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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Launches 360 Health; First-of-Its-Kind Program to Provide Georgia's 3.1 Million Members With Unprecedented Access to Tools That Promote Wellness and Address Illness

Posted on: Monday, 24 July 2006, 12:00 CDT

ATLANTA, July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa), the state's largest health benefits provider, announced today its statewide launch of 360 Health(R), the most robust benefits program in the industry to comprehensively address preventive care, health improvement and care coordination.

Georgia is the first state to have access to this new program through WellPoint, BCBSGa's parent company, which will provide health information and counsel collected from thousands of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to BCBSGa's 3.1 million members through a single point of contact.

360 Health is the industry's first program to integrate all care management programs and tools into a centralized, consumer-friendly resource that assists members in navigating the health care system, using their health benefits and providing information to help them to access comprehensive and appropriate care.

"360 Health is BCBSGa's total health strategy, integrating our members' total health needs throughout the continuum of services that they receive," said Daniel Salinas, M.D., chief medical officer of BCBSGa. "The services provided through 360 Health are member focused, harnessing the knowledge of thousands of medical professionals, including physicians, nurses and nutritionists."

A key component of 360 Health is the personal health record PHR, the substance of which is owned and managed by BCBSGa members. BCBSGa is the first insurer to make PHRs available to its members. The PHR is automatically populated by member provided information plus claims data received by WellPoint, the parent company of BCBSGa. They can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection, empowering members to track and share their health histories with their doctors to help achieve the highest quality of care.

"360 Health and its components, including PHRs, demonstrate how, as the state's largest health benefits company, BCBSGa is poised to transform the way health benefits are delivered to and utilized by consumers," said Caz Matthews president of BCBSGa.

BCBSGa members will be able to access the benefits of 360 Health by phone, email, and a personalized website. In addition to the wealth of health care information available through the 360 Health platform, the program helps members access a wide range of services including online wellness and lifestyle programs, discounts on health related products and alternative medicine therapies, and 24-hour access to BCBSGa associates who can provide health information.

The 360 Health platform enhances the wellness and prevention tools and services already available through BCBSGa's health plans. Under 360 Health, members who traditionally do not take full advantage of their health benefits can now go to a single place to find information on BCBSGa's unique health coaching program, discounts on gym memberships, and health workshops and seminars available exclusively to BCBSGa members.

For example, a pregnant woman may use 360 Health maternity tools to find personalized information on proper nutrition and diet during pregnancy, testing to limit potential risk factors such as diabetes, and information regarding possible exercises. She can also find the names of physicians and hospitals that specialize in high risk pregnancies or register for a dedicated registered nurse to consult for information throughout her pregnancy. After delivery, the dedicated nurse clinician will continue to be available to provide information about treatment options for conditions such as postpartum depression.

"360 Health allows our company to focus its resources on the 20 percent of our members who are most at risk, while improving the effectiveness of health and wellness programs for the remaining 80 percent," said Matthews. "Our members will now have access to a fully integrated health improvement program that is backed by the knowledge and resources of BCBSGa's unparalleled network of health care professionals."

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and is an operating subsidiary of WellPoint Inc., the largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company in terms of membership in the United States. WellPoint, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross 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 counties and as Blue Cross, Blue Shield 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 http://www.wellpoint.com/ . Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia can be found on the web at http://www.bcbsga.com/ .

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia

CONTACT: Cindy Sanders of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia,+1-404-842-8406, cynthia.sanders@bcbsga.com

Web site: http://www.bcbsga.com/http://www.wellpoint.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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