Blue plans in Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas to launch Care
Comparison for members; BCBSA selects Care Comparison as standard methodology for Blue Plans
INDIANAPOLIS, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP), Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Florida and Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), which
operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma
and Texas, today announced plans to collaborate to provide access to
WellPoint's cost comparison tool, an online, consumer-friendly health care
cost information tool. With this expansion, more than 48 million Americans
will have access to valuable cost information.
"We developed this transparency tool in 2006 for use by members in our
health plans, with the goal of creating well-informed consumers of health
care," said Angela Braly, president and CEO, WellPoint, Inc. "We are pleased
to be working with other Blue companies so that even more members can have
access to clear, concise health cost information in major cities across the
country."
"One of the most important ways that we as health insurers can add value
to the health care system is by analyzing and providing access to meaningful
information," said Paul Handel, MD, chief medical officer for HCSC. "This
easy-to-access online tool will help our members increase their knowledge as
patients and identify opportunities to spend their health care dollars more
wisely."
Using Care Comparison, the name of the tool to be used by the Blue
companies, these Blue companies will provide the total estimated cost ranges
associated with approximately 35 specific medical procedures performed at more
than 2,800 local hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, free-standing
radiology facilities or other medical facilities.
The estimated cost ranges provided through Care Comparison are based on
combining related services typically performed at each facility at the time of
the procedure, not just the procedure itself. In addition, the cost ranges are
facility-specific so members can compare the differences in cost between area
facilities. Ranges of health care cost information will initially be rolled
out on a limited basis in each of these states.
"In today's retail environment, consumers are becoming more involved in
managing their health care - that is not easy in a complex system," said Craig
Thomas, chief marketing officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.
"Providing detailed cost and quality information through Care Comparison and
our full service contact points allows us to partner with our members and
providers to help them make effective and cost-efficient decisions. We feel
this type of service and information is essential to the future of our
nation's health care system."
Additionally, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has
selected Care Comparison as its platform for a national transparency solution
for all Blue Plans. BCBSA will use the treatment categories and cost
methodology as the core component for its consumer-facing online cost
estimation tool.
"Our adoption of Care Comparison as the Blues' system-wide methodology for
provider data transparency is our latest effort to give our customers the
information they need to make the best health care decisions," Scott Serota,
President and CEO of BCBSA, said. BCBSA will continue to refine and enhance
the transparency tool under the guidance of the Care Comparison Steering
Committee, which will include representatives from Blue plans across the
country.
This arrangement enables BCBSA, WellPoint's affiliated health plans and
other Blue plans to continue to work with physicians and facilities to provide
members with meaningful health care cost data. In turn, members can make more
informed choices about their health and health care spending. The tool will be
customized to reflect the local ownership and health plan in each state, but
members will have access to the same information from all states involved with
the program.
About WellPoint, Inc.:
WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of medical
membership in the United States. WellPoint is an independent licensee of the
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue
Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for
Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding
30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the
Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and
surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee
in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the northern
Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare.
Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.
About HCSC:
Health Care Service Corporation is the country's largest customer-owned
health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall, with 12.4 million
members in its Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, New Mexico,
Oklahoma and Texas. A Mutual Legal Reserve Company, HCSC is an independent
licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. HCSC has a rating of
AA- (Very Strong) from Standard and Poor's, Aa3 (Excellent) from Moody's and
A+ (Superior) from A.M. Best Company. For more information, visit
www.HCSC.com.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida:
Celebrating 65 years as Florida's leader in the health industry, Blue
Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is mission-driven to improve affordable
access to health care. BCBSF is a not-for-profit, policyholder-owned,
tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an
independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an
association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more
information about BCBSF, please visit www.bcbsfl.com.
About BCBSA:
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39
independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield
companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for more than 100
million individuals - one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit
www.BCBS.com.
SOURCE: WellPoint, Inc.
CONTACT: Cheryl Uram Leamon, WellPoint, +1-317-488-6748; Ross
Blackstone, HCSC, +1-972-766-1735; Lauralee Shapiro, BCBSF, +1-904-905-0461;
Paul Cholette, BCBSA, +1-312-297-5954
Web Site: http://www.wellpoint.com
