Portico Systems Announces Deployment of Portico® PNO by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield


Philadelphia, PA, July 31, 2006 - Portico Systems announced today that it has successfully deployed a new state-of-the-art provider platform, the Portico PNO solution, with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), the largest health insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region. Developed by Portico Systems, the Portico PNO Solution is an enterprise-class system for healthcare payers to manage end-to-end Provider Network Operations and provider information.

CareFirst will utilize the functionality of Portico PNO to achieve significant cost savings, enhance member and provider satisfaction and improve workforce productivity. The solution enables CareFirst to:

o Consolidate multiple and redundant provider data files onto a single-system-of-record that can serve as a "source of truth" across Provider Network Operations;
o Automate, manage, and significantly improve visibility into work assignment and tracking of critical end-to-end workflows within provider information management, enrollment, credentialing and reporting;
o Integrate with core systems to supply accurate and timely provider information, including multiple claims systems;
o Track and manage all provider identifiers including National Provider Identifier (NPI); and
o Configure business rules required to manage standard operating procedures and data input/management standards.

"Leading health plans must continue to drive down administrative costs through streamlining of critical business processes and ensuring that customers receive timely, accurate, and complete provider information," said Bill Pocklington, Executive Vice President of Portico Systems. "We are pleased that CareFirst is now utilizing our Portico PNO solution to consolidate its provider information onto a single-system-of-record to achieve the efficiencies it needs for maximum productivity and customer service."

About CareFirst

In its 71st year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to more than 3.4 million individuals and groups in Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware. Through its CareFirst Commitment initiative and other public mission activities, CareFirst supports efforts to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas.

About Portico Systems

Portico Systems offers health plans enterprise-class software solutions built exclusively to support end-to-end Provider Network Operations. Since 1997, Portico Systems has been enabling payers to streamline their provider business processes. Portico Systems leverages a unique blend of healthcare operations experience, payer/provider relationship expertise and technology skills to build holistic solutions engineered for the primary purpose of managing Provider Network Operations. Portico® Platform solutions improve processing accuracy, reduce costs and enhance provider satisfaction by impacting a core area of health plan functionality. For more information, please contact Chris Jones at cjones@porticosys.com or 484-533-6241. You may also visit our website at www.porticosys.com.

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