CHICAGO, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Association (BCBSA), in collaboration with the Harvard Medical
School's Department of Health Care Policy, announced that four Blue Cross
and Blue Shield companies are recipients of BlueWorks(R) awards.
BlueWorks is a program developed by BCBSA in collaboration with the
Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy. Department
researchers evaluate Blue Cross and Blue Shield company programs on
innovation, efficacy, robust design and the potential for replication.
Since 2004, Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy has
recommended 44 Blue Cross and Blue Shield company programs as BlueWorks
winners.
"Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are committed to meeting the
evolving healthcare needs of employers, providers and consumers. These
latest BlueWorks winning programs are excellent examples of how the Blues
are reshaping the healthcare landscape in America by becoming active
partners in the health and wellness of our more than 100 million members,"
said Scott P. Serota, BCBSA president and CEO.
The BlueWorks winners reflect the commitment of Blue Cross and Blue
Shield companies to improve the quality and value of healthcare in the
United States by encouraging research on what works; changing incentives to
promote better care; empowering consumers and providers; promoting health
and wellness; and expanding coverage through public-private coverage
solutions. The winning programs align with these five key areas that were
recently detailed in BCBSA's new report "The Pathway to Covering America."
The report can be viewed at
http://www.bcbs.com/issues/uninsured/pathway-to-covering-america/.
"Each year, we are pleased to learn that Blue Cross and Blue Shield
companies are consistently improving and designing initiatives that provide
positive results and that can be replicated in other communities," said
Barbara McNeil, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Department of Health Care Policy,
Harvard Medical School.
The following BlueWorks winning programs showcase how Blue Cross and
Blue Shield companies from around the country are pioneering programs with
proven outcomes:
Reducing Employee Disability
The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that nearly 600
million work days were lost in 2003 due to employee disability. Getting an
injured employee back to work as soon as possible is critically important,
as the longer an employee remains off the job the less likely they are to
ever return. Recognizing that employee disability is a serious concern for
employers, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas implemented Blue
CareLink(SM) Integrated Medical and Disability Management Program. Blue
CareLink promotes early identification, proactive intervention and
aggressive follow-up to members with medical conditions that could place a
member at risk for prolonged disability. One year after the program's
inception, more than half of the enrollees in Blue CareLink returned to
work earlier than expected based on national averages for their type of
injury. This resulted in cost savings of more than $6.2 million for
employers and minimized loss of wages for the employee.
Reducing Non-Emergency Emergency Room Visits
Blue Cross of California's (BCC) Take Charge of Your Health - Self-Care
Initiative, is a nationwide enhancement of BCC's original pilot effort
aimed at reducing non-emergent emergency room (ER) visits. With the focus
still on redirecting non-emergency care to a primary care setting, the
Self-Care Initiative also includes a strong emphasis on changing behavior
and self-care management through the use of education and one-on-one
assistance. After its first year of deployment, the Self-Care Initiative
observed a more than 50 percent decrease in ER usage among members enrolled
in the program. The return on investment is significant in terms of
decreased ER utilization, improved hospital relations and improvement in
access to primary care.
Raising Inner-City Awareness of Cardiovascular Risk Factors
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield's "Hair, Heart and Health," launched in
Baltimore City, Md., in mid-2006, focuses on raising awareness of
cardiovascular risk factors among clients of inner-city salons and
barbershops. At least three hair care professionals are trained at each
site to provide blood pressure screenings and counseling on the causes and
effects of cardiovascular disease and offer ideas on lifestyle changes to
help their customers prevent having a heart attack or stroke. CareFirst's
"Hair, Heart and Health" initiative has been embraced by the community.
Eleven shops and salons screened nearly 800 customers in the program's
first year -- while providing ongoing monitoring to more than 200 known
hypertensive patients. The tremendous success of the program has led to
expansion of "Hair, Heart and Health" into Washington, D.C., in late 2007.
Improving Members Healthcare
WellPoint, Inc., the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue
Shield, Blue Cross of California, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and
Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has developed a Member Health Index
(MHI) - a tracking system that incorporates nearly all of its health plans'
nearly 35 million members. The MHI combines more than 40 selected
healthcare measures including screening and prevention, care management,
clinical outcomes and patient safety. Using a proprietary calculation
developed by a multi-disciplinary team including quality improvement
experts, healthcare economists and clinicians, the MHI tracks the health
plans' progress toward improving members' health through education, care
management and wellness programs. WellPoint's MHI results can help define
opportunities to improve the healthcare experience of its health plans'
members. The goal is to use the MHI and its counterpart, the State Health
Index, where WellPoint's health plans work with community and state leaders
to design programs that will help address health issues and, in turn,
improve the health of millions, to track the company's progress in
improving the lives of the people it serves and health in its communities.
WellPoint tasks itself to ensure that MHI improves each year, decreasing
the gap between current and target performance by 5 percent each year.
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 http://www.BCBS.com.
SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
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Related links:
http://www.BCBS.com
CONTACT:
Lisa Johnson of the Blue Cross Blue Shield
Association, +1-312.297.6358, lisa.johnson@bcbsa.com
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