Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Member Health Index Named BlueWorks(R) Aw...( LOUISVILLE Ky. Feb. 28 /- Anthem ...),Health

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's Member Health Index has been honored as a 2007 BlueWorks(R) winner. A program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, BlueWorks recognizes the innovative ways Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are working to increase the efficiency and consistency of care delivery nationwide. The Harvard Medical School Department of Health Care Policy evaluates submissions from participating Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies and makes recommendations for BlueWorks award winners.

Anthem's Member Health Index is a tracking system that incorporates nearly all of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky's 1.2 million members. The Member Health Index combines more than 40 selected health care measures including screening and prevention, care management, clinical outcomes, and patient safety. Using a proprietary calculation developed by a multi- disciplinary team including quality improvement experts, healthcare economists and clinicians, the Member Health Index tracks the health plans' progress towards improving members' health through education, care management and wellness programs. Health improvement strategies are then designed to improve each measure based on analysis of the data. Based on the results, Anthem can help define opportunities to improve the health care experience of its members.

"Combined with our State Health Index, our Member Health Index allows us to track our progress in improving the lives of the people we serve and the health of our communities," said Deb Moessner, president and general manager, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky. "But we are going beyond simply tracking our progress and will continue to hold ourselves accountable to decreasing the gap between current and target performance by 5 percent each year by working with community and state leaders to design programs that will help address health issues."

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