AHIP Honors Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans for Improving Community Health

AHIP Honors Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans for Improving
Community Health 


INDIANAPOLIS, June 29  /PRNewswire/ -- Two Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
programs were honored by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) for innovation
and collaboration involving care programs for members.

Anthem's Cardiac Disease Management Program in the Midwest region received an
Honorable Mention in the National Exemplary Practice Award - Cardiovascular
Disease for offering an innovative model of care that measurably improves
lives.  The program includes wellness strategies, information and support for
members at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and targeted
interventions for those with CVD.

In addition, Anthem's Tobacco Cessation Program, which included developing and
implementing a tobacco cessation guideline throughout Colorado, was recognized
for collaborating with physicians, health plans and employers on strategies to
reduce tobacco use.  The program received an Honorable Mention in the 2004
Public Health Leadership Award, Addressing Tobacco Control, Leading by Example.

Both programs involve comprehensive approaches to improving standards of care
that impact the health of Anthem's members and the larger population, working
closely with providers, community and state organizations.

"Our cardiac program has embraced the philosophy that responsible
cardiovascular care includes more than providing resources to members with CVD.
 It also encompasses prevention, risk reduction measures for members at risk
for developing CVD because they have other predisposing diseases or conditions,
such as diabetes, and evidence-based treatment of CVD," said Sam Cramer, M.D.,
medical director for Anthem's Midwest region.

"It includes our work with hospitals and physicians participating in our
Coronary Services Network and Hospital Quality Program, our leadership in
organizations such as the Coalition for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH),
which is addressing beta blocker therapy, and our collaboration with
organizations like state school board nurse associations to fund programs
promoting cardiovascular health among school-age children," he noted.

"Tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death in the United States,"
added Lisa Latts, M.D., medical director for Anthem's West region. "In our
tobacco cessation program, we saw an opportunity to spearhead a collaborative
public-private approach, recognizing that working together, we could have a
greater effect than any organization working alone."

She said that Anthem, working through the Colorado Guidelines Collaborative,
developed coordinated strategies to help physicians, health plans, and
employers address smoking, with support from the Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment.  "The result of the statewide programs, including ours,
is that Coloradans reduced their tobacco use 14.9 percent over three years,
compared to a 7.7 percent decrease nationwide, in the same time period."

Some other results of the comprehensive approaches embodied in these programs
include --

Smoking Cessation Program

*  More than 10,000 physicians in Colorado have received the tobacco cessation
guideline developed for the state of Colorado.

*  Physicians have significantly increased their referrals to Quitline and
QuitNet, services that help smokers quit their habit.

Cardiac Management Program

*  Hospital admissions for coronary artery disease have decreased by 34 percent
for under-65 members in Anthem's Midwest managed care plans and by 36 percent
for members in Anthem's Medicare Advantage health plan.

*  In Indiana, from 2002 - 2003, cholesterol screening rates for members who
had a heart attack, coronary bypass graft, or PTCA have improved from 68 to 86
percent.  In addition, cholesterol control rates for the same population
increased 11 percent.

*  In Ohio, hospital admissions for members diagnosed with heart failure have
declined by 43 percent for managed care members and by 26 percent for those in
the Anthem Medicare Senior Advantage health plan.  In addition, 22 percent
fewer members with congestive heart failure were admitted to the hospital for
any cause.

*  In a recent survey, 82 percent of members with heart failure participating
in Anthem's Cardiac Disease Management Program reported that educational
mailings on heart failure motivated them to better manage their heart
condition, 95 percent reported that the information received from Anthem was
helpful in controlling their disease, and 97 percent would recommend these
materials to others with heart disease.

The awards were presented during the AHIP 2004 Leadership Awards Ceremony held
June 17, 2004 in Chicago.

Anthem's mission is to improve the health of the people it serves. Anthem, Inc.
is an Indiana-domiciled publicly traded company that, through its subsidiary
companies, provides health care benefits to more than 12.5 million people. 
Anthem is the fourth largest publicly traded health benefits company in the
United States and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association.  Anthem is the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Indiana,
Kentucky, Ohio, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Colorado, Nevada, Maine and
Virginia, excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.  As of
March 31, 2003, Anthem had assets of $13.9 billion and full year 2003 revenue
of $16.8 billion.  More information about Anthem is available at
http://www.anthem.com/ . 

DATASOURCE: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield



CONTACT:  Debbie Davis, [phone], Sharon Larrimer,

[phone], or Sally Vogler, [phone], all of Anthem Blue Cross

and Blue Shield



Web site:  http://www.anthem.com/ 

Copyright