Blueprint - WINTER 2023

A publication for the policyholders of the
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield family of companies WINTER 2023
A 75-year commitment to
Arkansas’ health continues
PAGE 8
The Next Step
to Recovery
PAGE 4
“Selfie”
Diagnosis
PAGE 10
Hitting
Our Stride!
PAGE 13

aWordwith Curtis Barnett
Our President and Chief Executive Officer
Welcome to 2023!
As we look at the year ahead and
beyond, it seems we’re facing
challenges at every turn: a pandemic
that won’t completely go away,
stubbornly high inflation, the threat
of a recession and an extraordinary
pace of change.
It would be easy to let our minds
stay focused on the many
challenges. But our hearts
deserve better.
The New Year provides a great
opportunity to project and plan
for positive personal change.
Introducing new, healthy activities
that will become habits … saying
goodbye to some habits we’ve
been needing to kick for a while …
connecting or reconnecting with
people who make your life better …
being mindful to take moments to
breathe in fresh air and enjoy
a beautiful sunrise or sunset.
Starting today, you can make subtle
or spectacular changes that will
impact you and the ones you love.
It’s important to take good care of
your physical, emotional and even
social health. Your whole health.
Every day.
And it’s important to Arkansas Blue
Cross and Blue Shield that we take
good care of you. Every day.
For nearly 75 years, we have been
taking good care of our members
and communities and we hope
you have experienced that in many
ways. Our goal always is providing
affordable, reliable health insurance
coverage that helps you have peace
of mind. To just know we are here
when you need us, that you can
count on us … to help you stay
healthy or help you heal.
No, we don’t deliver care or
provide treatments. We enable
care by helping you manage the
complexities of healthcare – from
coping with health issues, to
understanding how to live healthier,
to locating and accessing suitable
care, to financing healthcare costs,
to deciphering often complex benefit
plans, we enable our members to get
the care they need and live the lives
they deserve.
Beginning in January, we will be
reaffirming our commitment to
provide the kind of products and
service you have come to expect
from Arkansas Blue Cross: our
commitment to continue to take
good care of you.
You will begin to see Arkansas Blue
Cross messages on television, in
digital places and outdoor spaces
sharing our continued commitment
to take good care of our members
and communities, and how we help
our members and communities take
good care of themselves. You can
read more about it in this issue
of Blueprint.
As the only Arkansas-based
health insurance provider, we
truly care about the health and
well-being of everyone in the
place we all call home.
And as we approach our 75 th year
of serving Arkansas in 2023,
you’ll see more about how we
are increasing our investments,
especially in behavioral and mental
health to help shore up needed care
and support in our state.
It’s all because we want you and the
ones you love to live your best life,
your whole life long.
Take Good Care, Arkansas.
2 WINTER 2023

ARHOME in 2023
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal
government put in place the Public Health
Emergency (PHE) to temporarily stop certain
Medicaid requirements and conditions to help
people keep their ARHOME health insurance plans.
The PHE will likely end in 2023 and your ARHOME
coverage could be affected.
When the PHE ends, the Arkansas Department
of Human Services (DHS) will begin reviewing
members to determine if they still qualify for
ARHOME health coverage.
DHS needs your current contact info to
notify you about important plan information.
Ways to update your contact info:
• Online at www.ar.gov/update
• Call 844-872-2660
• Visit your local DHS office
Dental Care is
Health Care
Our dental and health plans work together to help you live
healthier. We have dental plans for all ages and budgets.
Find the plan that is right for you and your family.
• Call us at 855-547-4589
• Visit arkbluecross.com/dental
• Stop by an ArkansasBlue Welcome Center near you
WINTER 2023 3

The
Next
Step
to
Recovery
4 WINTER 2023
Rebecca Pittillo, executive director
for the Blue & You Foundation
for a Healthier Arkansas, gets a
guided tour of Mission Life Park, a
community of transitional living units
for clients of Union Rescue Mission
who have completed the residential
program and are reintegrating into
society. The newly constructed
community was made possible by a
grant from the foundation.
Blue & You Foundation Grant
Provides for Critical Transition
Ask anyone struggling to overcome addiction
if they have “recovered,” and they will
likely respond with, “I’ve not recovered, I’m
recovering.” Recovering from addiction is not
a one-and-done thing. It is a lifelong, stepby-step
process. And for many, the very first
step is into the doors of the Nehemiah House,
the drug and alcohol recovery program of the
Union Rescue Mission in Little Rock.
The Nehemiah House offers a 9- to 12-month,
faith-based drug and alcohol recovery
program for men dealing with chemical
addiction with the ultimate goal of graduating
them to be thoroughly equipped to be solid,
contributing members of society.
“We are not in the business of giving handouts
to individuals,” said Keith Medlock, chief
executive officer of the Union Rescue Mission.
“We are in the business of giving people
in genuine need a hand up, where they can
become contributors to society.”
Derek Jones, executive director of the Union
Rescue Mission, agrees. “We focus exclusively
on programming designed to facilitate life
change,” he said. “We looked at what we were
doing that was having the most success, and
in light of that, we assessed what would be
most beneficial, most effective, in order to
produce long-term success for our clients.”
The classes include Christian 12-Steps,
Anger Management, Relapse Prevention, and
Workforce Preparedness. And now, thanks in
part to a $147,200 grant from the Blue & You

Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, they
offer a phase that helps clients transition back
into society – Mission Life Park, a community
of transitional living units for clients who have
completed the residential program and are
reintegrating into society.
“When you are recovering from addiction it is a
big help to know you are going to have to look
someone in the eyes every day who is going
to hold you accountable,” said Derek. “Mission
Life Park is a mid-step between on-campus
help and complete independence. It provides
more freedom but still with accountability.”
The first four units – each one housing two
men – are scheduled to open in January 2023
in Jacksonville, Ark., with more units already
in the planning stage. And, to help provide
accountability in this critical, transitional stage,
there will be a full-time staff member residing
on the property. Residents will be required
to check in with staff on a regular basis and
attend weekly virtual meetings.
“We’re trying to teach people responsibility,” said
Derek. “At Mission Life Park the residents will
have to take care of themselves, utilizing the
tools they’ve been given during the program.”
According to Derek, it’s those small things that
matter most.
“Small things, over the course of time, can put
you in a place where you never thought you’d
be,” he said. “The discipline our clients can
gain over a year or two of living at Mission
Life Park will establish a pattern of making
the right choices so that they have the habit of
making right choices when they move on.”
Men who have completed the residential program
at the Union Rescue Mission’s Nehemiah House
helped to construct the housing units at Mission
Life Park. During the framing stage of construction
many of them left biblical support along with the
structural support in each housing unit.
Recovery Continued on page 6
WINTER 2023 5

Recovery Continued from page 5
But the project almost didn’t get off the ground.
The property was acquired several years ago but
sat vacant because the Union Rescue Mission did
not have the resources necessary to move forward
with their plans.
“The Blue & You Foundation is what made it
possible for us to build and use the property for
what we needed,” said Derek. “There is no Mission
Life Park opening this year without the Blue & You
Foundation.”
There are plans to expand Mission Life Park to
include units for women from the Dorcas House
(a recovery program for women who have been
victims of domestic abuse or who suffer from
chemical dependency), units for families, and a
community center.
“We can eventually build as many as 40 units,”
said Derek. “That may be a 10-year vision, but it’s
there.”
In December, it was announced that the Blue & You
Foundation approved a second grant to the Union
Rescue Mission for this very project.
“The Blue & You Foundation is pleased to support
Mission Life Park. We recognize the need for
providing not only transitional housing for
individuals recovering from substance addiction,
but also giving them purpose to live a productive
life and people who provide a strong community of
support,” said Rebecca Pittillo, executive director
of the Blue & You Foundation. “Union Rescue
Mission is providing the ‘three Ps’ that are crucial to
recovery and healing: people, place and purpose.”
According to Derek, Mission Life Park may
eventually become a resource for the surrounding
community, for anyone struggling with addiction.
“Anyone living in the neighborhood around Mission
Life Park who struggles with the exact same
problems as our clients have dealt with now has
a resource right next door,” he said. “Our guys
are equipped to help people with those kinds of
problems because they’ve been there. This can be
a game-changer. The potential for the community
at large is huge. And the Blue & You Foundation is
the catalyst that got it all started.”
6 WINTER 2023

Email Fax Mail
Always have your
member ID card
When you download the Blueprint Portal mobile app, you get access to
your health plan and features like on-demand virtual healthcare, wellness
programs, health records, real-time claims information, estimated treatment
costs, policy information, and instant access to your member ID card.
You can access your ID card in the app the day your coverage is effective.
And, once you have the Blueprint Portal app, you can email or fax your
digital ID card to doctors, family members, or anyone else who needs it.
You also can order replacement ID cards.
Use the QR codes below to visit the App Store or Google Play to download the
Blueprint Portal app and carry your member ID card everywhere you go.
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WINTER 2023 7

