News Release

June 22, 2010
HMSA launches Mobile hmsa.com for easy, on-the-go access

Laura Lott
(808) 952-7566
laura_lott@hmsa.com

Hawaii health care consumers can now visit hmsa.com while on the go. Mobile hmsa.com is a new free Web tool from the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) that allows anyone to do a quick search of HMSA’s website with a smartphone or other hand-held device. Users can locate a health care provider or find HMSA365 member discounts on health and wellness services anywhere in the state.

Mobile hmsa.com was specifically designed for today’s busy health care consumers, and features the following convenient and easy-to-use functions:

• Find a physician or dentist (search by name, address, city, ZIP code, specialty, or near your current GPS location).
• Find a pharmacy or facility (search for medical centers, clinics, laboratories or pharmacies by name, address, plan benefits, or near your current GPS location).
• Find health and wellness vendors that offer HMSA365 member discounts (on all islands).
• Find HMSA contact information and locations (phone numbers and addresses on all islands).
• Follow or view HMSA on social media sites (blogs, Twitter, YouTube videos).

When visiting HMSA’s website, health care consumers automatically access Mobile hmsa.com. There’s never any downloading of applications or utilities to install.

When searching for a provider or service on HMSA’s website, the tool will identify those providers and services that are nearby. Google™ Maps for mobile phones makes finding a provider’s location faster and easier than ever before.

“It’s all about providing quick and easy access to health information,” said HMSA Vice President Michael Stollar. “Mobile hmsa.com makes finding a physician, hospital or pharmacy extremely easy. There’s no need to use a phone book or computer or to call 411. People can simply use their smartphone to get the specific information they need in a matter of moments.”

Searching for providers is one of the big reasons why consumers visit hmsa.com. Each year, HMSA’s website receives nearly 4 million hits. Many are related to finding a participating physician, dentist, pharmacy, laboratory or hospital. In 2009, for example, HMSA’s provider search received 1.35 million hits, which represents 35 percent of the total.

The new HMSA Web tool supports iPhone^®, iPod Touch^®, Android^® and PalmPre^®. In the next few months, it will also support BlackBerry devices. HMSA will be supporting more devices and adding more features in the near future.

There are many situations where access to important health information from a phone or mobile device can be extremely helpful, for example:

• #1 – You are visiting Maui from Oahu, and you become ill. You don’t know any participating physicians on Maui. Using your phone and Mobile hmsa.com, you can quickly and easily locate a participating physician close by and call for an appointment.
• #2 – You are shopping in Honolulu when you get a call from your aunt. She just finished getting a blood test at a laboratory in Kailua, and she needs a ride home. You’d like to help her, but you’re not familiar with the laboratory. Using your phone and Mobile hmsa.com, you can quickly and easily search for the laboratory and access a map of its location.
• #3 – You are at the park watching your daughter’s soccer game, and you accidently break your eyeglass frames. You remember that HMSA365 offers member discounts on vision services, including frames. You use your phone and Mobile hmsa.com to locate a participating vendor nearby. After the game, you can drive to the vendor’s office to shop for frames and save money.

Mobile hmsa.com also provides quick and easy access to information on HMSA365, the member discount program for health, wellness and vision services. A complete list of services is posted at hmsa.com. To receive discounts, members merely show their HMSA card to participating businesses at the time of purchase and mention HMSA365. Discounts may vary from business to business.

HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawaii in 1938. It is governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives from health care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community at large. HMSA is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Nationally, HMSA and 38 other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to more than 100 million members.

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