WellPoint Named as URAC Award Finalist for Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection

Three WellPoint programs will be among distinguished award winners at URAC's 11th Annual Quality Summit, October 5-7, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Three WellPoint, Inc. care management programs were recently selected as finalists for the Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards. URAC, the nation's leading accreditation organization, will honor the finalists during their 11th Annual Quality Summit, October 5-7, 2010 in Chicago.

WellPoint's programs were selected by a distinguished panel of judges out of entries from across the nation. Thirty finalists are invited to present their winning programs at the Annual Quality Summit which will showcase best practices in two categories: Consumer Decision-Making and Consumer Health Improvement. The following WellPoint programs were selected:

  • WellPoint's Social Work Care Management Program helps Medicaid and other low-income members to determine psychosocial and other related care needs. Social work services are vital in facilitating adaptive change and restoring equilibrium in members with complex psychosocial needs.
  • The Progesterone for Preterm Birth (17-P) Program takes a comprehensive approach to address one of the leading causes of infant mortality. Mothers at risk for preterm delivery have been shown to have better outcomes when they get a series of 17-p injections. WellPoint's program includes a cost-effective administration process in which 17-P is administered in the physician's office as opposed to the home.
  • The Benefit Based Incentive Maternity Program evaluates the effects of a benefit-based incentive to encourage member participation in a maternity management program aimed at supporting prenatal and postpartum care, including supporting improved pregnancy health, mitigating high-risk behaviors, and providing mother and infant access to the health care system.

"WellPoint strives to provide our members with the programs, tools, information and resources necessary to help empower them to make informed decisions about their health and health care," said Anthony Nguyen, senior vice president of Care Management for WellPoint. "It's an honor to have three of our care management programs—more than any other health plan—recognized. This reinforces that our efforts toward improving the health of members and helping to improve today's health care system are making an impact."

Entries were judged by a distinguished panel chaired by epidemiologist Thomas W. Wilson, Ph.D, DrPH, Trajectory HealthCare, LLC. The 30-member panel included the best and most widely recognized experts in program evaluation, care coordination, health information technology, employer and purchaser decision making and patient safety. Entries were reviewed and scored by the judges based on objective criteria.

"The Annual Quality Summit provides a unique opportunity for leaders in health care to learn what premier companies are doing to advance consumer protection and empowerment," said Alan P. Spielman, President and CEO of URAC. "It is a one-of-a-kind conference, designed to inspire the industry as a whole to rapidly adopt proven practices that advance patient safety and empower consumers with improved decision-making tools."

All finalists are invited to attend a special event during the conference, when they will discover how they will be distinguished as award winners. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention Award winners in each of the six organization categories will be announced at the dinner. Platinum Award winners will also be announced, in the two topic categories.

To see a complete list of judges, go to http://www.urac.org/accreditationEducation/11thSummitjudges.asp.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint works to simplify the connection between Health, Care and Value. We help to improve the health of our communities, deliver better care to members, and provide greater value to our customers and shareholders. WellPoint is the nation's largest health benefits company, with approximately 34 million members in its affiliated health plans. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves 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 the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, WellPoint does business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield or Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield (in the New York service areas). WellPoint also serves customers throughout the country as UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.

SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.