded choice of providers for elective procedures, including orthopedic, spine, cardiovascular, bariatric, general surgery, and other minor outpatient procedures such as colonoscopy, endoscopy and arthroscopy. 

On the panel with Dr. Sanger will be Robyn Bayne, Vice President and Local Practice Leader for Aon Hewitt, Shara McClure, VP of Network Management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and Michelle Lobe, Vice President Network Strategy with UnitedHealthcare Group.

EmployerDirect is also scheduling one-on-one meetings with self-funded employer benefits specialists, benefits brokers, and other healthcare leadership who will be attending the SWBA 39th Annual Conference. If you are interested in setting up a meeting, please email Amanda Bary at amanda.bary@edhc.com.

Founded in 1975, SouthWest Benefits is a regional, non-profit association designed to foster relationships and support the educational growth of professionals in employee benefits. Members represent a wide range of specialties, including corporate human resources, benefit plan administration, financial management, investment counseling, third party administration, law, accounting, actuarial, and consulting. SWBA serves Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas.

About EmployerDirect Healthcare
EmployerDirect, a leader in value-based healthcare, transforms the way self-funded employer health plans purchase healthcare for their members, saving 30-50 percent on planned medical procedures with the potential to reduce total plan cost by 6-10 percent. The company also offers unique medical concierge service that assists covered members with selecting a provider, scheduling a procedure, transferring medical records, coordinating travel logistics and negotiating surgery costs BEFORE the surgery occurs. For more information about EmployerDirect, please visit www.edhc.com or call (512)651-5551.