Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Members Have Hospital Quality Information at Their Fingertips; Web-Based Tools Empower Members to Make Informed Choices.Business Editors RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2003 Studies show many consumers spend more time researching an appliance purchase than a critical health decision, such as where to have an operation or what course of treatment to pursue. The reason? Reliable, consumer-friendly data is much easier to find and compare on a refrigerator than say, heart bypass surgery Bypass surgery A surgical procedure that grafts blood vessels onto arteries to reroute the blood flow around blockages in the arteries (arteriosclerosis). . Until now. Anthem anthem [ultimately from antiphon], short nonliturgical choral composition used in Protestant services, usually accompanied and having an English text. The term is used in a broader sense for "national anthems" and for the Latin motets still used occasionally in members now have vital patient information about outcome data at their fingertips "Fingertips" is a 1963 number-one hit single recorded live by "Little" Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label. Wonder's first hit single, "Fingertips" was the first live, non-studio recording to reach number-one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the United States. for every acute care hospital in Virginia. Anthem is the first Virginia-based insurer to provide its members access to Leapfrog Group-approved, evidence-based hospital quality comparisons and decision support tools through its Web site, anthem.com. "We are providing our members an opportunity to tap extraordinarily valuable information about quality of care and treatment options. This goes far beyond serving as a general health resource. Members will be empowered with specific quality information about hospitals in their area and consumer-friendly guidance about their treatment options. With this information in hand, they can make more informed health care decisions for themselves and for their families," said Randy Axelrod, M.D., chief medical officer, Southeast region, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Shield A US not-for-profit health care insurer that is a reimbursement intermediary for physicians. Cf Blue Cross. . "We believe that for a consumer to learn key facts about their health condition, and to truly understand hospital cost and quality comparisons, the information needs to be displayed in a relevant manner that includes a decision-making guidance along with qualitative and quantitative information. Anthem's decision support tools do just that," added Dr. Axelrod. Comparative hospital cost information will be added to the tool early in 2004. These decision support tools seamlessly integrate treatment options, questions to ask a physician and hospital-specific quality information -- including measures such as the volume of procedures completed, risk-adjusted complications and post-operative infections, teaching status, intensive care staffing and much more. "Offering our members a one-stop online resource is a critical step in educating consumers, improving quality of care and making the most of medical resources," said Thomas Snead, president, Southeast region, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Consumers say the tools are easy to use and help them make informed decisions, based on what matters most to them, about some of the most important health decisions they face. The hospital decision support tools are just the newest in an array of Web-based applications See Web application. Anthem provides to help members become more knowledgeable consumers of health care. Prescription value and safety information: With double-digit price hikes the norm and no end in sight, the value of information about prescription drugs prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, has never been greater. Members have access to comprehensive, easy-to-use value ratings and cost data for prescription drugs for significant cost savings on prescription medications. Member satisfaction information: Patient satisfaction data for Anthem participating primary care physicians helps take the guesswork out of choosing a doctor. Interactive tools: Through MyHealth@Anthem, members have access to interactive tools such as body mass index and smoking cost calculators, a drug interaction checker check·er n. 1. a. One, such as an inspector or examiner, that checks. b. One that receives items for temporary safekeeping or for shipment: a baggage checker. 2. , a comprehensive and up-to-the minute medical library and thousands of other health-related resources. About Anthem: The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, provide health care benefits to more than 11 million people. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia is a subsidiary of Anthem, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : ATH); both are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
LICENSEE. One to whom a license has been given. 1 M. Q. & S. 699 n. for Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Connecticut, New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). , Colorado, Nevada, Maine and Virginia, excluding the immediate suburbs of Washington, D.C. More information about Anthem is available at www.anthem.com. |
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