Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Collaborates With Five Blue Plans to Increase Transparency, Expand Access to Health Care Cost I...(st information that will initially be ro...),Health

Additionally, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, has selected Care Comparison as its platform for a national transparency solution that will be made available to all Blue Plans. BCBSA will use the treatment categories and cost methodology as the core component for its consumer-facing cost estimation tool.

This arrangement enables BCBSA, WellPoint's affiliated health plans and other Blue plans to continue to work with physicians and facilities to provide members with meaningful health care cost data. In turn, members can make more informed choices about their health and health care spending. The tool will be customized to reflect the local ownership and health plan in each state, but members will have access to the same information from all states involved with the program.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas -- the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas -- is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 40,000 physicians and 400 hospitals to serve 4 million members in all 254 counties. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is a division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. HCSC is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.