Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Colorado Introduces Industry Leading and Comprehensive Transparency Initiative t...( Anthem Care Comparison Tool Gives...),Health

Anthem Care Comparison Tool Gives Anthem Members in Colorado's metro markets the Complete Picture of Costs Associated with Medical Procedures

DENVER, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Colorado announced today the launch of its industry-leading transparency initiative. Now, members in Colorado's metro markets have access to Anthem Care Comparison, an online tool that provides total estimated costs associated with all aspects of 39 specific medical procedures performed at local area hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and/or free standing radiology centers. There is also cost information associated with common office visits.

"No other transparency tool in the Colorado market today provides the depth of information on the total costs of procedures as Anthem Care Comparison," said Mike Ramseier, Vice President, Health Care Management, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Colorado. "Through this tool, our members have access to the costs associated with all aspects of a specific medical procedure -- not just the cost of the procedure itself, but also the costs of the entire spectrum of care, from lab tests to recovery room charges. These medical care cost estimates will help our members better understand the overall costs they are likely to incur before a medical service is provided."

In addition, the cost information is facility specific, so members can compare the differences in cost among hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and/or free standing imaging centers, and get information on how frequently facilities perform each procedure, which can assist the member in assessing the care they seek.

The data generated for the Anthem Care Comparison tool comes directly from claims data that have been paid out over the past 12 months and is updated quarterly. In addition, quality information, including ratings based on the number of services performed at each facility, is supplied by several company-developed p
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