TELUS Health and Desjardins bring simplicity to online claims for Canada's allied healthcare providers

Plan members benefit from easy point-of-care electronic claims submissions and accelerated reimbursement

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - As of December 2, Desjardins Financial Security (DFS) plan members can benefit from point-of-care online claim submissions via the TELUS Health eClaims web portal service. Specifically designed to accelerate and simplify claims processing, TELUS' eClaims service allows allied healthcare providers — notably physiotherapists, chiropractors and vision care providers, as well as naturopathic doctors, massage therapists and acupuncturists in certain provinces — to offer their patients the convenience of point-of-care claim services.

The TELUS Health eClaims web portal enables allied healthcare providers to submit claims simply and quickly on behalf of patients who are Desjardins plan members, thereby saving patients time and accelerating their reimbursement payments. Healthcare providers already registered with TELUS eClaims can automatically submit claims directly to Desjardins Financial Security.

"We are proud to offer our plan members and sponsors an easy-to-use service that simplifies and accelerates the claims submission process for everyone," said Jean-François Chalifoux, senior vice-president of the Group and Business Insurance division at DFS. "We are confident that TELUS Health's proven web-based service will be a valuable addition to our 360º portfolio of services, which we have developed to ensure efficiency and simplicity throughout the entire claims process."

"We are pleased to bring Desjardins' plan members, a tool that will expedite the reimbursement of their treatment process through online claims submission," said Luc Vilandre, vice-president, Health Benefits Management at TELUS Health. "We have long recognized the vast cost savings and productivity gains of receiving online claims, and have remained at the forefront by delivering an unmatched web-based service that simplifies the administrative process for all parties, allowing healthcare providers to focus on the health and well-being of their patients."

TELUS is a leader in Canada's claims and benefits management sector, providing drug claims processing for 11 million Canadians. TELUS Health eClaims, launched in 2010, has already been adopted by many members of the allied healthcare community, with close to 13,000 providers now on board.

About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is a leader in telehomecare, electronic medical and health records, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. TELUS Health gives health authorities, providers, physicians, patients and consumers the power to turn information into better health outcomes. For more information about TELUS Health, please visit telushealth.com.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.8 billion of annual revenue and 13.0 million customer connections including 7.6 million wireless subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 635,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $260 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.2 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Fourteen TELUS Community Boards lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

About Desjardins Group
Desjardins Group is the leading cooperative financial group in Canada with assets of nearly $200 billion. Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Québec and Ontario and its subsidiaries across Canada, it offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.6 million members and clients. Desjardins specializes in Wealth Management and Life and Health Insurance, in Property and Casualty Insurance, in Personal Services, in Business and Institutional Services. Best Corporate Citizen in Canada for 2012 and among Canada's Top 100 Employers, Desjardins is supported by the skills of its 44,645 employees and the commitment of nearly 5,400 elected officers. A new education and cooperation program is now available to Desjardins members and the general public. For more information, visit www.desjardins.com/co-opme.

SOURCE: TELUS Corporation

For further information:

Information (for journalists only): 
Donna Ramirez
TELUS Health
416-320-9309
[e-mail]

Sarah Twomey
Media Relations Advisor
Desjardins Group
416-926-2700 or 1-877-906-5551, ext. 2015
[e-mail]
[e-mail]