INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WellPoint, Inc. , the nation’s leading health benefits company, is reinforcing its commitment to consumer-driven health care with today’s announcement that WellPoint members can now access a new expanded portfolio of consumer decision support tools. Consumers now have access to greater information on cost and quality, critical components when evaluating a consumer-driven health product or when making a medical decision.
Through its strategic partnership with Subimo, LLC, WellPoint members will now have access to a full suite of tools through the Healthcare Advisor(TM), which includes the Hospital Advisor(TM), Spanish Hospital Advisor(TM), PharmaAdvisor(TM) and Treatment Cost Advisor(TM). Members will also have access to the Coverage Advisor(TM), which helps them to understand what health care services their family may need and then estimate the cost for these services. Members are then able to better manage their health care expenses and choose the health care plan that best meets their needs.
“Access to relevant information on quality and cost is important to our members,” said Mark Boxer, president & CEO, Consumer-Driven Health Plans, Enterprise Services and Medicare Government Business for WellPoint. “These easy-to-use tools support our strategy of empowering our consumers to better understand their health care options and to make more informed decisions that affect the health of their families.”
WellPoint members will now be able to: compare quality, safety and cost information of hospitals in their area; look up average nationwide drug prices and drug treatment options; and review cost estimates (in- and out-of-network) and quality indicators for specific health care treatment options.
“Subimo is delighted to expand our relationship with WellPoint as they look to lead in consumer-driven health care,” said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of Subimo. “Our mission at Subimo is to fundamentally change the way consumers get their health care by empowering them with actionable health care knowledge. By working with a leader like WellPoint, millions of Americans will now have access to a suite of innovative tools to drive health care consumerism, manage costs and increase quality in the process.”
About WellPoint, Inc.
WellPoint, Inc. is the largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company in terms of membership in the United States. WellPoint, Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through HealthLink and UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at http://www.WellPoint.com .
About Subimo, LLC
Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Subimo, LLC licenses a suite of decision tools which provide a unique combination of data, content and personalized, interactive models so consumers can easily select insurance coverage, fund their tax preferred accounts, determine costs for medical services, and select hospitals, drugs and physicians. Everyone saves money when consumers have better information and can make better choices. Nearly 60 million Americans have access to Subimo’s tools through their insurance company or employer. For more information, visit http://subimo.com or call 888-SUBIMO-1.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
This press release contains certain forward-looking information about WellPoint, Inc. that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Words such as “expect(s),” “feel(s),” “believe(s),” “will,” “may,” “anticipate(s)” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions; statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services; and statements regarding future performance. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of WellPoint, Inc., that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include: those discussed and identified in public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) made by WellPoint, Inc. (formerly named Anthem, Inc.) (“WellPoint”) and WellPoint Health Networks Inc. (“WellPoint Health”); trends in health care costs and utilization rates; our ability to secure sufficient premium rate increases; competitor pricing below market trends of increasing costs; increased government regulation of health benefits and managed care; significant acquisitions or divestitures by major competitors; introduction and utilization of new prescription drugs and technology; a downgrade in our financial strength ratings; litigation targeted at health benefits companies; our ability to contract with providers consistent with past practice; our ability to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies in the WellPoint Health merger within the expected time-frames or at all and to successfully integrate our operations; such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; revenues following the transaction may be lower than expected; operating costs, customer loss and business disruption, including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, clients or suppliers, may be greater than expected following the transaction; future bio-terrorist activity or other potential public health epidemics; and general economic downturns. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. WellPoint does not undertake any obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures in WellPoint’s various SEC reports, including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the reporting periods of 2005.
WellPoint, Inc.
CONTACT: Investor Relations: Tami Durle, +1-317-488-6390, or Media: ToddA. Siesky, +1-317-488-6548, both of WellPoint, Inc.
