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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia and Emory Healthcare Finalize New HMO and PPO Contracts

Posted on: Tuesday, 25 July 2006, 18:01 CDT

ATLANTA, July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa) and Emory Healthcare have announced the completion of new five-year contracts under which Emory Healthcare hospitals and employed physicians will remain in the BCBSGa HMO and PPO networks.

The new contracts between Emory Healthcare and BCBSGa encompasses all covered hospital services at Emory University Hospital, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Wesley Woods Center, Emory Adventist Hospital, and Emory Johns Creek Hospital, the new, state-of-the-art, four-story, 110-bed facility set to open in early 2007 in north Fulton County. The agreement also covers medical care delivered by more than 1,000 Emory specialists, sub-specialists and primary care physicians, over 15 primary care and multi-specialty health care centers, and the largest multi-specialty pediatric practice in the state of Georgia.

"Having Emory Healthcare in our networks is very important for our members," said Caz Matthews, President, BCBSGa. "We are extremely pleased to have a long-term partnership with a health system of Emory Healthcare's national reputation. And we are equally pleased that Emory Johns Creek Hospital is included in this agreement and will be joining our networks when it opens in 2007, creating even greater access to affordable, quality health care for our members."

Matthews noted that Emory Healthcare is also joining BCBSGa's Quality-In- Sights Hospital Incentive Program (Q-HIP) that recognizes and rewards hospitals that meet and exceed quality measures in patient safety, patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. "Emory Healthcare's participation in Q-HIP is proof that both of our organizations are committed to improving quality outcomes, something that is very important to our members," Matthews said.

These negotiations have been in progress for seven months and reflect a thoughtful and disciplined approach by both parties, according to Emory Healthcare President and CEO John T. Fox.

"We are pleased to reach a new long-term agreement that will allow us to continue providing our medical care, which includes many highly specialized services unavailable elsewhere in Georgia, to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia members," said Fox. "While negotiations during the last seven months have been challenging, we extend our appreciation to Blue Cross for their diligent efforts in addressing the complex details we face as a system. Providing high quality patient care is something we both insist upon. And we look forward to participating in the new Quality-In-Sights Hospital Incentive Program, which challenges hospitals and physicians to exceed quality patient safety, patient outcomes and patient satisfaction. Our commitment to quality care is a top priority for Emory Healthcare, as it is with our partners at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia."

"After seven months of fruitful negotiations, we reached an agreement that resulted in an even stronger partnership. Hospital contracts are complex, and both parties were innovative and thoughtful in order to reach an agreement that worked for each organization, and more importantly, that serves our members and Emory Healthcare's patients," said Matthews.

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/ .

About Emory Healthcare

Emory Healthcare is the clinical arm of the Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center. As the largest, most comprehensive health care system in Georgia, Emory Healthcare includes The Emory Clinic, Emory Children's Center, Emory Medical Affiliates, Emory Specialty Associates, Dialysis Access Center of Atlanta, Emory Genetics Laboratory, Emory Medical Foundation, Emory Physical Therapy, Emory University Hospital, Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Wesley Woods Center, the jointly owned Emory-Adventist Hospital, and the jointly-owned Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Emory Healthcare has revenues of $1.5 billion and approximately 10,000 employees.

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

Source: PRNewswire

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