Schering-Plough Selects Benefit Advocates for Health Advocacy

Benefit Advocates will help 18,500 employees and retirees of Schering-Plough Corporation resolve claims, billing and other health insurance issues.

President and CEO Mary L. Kesel said that Schering-Plough contracted with her firm to provide advocacy services for its United States-based employees and retirees and their families beginning Jan. 1, 2009.

Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., and founded in 2001, Benefit Advocates provides health advocacy services to individuals and large and small businesses nationwide including SCANA Corporation, SunTrust Banks, Inc., Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation and Denny's Corporation.

"We're pleased to welcome Schering-Plough into our growing family of client companies," Kesel said. "Our experienced benefit advocates now look forward to helping Schering-Plough employees and retirees save time and money by negotiating on their behalf with health insurers, hospitals, doctors and other providers.

"When they call, they will get our 'Real People, Real Answers' service — not a phone menu — that we believe is so key to our growth and the high satisfaction with our services."

Schering-Plough (NYSE: SGP) is a global science-based health care company offering prescription, animal health and consumer health care products. Headquartered in Kenilworth, N.J., the company has 55,000 employees worldwide and operates in more than 140 countries. With $12.7 billion in net 2007 sales, the company's leading products are Vytorin, Zetia, Remicade and Nasonex.