ShelterPoint Life Launches Nurse HelpLine

GREAT NECK, N.Y. - Nov. 25, 2014 - PRLog -- ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company (ShelterPoint Life) has partnered with AliCare to launch a Nurse HelpLine service effective November 2014.

This Nurse HelpLine provides unlimited access to experienced Registered Nurses in a dedicated US-based call center, most of whom have an average of over 20 years of experience and emergency room training. The nurses are prepared to answer questions about a variety of health care concerns and provide immediate health information on topics such as heart attacks, diabetes, headaches, depression, dermatology, anxiety, mental health, pregnancy, pain, rashes, and colds.

This service is available around the clock and on holidays to assure that people can get medical information whenever the moment of need arises. Hold time to speak to a nurse is generally less than a minute to assure callers' concerns are addressed quickly. It helps the caller determine, for example: "Is that pain in my jaw serious? Nurses assess each caller’s health status and answer health-related questions to help them decide whether self-care or seeing a health care provider is the better option. All calls are confidential and are documented in the caller's personal medical file with the HIPAA-compliant Nurse HelpLine service.

Since the Nurse HelpLine is not insurance, there is no deductible or copay; all dependents and family members in the same household are covered. Those who prefer to listen to general health information can access the Audio Health Information Library with over 1,000 topics, many of which are also available in Spanish.

Studies show that approximately 1 out of 3 families avoid an unnecessary Emergency Room visit per year, and that callers avoid about 2 unnecessary physician office visits per year if they have access to a nurse help line.* This results in a win-win for both employer and employee: for families who use this service, it means potentially saving on unnecessary copays or deductibles; and for employers it may translate into less time away from work.

These advantages are even more impactful in a small business setting. Small businesses may find it more difficult to obtain a nurse help line as part of their health insurance plan, which makes ShelterPoint’s Nurse HelpLine an attractive and affordable service.

ShelterPoint's Nurse HelpLine is available for small groups and sole proprietors on a stand-alone basis.

*HealthCare Leadership Council: The Future is here-Transforming American Healthcare Through Private Sector Innovation, p13.

About ShelterPoint:

The ShelterPoint family of companies consists of ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company (formerly First Rehab Life) and ShelterPoint Insurance Company. ShelterPoint Life was founded in 1972 as The First Rehabilitation Life Insurance Company of America (First Rehab Life) and is headquartered in Great Neck, NY. Since its inception, ShelterPoint Life has grown into New York’s largest* statutory disability carrier and holds the rating of A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company and A- by Standard & Poor’s. Through the years, ShelterPoint Life has added additional employee benefits to its product portfolio and currently insures more than 150,000 employers and over 1.3 million members. In 2014, First Rehab Life changed its name to ShelterPoint Life Insurance Company. A Florida-domiciled carrier was acquired in 2014, which was renamed ShelterPoint Insurance Company. This newly acquired entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ShelterPoint Life and is licensed in 48 states and territories.

About AliCare:

AliCare Medical Management offers clinically based care management programs designed to promote optimal clinical outcomes, cost savings and patient satisfaction. AliCare is an affiliate company of Amalgamated Life Insurance Company, a New York based life insurance company established in 1943, which is rated “A” by A.M. Best Company.