Blue & You - Spring 2012

Consumer transparency:
Good for everyone
A message from our
CEO and President,
Mark White
out
of the
Blue
When consumers make important and high-cost
purchases, they generally have the ability to research
their available options and choose accordingly. For
example, when car shoppers begin their search, they
can find numerous sources that provide information
on the quality of the models in which they are
interested. After a model is selected, the consumer can
then compare the price of that model at a number of
dealerships before making the purchase. In this way,
consumers make sure that they are getting the best
quality at the best price. But when consumers need
medical services, they are constrained in their ability
to compare the cost and the quality of the medical
service providers available to deliver the service. This
lack of “transparency” around medical services means
that consumers have very limited ability to make
informed decisions about who will provide their care.
Employers are leading the charge for increased
transparency around medical services and demanding
that health plans provide their employees with
the tools they need to choose wisely when medical
services are required. And as a health insurer, we
understand the value of the American consumer
at evaluating a service and making a wise purchase
decision. And so it becomes our responsibility to
deliver information and tools that help our members
make informed and value-based health care decisions.
We have to make the information our members need
on the doctors and hospitals they are considering
understandable, valuable and easily accessible.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield is
a committed partner in the Blue National
Transparency Initiative, which means we are
actively sharing information with other Blue
plans nationwide so that every Blue member has
access to information about doctors and hospitals
throughout the country.
It is our goal to deliver transparent health care
treatment cost and quality information to our
members. Why is transparency important? By
sharing information with our members, they can
make more informed choices about where to go for
care. It puts them in control of their health care.
The following are examples of how transparency has
transformed our services:
Blue Distinction — This designation is given
to health care facilities that have demonstrated
expertise in delivering quality health care in a
particular medical service area such as treating rare
cancers or performing gastric bypass surgeries.
When our members see that a hospital has earned
the Blue Distinction status for a particular specialty,
they can be assured that the institution has met
stringent criteria designed to provide the best
possible patient outcomes. The Blue Distinction
program initially focused only on the quality of care
that patients received. After all, the highest quality
care is also frequently the most cost-effective. Now,
the program is being expanded to include cost
information as well.
National Consumer Cost Tool — This tool,
available now by logging in to the self-service section
of our Web sites (called My Blueprint) for Arkansas
Blue Cross, Health Advantage and BlueAdvantage
Administrators of Arkansas members, gives access
CONSUMER, continued on page 22
Blue & You SPRING 2012
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