Taking good care of Arkansas … and of you.
8 WINTER 2023
What does it mean to be taken care of?
What does it feel like, to know it matters to others how
you are doing?
What’s weighing on your mind?
If you’re happy right now.
If your body’s healthy.
If you’re safe.
And those around you are taken care of too.
What does it feel like to trust that you’ll be able to get
healthcare?
To prevent illness? To help you heal?
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been
taking care of Arkansans for nearly 75 years.
Providing health insurance. Peace of mind. It’s a
job we love.
Whether we are helping coordinate vaccinations
throughout the Natural State to protect people
during the pandemic, connecting our most
vulnerable citizens to care and resources close to
home, packing meals for those who are struggling
to feed their families, setting students on a path
to providing mental health support, or reassuring
a member that we are here for them when they
realize for the first time that the life they’ll live is
not the life they’ve planned. Arkansas Blue Cross
is committed to taking good care of Arkansas.
Those words may sound unusual coming from
an insurance company, but your health and wellbeing
are our priority. It is the core of our mission
and the focus of our new advertising campaign
that you’ll see beginning in January 2023.
“Take good care” communicates the essence
of our daily work. From our leadership to our
frontline, you are the reason we strive to find better

treatments, manage resources, improve access to care,
invest in communities, and innovate to transform the
healthcare system. We work to make it better for you and
keep this diverse, wonderful state strong.
We will be highlighting people, places and processes that
are helping empower and educate you and others on your
health journeys. We will continue to be your champion,
looking out for your physical, emotional and social health.
And sharing stories of your triumph over health trials or
how a most unexpected program helped you get a new
perspective on well-being or how an ounce of prevention
proved to help you avert a more serious medical issue.
Look for opportunities to engage in meaningful and
sometimes just plain fun activities with us in 2023 as
we approach our 75 th anniversary.
Most of all, we want you to know we will continue to be
here to provide you peace of mind … by caring and taking
good care of you.
We are excited to share some of the people and places that inspire good health and wellbeing
in our beautiful state, including (pictured here from left to right, top to bottom):
• Downtown – Jonesboro
• Barnhill Orchard – Lonoke
• Tontitown Grape Festival – Springdale
• Petit Jean Mountain – Morrilton
Watch for more familiar Arkansas sites throughout the year.
• Crystal Bridges – Bentonville
• (Page 8 – Arkansas Blue Cross NWA Corporate Center – Springdale)
• (On the cover: Mountain overlook – Logan County)
WINTER 2023 9

“Selfie”-
diagnosis
Smartphone-linked home test kits help
bring chronic kidney disease out of hiding
Is kidney failure in your future?
If you’re like most people, that question may never
have crossed your mind. Arkansas Blue Cross and
Blue Shield recently completed an easy, in-home
testing pilot program that helps people check their
risk for chronic kidney disease, so they can avoid or
combat this hidden killer.
Too often, chronic kidney disease is detected after the
damage has been done. Chronic kidney disease can
lead to serious – potentially deadly – health problems
and costly treatments. According to current estimates,
37 million Americans have chronic kidney disease, yet
90% are unaware they have it.
“As a physician, I am always in favor of early
detection,” said Mark. T. Jansen, M.D., vice
president and chief medical officer for Arkansas
Blue Cross. “But it becomes even more vital when
dealing with a disorder that is pervasive and has
dire consequences for a person’s health.”
Chronic kidney disease risk factors
You have a greater risk for chronic kidney
disease if you:
• Are diabetic (a 1-in-3 chance)
• Have high blood pressure (a 1-in-5 chance)
• Have cardiovascular (heart) disease
• Regularly take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDS)
• Have a history of chronic kidney disease
in your family
• Are Black, Latino or Native American
Detecting chronic kidney disease
So how do you know if you have chronic kidney
disease? A simple urine test can give you the answer.
Too much of a protein called albumin can spell trouble.
Doctors use a lab test (the albumin-to-creatinine ratio)
to see whether a patient may have kidney dysfunction.
But the potential ill effects don’t stop there.
10 WINTER 2023

