DALLAS, March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Affiliated Computer
Services, Inc. (NYSE: ACS) announced today that it has been awarded a
contract to provide business process outsourcing (BPO), information
technology outsourcing (ITO), and customer care services for CAQH, the
Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare. The multi-million dollar deal
has a five and one-half year term with two one-year options, including a
six-month implementation period.
CAQH is a nonprofit alliance of health plans and trade associations
collaborating on initiatives that simplify healthcare administration for
health plans and providers, resulting in a better care experience for
patients and caregivers.
Under the terms of the contract, ACS will integrate its
state-of-the-art document and customer relationship management systems with
web applications to support CAQH's Universal Credentialing Datasource(R)
(UCD) service. UCD is a web-based, single-source data-capture solution that
eliminates the need for caregivers across the nation to complete and submit
multiple credentialing and re-credentialing applications, thus reducing the
time and expense devoted to unnecessary administrative functions. More than
550,000 providers and other health professionals use the service, and more
than 10,000 join monthly. CAQH estimates that UCD saves providers more than
$81 million annually and, to date, has eliminated more than 2 million paper
applications.
"CAQH and its member companies have a deep commitment to improving the
healthcare process for patients and providers," said Ronald A. Williams,
CAQH chairman of the board and chairman and chief executive officer of
Aetna. "The Universal Credentialing Datasource is an example of what
dedicated industry leadership can do by leveraging technology to support
improvements in the healthcare system. This agreement will allow us to
strengthen our position as the largest, most accurate repository of
provider and credentialing information in the marketplace."
ACS will begin providing a range of BPO, ITO, and customer care
solutions during summer 2008, including mailroom services, document
imaging, application processing, and data entry. The company will also
provide data center management, IT operations, applications development,
and integration services, as well as help desk support.
"Partnering with an industry thought leader like CAQH allows ACS to
continue to play a significant role in helping to streamline healthcare's
many administrative processes," said Scott Mingee, ACS vice president of
business development. "Our robust, cost-effective solutions can be
leveraged by industry payers, hospitals, and networks to reduce time and
expense, allowing caregivers to concentrate on providing quality,
affordable healthcare."
Along with complementary BPO and ITO solutions, ACS will employ and
integrate Contact Workspace, its proprietary customer relationship
management application, with UCD to improve the customer experience.
Contact Workspace gives ACS customer care representatives a single desktop
application to retrieve data and images from multiple sources. The
application has endless potential to streamline customer service and
business processes for the company's many healthcare clients.
"We have an outstanding record of proven, innovative performance in the
healthcare arena. Our services and expertise enable us to support
large-scale projects and make us an ideal partner for achieving strategic
growth in the healthcare industry," said Mingee. "Our team of specialists
is dedicated to designing and tailoring solutions that eradicate costs,
increase efficiency, and improve service to payers and providers alike. We
look forward to putting this array of talent to work for CAQH."
"ACS has the tools, development expertise, and flexibility we need to
meet our growth expectations for UCD and help our participating health
plans, hospitals, MCOs, and providers realize even greater administrative
efficiencies," said Robin Thomashauer, CAQH executive director.
CAQH initiatives, such as UCD, help promote quality interactions
between plans, providers, and other stakeholders, reduce costs and
frustrations associated with healthcare administration, facilitate
administrative healthcare information exchange, and encourage
administrative and clinical data integration. For more information or to
obtain information about participation in CAQH, visit http://www.caqh.org.
ACS, a global FORTUNE 500 company with 62,000 people supporting client
operations reaching more than 100 countries, provides business process
outsourcing and information technology solutions to world-class commercial
and government clients. The company's Class A common stock trades on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ACS." Learn more about ACS at
http://www.acs-inc.com.
The statements in this news release that do not directly relate to
historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements
are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside
the Company's control. As such, no assurance can be given that the actual
events and results will not be materially different than the anticipated
results described in the forward-looking statements. Factors could cause
actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
For a description of these factors, see the company's prior filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filing.
ACS disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future event, or
otherwise.
SOURCE Affiliated Computer Services, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.acs-inc.com
http://www.caqh.org
CONTACT:
Investors, Jon Puckett, Vice President,
Investor Relations, +1-214-841-8281, jon.puckett@acs-inc.com, or
Media, Tom Clary, Director Corporate Communications,
+1-214-841-8110, tom.clary@acs-inc.com, both of Affiliated
Computer Services, Inc.
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