Starting July 1, 2004, your groups with Empire's Premium Care PPO dental plan will enjoy both a wider choice of dental providers and deeper in-network discounts through Empire's new national dental PPO network. DenteMax will act as Empire's new national PPO network supplier.

What Will Change

• More providers, more locations: With over 49,000 fully credentialed dental provider sites across the country, it will now be easier for Premium Care PPO dental plan members to find high-quality in-network providers near where they live or work, or wherever they travel across the U.S.

• Deeper discounts: In-network care translates into big savings because our new national network includes deeper provider discounts. That means increased savings for your groups and their employees.

What Will Not Change

• The new network will not impact members' current dental benefits.
• It will not impact our local provider network, which covers Empire's service area (the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York and 10 bordering counties of New Jersey and Connecticut).
• There will be no changes to member ID cards. Members will be able to access in-network care, as always, by simply presenting their member ID card to a participating network dental provider.

Empire will be communicating with existing dental Premium Care PPO groups about these changes, as well as with those members affected by the change who live outside of our local provider network areas.

Starting in June, Empire will be spreading the word about our dental products to small groups (2 – 10 eligible employees) in the downstate region as their medical contracts come up for renewal. This outreach program will consist of a mailing to group benefit administrators followed by a phone call approximately 45 – 60 days before each group's renewal date. Each communication will advise groups to call their brokers for more information about our dental products.

Key Program Points

• When a brokered group requests a dental quote through this program, we will contact the group's broker of record with the quote information.
• The existing broker of record for the group will receive commissions on any added dental coverage.
• All groups with medical coverage can now add Empire's Comprehensive Care, Preventive Care and Preventive Care Plus dental plans—even groups with only one member. (Note: these plans are only available in the downstate area).

"Why Empire" Dental Brochures Help You Spread the Word
Learn more about Empire dental plans by asking your Empire sales representative for our "Why Empire Dental" brochures. He or she can also answer any questions you may have regarding Empire's new dental outreach program mentioned above. Or, to find out more about Empire's dental products online, including generating a dental quote, visit www.empireblue.com, go to the broker area and click on "Selling Empire."

We would like to remind you that Empire's policy for premium bills requires that payment is due on the first day of the month for the month being covered. For example, payment for July's premium bill is due on July 1. (Groups with an effective date on the 15th of the month are due on the 15th of that month.)

Late Payment Guidelines

• Empire grants groups a 30-day grace period after the due date.
• If groups do not pay by the end of the 30-day grace period, we will cancel the group.
• If Empire receives payment after the 30-day grace period and this is its first or second late payment, we will reinstate the group.
• When a group is reinstated, Empire mails a letter to inform the group that it has been reinstated and to remind the group that we allow only two such reinstatements within a 12-month period.

We're Helping Groups Stay Current
Empire is taking two steps to help groups get their payments in on time and avoid cancellation. The following reminders are sent out when groups are 18 days past due (i.e., 18 days into the grace period) and include the payment amount that is due and how to submit the payment:

1. E-mail reminders are sent to both the brokers and the groups.
2. Mailed letter reminders are sent to the groups. These reminders include the payment amount that is due and how to submit the payment.

Background:
In August 2003, AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx became Empire's exclusive and single source provider for certain specialty injectable medications. These include non-self-injectable drugs that a physician administers to a patient as well as self-injectable medications that a patient administers to him/herself. Empire sent out notices regarding this change to all group benefit administrators as well as to their affected employees.

Program Change:
As of June 7, 2004, this program was expanded to include additional injectables. This past May, Empire once again sent out notifications to all affected members.

How this change affects employees:

• Your groups' employees who use self-injectable drugs must transfer their prescriptions to AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx by June 7, 2004, in order to continue to receive coverage for those drugs.
  
  
• Your groups' employees who use non-self-injectable drugs must now obtain their medication from their provider, who must order the medication from AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx as of June 7, 2004, in order to continue to receive coverage for those drugs.
  
  
• Employees were given three to four weeks notice of the change and follow-up phone calls were made to any employees who failed to switch their injectable drug prescriptions to AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx.
  
  
• Employees can transfer their prescriptions to AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx by calling 1-866-295-APRx (1-866-295-2779) Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

360° Health is a comprehensive group of programs and services designed to help members improve, manage and maintain their health. This unique program surrounds and engages all members with integrated health information and management tools, resulting in greater program participation and ultimately better overall employee well-being and satisfaction. It also helps employers optimize costs and effectiveness of coverage by assisting healthy employees in maintaining their health—and by helping those who have health conditions to efficiently navigate the healthcare system.

Empire's 360° Health gives members the following:

Health Resources: Provide research and information on health and wellness issues, conditions and treatments.

Health Extras: Offer discounts on alternative therapists and fitness club memberships. Worksite classes, telephone reminders and online health-enhancing programs are also available.

Health Guidance: Helps members to arrange medical assistance whenever it is needed, such as before, during and after a hospital stay. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Health Management: Provides telephone nursing guidance and assistance to members with chronic or acute conditions. The goal is to help members to adhere to their physician's care plan.

From May 23 through May 26, our top 30 producers experienced the extravagance and excitement of Miami's South Beach at the world-class Ritz-Carlton hotel, courtesy of Empire.

As their well-earned reward for top performance, they met with senior management to learn more about Empire, then golfed, swam, sunbathed and took in the area's fabulous nightlife. Here are two excerpts from the many thank-yous we received:

"You guys really know how to put together a classy trip. Thanks again!" wrote Steve Louro of PGP Benefits.

Larry Lynch of FNA added: "Empire's management team was a gracious host. Glad to be doing business with Empire!"

Want to learn how to qualify for the 2005 broker trip?
Contact your account representative. Details and location will also be announced in an upcoming broker e-mail newsletter.

When you submit enrollment forms for members who are eligible for Medicare, please remember to attach a copy of their Medicare card. Failure to do so may result in a delay in processing.

You've Got Three More Chances to Win
Remember, there are still three more months in the baseball season—that gives you three more chances to win a pair of Yankees box seat tickets. Two pairs of tickets will be given away each month: one to the broker who sells the most small group (2 – 50) contracts and one to the broker who sells the most large group (51+) contracts.

Exact date and time of the game(s) will be communicated to the brokers once details are available. Transportation, parking, meals, etc., are the responsibility of the ticket recipient.

Rules and Regulations
Each month two brokers will each receive a pair of Yankees home game box seat tickets. Exact date and time of the games will be communicated to the winning brokers once details are available. Transportation, parking, meals etc. are the responsibility of ticket recipients. Promotion is subject to change or may be withdrawn at any time or for any reason.