We believe [this program will] have a measureable impact on the
health of our membership.
– Mark. T. Jansen, M.D.,
vice president and chief medical officer
of Arkansas Blue Cross
Compared to people with normal albumin levels,
people who have elevated levels are:
• Twice as likely to have a stroke
• Four times more susceptible to heart attack
• Eight times as likely to have chronic kidney disease
• A whopping 67 times more vulnerable to
end-stage renal disease (kidney failure)
Why don’t people get tested?
The reasons why so many at-risk people currently don’t
get tested are complicated. For starters, an albuminto-creatinine
ratio is not yet part of the basic set of
tests physicians routinely order. Plus, most patients –
even those with significant risk factors – simply don’t
know they are at risk. Others find it hard to get a test
because of financial pressures and busy schedules.
A “smart” solution
Healthy.io, the company engaged by Arkansas Blue
Cross to conduct the pilot program, looked at the
factors surrounding low testing levels and developed
Minuteful Kidney – the first FDA-cleared, smartphonepowered
kidney test kit that provides instant, clinicalgrade
results from home.
The service uses claims data to identify untested
health plan members who may be at risk
and sends an easy-to-use test kit directly to their
homes. The member then uses their smartphone to
share their test results, which are instantly available,
directly with their healthcare provider and health plan,
so appropriate follow-up care can be initiated.
Impressive results
At the conclusion of the pilot program, 44% of the
identified members successfully completed the test.
Of that number, 35% were found to be at risk for
chronic kidney disease. The program’s success may be
attributable to the simplicity, convenience, immediacy
and user-friendly design of the test and smartphone
app, all of which received high marks from users.
“We were very pleased with the results of this
program,” Dr. Jansen said. “We believe it could have a
measurable impact by arming healthcare providers and
our members with valuable information upon which to
base preventive and interventional health strategies.”
WINTER 2023 11

Arkansas
Blue Medicare
members!
Take advantage of your great
benefits and rewards in 2023!
In 2023, the annual Consumer Assessment of Healthcare
Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey will run from
March to early June. In this survey, our Arkansas
Blue Medicare members can share their opinions and
suggestions. Arkansas Blue Medicare wants you to have
the best experience possible by taking advantage of all
our benefits. We think our members are a 10 out of 10
and want them to “Take Good Care.”
As your partner in health, we want you to feel your
best! Start the year by scheduling your Medicare
Annual Wellness Visit and talking with your primary
care physician about vaccines, screenings, current
medications and any concerns you may have.
We’re here to support you in your wellness goals!
Take advantage of your FREE benefits:
• Rx Savings Solutions (RxSS)
This free service is part of
your Arkansas Blue Medicare
plan. It can help you save
money on your prescription
drugs. You can easily see if more affordable
options are available and compare prices at
different pharmacies. To access your RxSS
account, go to myrxss.com/arkbluemedicare.
• SilverSneakers
Improve your health and gain
confidence while exercising in
a way that fits your lifestyle.
SilverSneakers provides
Arkansas Blue Medicare members a no-cost gym
membership at home, at participating fitness
locations, and in your community.
• Comprehensive dental, vision, hearing and
prescription drug coverage
Arkansas Healthy Blue Rewards
You can earn rewards for healthy living!
This year you can earn up to $275 for
completing eligible health actions.
• Complete a Medicare Annual
• Wellness Visit – earn $50
• Mammogram – earn $25
• Colonoscopy – earn $50
• Flu vaccine - earn $15 (available in Fall 2023)
• Register for Healthy Blue Rewards – earn $10
• Submit a Health Risk Assessment –
get a FarmBoxRx ®
Find more 2023 eligible activities and ways to
redeem at ArkansasHealthyBlue.Healthmine.com,
call 800-960-6360 (TTY 711) or download the
Arkansas Healthy Blue Rewards mobile app!
Arkansas Blue Medicare is here for you anytime.
Call us at 844-201-4934.
12 WINTER 2023

Hitting Our Stride!
The Blue & You Fitness Challenge Celebrates 20 Years
It’s time to register your group for the 2023
Blue & You Fitness Challenge, a three-month
fitness competition in which participants exercise and
log their activity to earn points. And 2023 marks our 20 th
anniversary! Join us as we celebrate getting healthy!
Many companies and organizations participate in the
challenge as part of their wellness program. Individuals
use it to encourage their friends and family members to
continue working toward their personal fitness goals and
have fun. Recognition and rewards are presented to those
who log the most exercise in several different categories.
The challenge is
held March 1 through
May 31. Group registration for the
2023 Blue & You Fitness Challenge
is open. Any group can form a team
– businesses, schools, book clubs,
community organizations, etc. You
can register your group now by scanning the QR code
above or visiting blueandyoufitnesschallenge-ark.com.
Registration closes on January 24, so don’t delay.
The Blue & You Fitness Challenge is hosted by Arkansas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Arkansas Department of
Health, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
Important
Deadlines for
the 2023 Blue
& You Fitness
Challenge
January 24 – Deadline for group registration
March 1 – The Challenge begins
WINTER 2023 13

