Nation's largest health benefits provider leads the industry in expanding the
reach if its leading consumer-driven products with a focus on innovative
online tools, incentives and preventive services
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP), the
nation's largest health benefits provider, announced today that it will make
its new consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) products and services available in
all states and to all markets, from the largest national employer to an
individual member, beginning Jan. 1, 2007. Previously, these products were
offered only to national employers' members.
The core products WellPoint and its plans will offer will be the consumer-
driven portfolio developed by Lumenos(R), a pioneer in the field of consumer
plans acquired by WellPoint in 2005.
The combination of Lumenos' industry-leading consumer-focused experience
with WellPoint's unmatched member population, care management expertise and
networks of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies positions the company to create
the largest population of informed, engaged consumers of health care in the
nation, according to WellPoint Chairman, President and CEO Larry C. Glasscock.
"Our customers who choose these consumer-driven products will have new
opportunities to lead healthier lives because of this first-of-its-kind
national offering," said Glasscock. "We know that a significant portion of
health care costs are related to personal behaviors, such as smoking, poor
nutrition and sedentary lifestyles. With our Lumenos portfolio of products and
services, we're empowering consumers through unique and robust online tools
and incentives that encourage and reward them for choosing to live healthier
lifestyles."
Consumers who choose Lumenos will be eligible for extensive preventive
care and personal health coaching, as well as smoking cessation and weight
management programs. In addition, most consumers will receive financial
rewards for completing various wellness programs.
Chip Tooke, founder and CEO of Lumenos, reports that nearly one-fifth of
Lumenos consumers feel they are healthier because of their Lumenos CDHP
(through actions such as additional exercise and improved diet or nutrition),
and more than half say they are more informed about their health. In fact,
more than 90 percent of Lumenos consumers renew their CDHP each year.
"We're excited to expand these cutting-edge products and services to
benefit the largest health benefits membership in America. Our consumers are
active participants in selecting and receiving their health care and we look
forward to fostering this engagement among all current and future WellPoint
members," said Tooke.
WellPoint's CDHPs combine a financial health account with traditional
health coverage. These products, including Health Reimbursement Accounts
(HRAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Health Incentive Accounts (HIAs),
are coupled with powerful online tools that consumers use to learn more about
their health care treatment and cost options. They also include robust
preventive care benefits and most plan designs incorporate financial
incentives for consumers who take steps to improve their health.
All of these features encourage consumers to make healthy decisions that
prevent illness and promote healthy behaviors, according to John Watts,
president and CEO, WellPoint's Anthem National Accounts. Anthem National
Accounts customers include employers with more than 5,000 employees located
throughout the country.
"These products put decision making in the hands of the consumer and at
the same time help them improve their health," said Watts, whose business unit
has been successfully offering Lumenos products to its national employers'
members since Jan. 1, 2006. "These products provide an opportunity to lead
healthier lives and have more direct control over their health care dollars.
For physicians, the products help create more informed patients who know what
kind of questions to ask. And for employers, these products help engage
employees and make them active partners in helping to control the rising cost
of health care.
"More informed consumers can make better health care decisions and improve
their health, which can help to control rising health care costs and help our
members lead healthier lives," said Watts.
Pending local regulatory approval, WellPoint will expand these products to
its markets beginning Jan. 1, 2007, including individual, small group and
large group businesses. A few markets will begin their offerings later in
2007.
About WellPoint, Inc.
WellPoint's mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and
the health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits
company in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through its
nationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefit
solutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans and
related services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as life
and disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental,
vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term care
insurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis,
Indiana, 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 Blue Cross Blue Shield
in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Blue Cross or
Blue Cross Blue Shield 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.
SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.
08/22/2006
CONTACT: Media, Shannon Troughton, +1-404-842-8457, or James Kappel,
+1-317-488-6400, or Investor Relations, Wayne S. DeVeydt, +1-317-488-6390, all
of WellPoint, Inc.
Web site: http://www.wellpoint.com
(WLP)
