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Folks search for new HMOs By Bill Kettler More than 9,000 Southern Oregon residents will have to find new health insurance by next March, but they will have some choices. Providence Health Plan announced Monday that it would cease offering health insurance in Jackson and Josephine counties at the end of February 2001, leaving 9,200 subscribers in need of new insurance. Acquiring some or all of those customers would allow several of the region�s smaller insurance companies to double or even triple their local presence. The region�s biggest and best known health insurance provider, Regence HMO Oregon, already counts about 78,000 members in the two-county region. Five other companies also sell health insurance locally, but their combined memberships fall short of HMO Oregon�s total. Each of the insurance providers offers several kinds of coverage and benefits. Some have a long history in the insurance business in Oregon. Others are relatively new to the Northwest in general or Southern Oregon in particular. Some are Oregon-based; others are subsidiaries of national insurance conglomerates. The lesser known health insurance companies include: � Health Net Health Plan of Oregon is the new name of the company that formerly operated here as QualMed. Health Net is part of Foundation Health Systems, of Woodland Hills, Calif., which operates for-profit health insurance programs in Florida, California, Arizona and other states. Health Net sells only group insurance plans. Spokesman Richard Skayhan said Health Net has about 90,000 members in 18 Oregon counties, including 2,500 in Jackson and Josephine counties. Health Net dropped service to 18 other Oregon counties last year. It recently signed a contract with Lithia Motors. Skayhan said Health Net has working agreements with PrimeCare, which represents 358 Medford physicians; Mid Rogue IPA, an association of 90 independent Grants Pass physicians; and Rogue Valley Medical Center, Three Rivers Community Hospitals in Grants Pass and Ashland Community Hospital. The company uses an automated answering service. � LifeWise is a subsidiary of Premera Health Plan, which has its headquarters in Mountlake Terrace, Wash. Its Oregon operations are run from offices in Bend. LifeWise counts about 121,000 members in Oregon, including 17,000 in Jackson and Josephine counties. LifeWise spokeswoman Deana Strunk said the company sells mostly employee group insurance to businesses with two to 50 employees. Local clients include Naumes, Inc., Rogue Valley Sash & Door and Courier Publishing Co. in Grants Pass. Strunk said LifeWise has contracts with about 800 physicians and other health professionals and working agreements with Providence Medford Medical Center, Rogue Valley Medical Center, Three Rivers Community Hospital and Health Center in Grants Pass and Ashland Community Hospital. Telephone calls are answered by automated equipment. � ODS Health Plans is the current name of the company that started out offering dental insurance and expanded to offer general health insurance. ODS has about 200,000 health insurance subscribers, including about 1,800 in Jackson and Josephine counties. Spokesman Charlie LaTourette said ODS has been in the dental insurance business since 1954, when it offered the first prepaid dental insurance in the United States. The company began selling health insurance in 1984 and now offers both group and individual coverage. LaTourette said ODS has working agreements with Medford�s PrimeCare physicians, Mid-Rogue IPA, Providence Medford Medical Center and Three Rivers Community Hospital and Health Center. A receptionist answers telephone calls. � One Health Plan is a subsidiary of Great West Life, an insurance company with headquarters in Colorado. One Health Plan has 43,000 subscribers in Oregon, but could not provide a breakdown of its membership in Jackson and Josephine counties. President Chris Miller said One Health sells primarily to employee groups. It has working agreements with about 350 doctors in Jackson and Josephine counties, as well as Ashland Community Hospital, Providence Medford Medical Center and Rogue Valley Medical Center. Automated machines answer the toll-free number. � PacificSource is an independent, nonprofit, Eugene-based company that began selling health insurance to loggers in the 1930s. PacificSource has about 100,000 members in Oregon and 4,700 in Jackson and Josephine counties. Spokesman Colleen Baxter said the company offers group and individual health insurance as well and group dental plans. It has agreements with 774 providers, including physicians and specialists such as physical therapists. PacificSource�s clients include Three Rivers School District in Josephine County. It also has working agreements with Rogue Valley Medical Center, Providence Medford Medical Center, Three Rivers Community Hospital and Health Center and Ashland Community Hospital. Receptionists answer telephone calls. 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