University
of Arkansas
Graduate Program
honors
Robert
Shoptaw
In September, the College of
Education and Health Professions
at the University of Arkansas
in Fayetteville announced the
establishment of the Robert L.
Shoptaw Master of Healthcare
Business Analytics Program.
The degree from this program,
which was established in
partnership with the Sam M.
Walton College of Business
and Arkansas Blue Cross, will
help business and healthcare
industry professionals transform
large amounts of raw data into
smart, analytical decisions to
benefit both patients and
medical professionals.
14 WINTER 2023
“We’re excited to collaborate
with the Walton College to offer
this new master’s degree,” said
Kate Mamiseishvili, interim
dean of the College of Education
and Health Professions. “It is a
unique program that leverages
the expertise of faculty from
both colleges. It brings together
business analytics and knowledge
of healthcare to prepare
professionals with big data skills
to improve healthcare delivery and
patient outcomes.”
The program was named in
honor of Robert L. Shoptaw, who
joined Arkansas Blue Cross in
1970 as a professional relations
representative and rose through
the ranks to become president
and chief executive officer in 1994
where he served until his retirement
in 2008. Shoptaw also served as
chairman of the board from 2009-
2016 and now serves as a member
of the board for the not-for-profit,
mutual insurance company.
“Arkansas Blue Cross is pleased
to honor the leadership and legacy
of Bob Shoptaw by making this
donation to the Walton College to
establish the Master of Healthcare
Business Analytics Program. There
is a growing need for highly skilled
healthcare data analysts who can
turn information into insights
that allow providers, payers and
researchers to develop initiatives
that improve patient outcomes,
enhance care management and
promote a whole person approach
to care that addresses a patient’s
physical health, behavioral health
and social needs together,” said
Curtis E. Barnett, president and
chief executive officer of Arkansas
Blue Cross. “Bob Shoptaw has
been a visionary in our industry
when it comes to recognizing the
critical role data and analytics
can play in improving the overall
healthcare system and providing
people affordable coverage and
quality care.”

A Monument to
our commitment to
family
health
“The Milestone”
Bronze sculpture by
Kevin Kresse
LEARNING TO RIDE
The wheels of love for a child never stop spinning
and the child, once launched, spins faster
than her parents ever dreamed, the fast-spinning years
sweeping her farther down the walk from where they began,
where she learned to balance, fight her fear of falling,
get back up when she fell, as she will fall when she’s years
away from those reassuring voices, yet she will rise
again and again, lifted by the love that never
stops spinning.
- Suzanne Underwood Rhodes
Arkansas Poet Laureate 2022
Written for “The Milestone” dedication
Company funds 100
bicycles for kids in need
Arkansas artist Kevin Kresse joined members
of the Northwest Arkansas community on
December 19 to dedicate one of his latest
works. “The Milestone” is a bronze sculpture
of a man teaching his daughter how to ride a
bicycle while her mother celebrates the special
moment. As part of the dedication, Arkansas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced it is
funding the purchase of 100 bicycles for
children in need throughout the region.
The sculpture stands outside the company’s
Northwest Arkansas Corporate Center in
Springdale. The scene captured in the statue
pays homage to the region’s reputation as an
active and family-friendly community with many
outdoor amenities and a strong cycling culture.
“’The Milestone’ is a beautiful addition to the
city of Springdale, as well as our Northwest
Arkansas Corporate Center,” said Arkansas
Blue Cross President and Chief Executive
Officer Curtis Barnett. “And we hope through
the donation of these bicycles, families across
the region will be able to experience their own
milestones and make special memories, and
perhaps develop healthy habits that will last a
lifetime.”
Kresse, well-known in Arkansas for his public
sculptures, also sculpted “The Family,” which
sits along the Little Rock river trail and was
sponsored by Arkansas Blue Cross. Kresse’s art
is featured in exhibitions throughout Arkansas,
as well as in New York City, Washington D.C.,
Memphis and Atlanta.
WINTER 2023 15

PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
ARKANSAS BLUE CROSS
BLUE SHIELD
72201
Race Day Rollbacks
Save money on your next race-day adventure
Arkansas Blue Cross is committed to improving
the health and wellness of our members, friends
and neighbors. We’re also committed to saving
you money on healthy living. Race Day Rollbacks
is our exclusive program to save you a percentage
of your race entry fee -- just by being our member.
Events
• May 6 – Be a Part of the Cure Walk, Little Rock | 5K, 1K
Save $5 | Code: BCBSW23
Registration
is easy
1) Go to arkbluecross.com/race-day-rollbacks
2) Click on an event to get a discount code
3) Go to the event website, fill out the registration form and enter the
discount code at checkout
4) Start training for your event (with a little extra money in your pocket)
Good luck and see you out there! Terms and conditions may apply.
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