WellChoice Launches Online Personal Health Record
July 12 2005 - 12:32PM
Business Wire
WellChoice, Inc. (NYSE: WC) today announced that its primary
operating subsidiary, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, launched new
online functionality last month that will allow its members to
create a secure, Internet-based health record that will gather and
store extensive individual medical data. Once Empire members
activate this feature through the member-only website, My Health
Record collects health data from processed claims, including lab
test results, doctor visits, immunizations, hospital stays,
reported diagnoses, and pharmaceutical prescriptions. Members can
also add extensive information of their own, including family
medical history, health risks, allergies and prior medical history,
creating an extensive, online personal health history. Privacy is
extremely important, and My Health Record uses a secure HTTPS
protocol and encrypts content using certificates, which provide
state-of-the-art security for accessing the Internet. "The personal
health record is a major advance in putting consumers in charge of
their own healthcare," said Michael A. Stocker, M.D., president and
CEO of WellChoice. "This is one more example of how technology can
enhance the delivery of quality healthcare." Members manage My
Health Record through empireblue.com, where they connect to WebMD
Health's special health record feature. Upon activation, all
historical data available is added to the individual's health
record, and future information is added as available. Lab test
results, often difficult for an individual to track, are among the
data pulled into the record, with nearly 90% of all outpatient lab
tests automatically added. Lab results that track specific values,
such as cholesterol levels, are grouped together and graphically
tracked over time. To make the downloaded data more meaningful,
medical care and prescriptions are processed into concise lists,
and reminders about prostate or breast cancer screenings and
immunizations, as well as alerts about drug interactions, are
automatically triggered. Members will be able to provide multiple
physicians access to the record via the Internet later this fall,
when that function is added. "When health information can be shared
across multiple physicians, we believe that we will begin to see a
reduction in the number of tests performed and more efficient care
delivered more quickly to each patient," said Dr. Stocker. "When a
doctor has in hand current medical test results, and doesn't have
to wait for a record to show up from another medical office or a
hospital, he or she has a clearer picture of the patient's
progress, and won't have to repeat tests unnecessarily." The My
Health website also gives members access to additional health
tracking and management tools from WebMD Health. In the My Health
site, members can compare their health to their peers, take a
special women's health assessment, and improve and track fitness
with a custom program built on a fitness assessment. Additional
tools include a symptom checker, smoking cessation support, plans
for managing health during pregnancy and tracking children's health
needs. The site also helps members keep current with links to
health news articles and online reviews of books on health as well
as to help members manage their health better. About WellChoice
WellChoice, Inc. is the parent company of the largest health
insurer in the State of New York, based on PPO and HMO membership.
WellChoice, through its Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield subsidiaries,
has the exclusive right to use the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names
and marks in 10 downstate New York counties and one or both of
these names and marks in selected counties in upstate New York.
WellChoice offers a broad portfolio of products, including managed
care and traditional indemnity products, and has a varied customer
base including large group, middle-market and small group,
individual, and national accounts. Additional information on
WellChoice can be found at http://www.wellchoice.com. Cautionary
Statement Some of the information contained in this press release
is forward-looking, including statements relating to future
financial or business results. Forward-looking information is based
on management's estimates, assumptions and projections and is
subject to significant uncertainties and other factors, many of
which are beyond the company's control. Important risk factors
could cause future results to differ materially from those
estimated by management. Those risks and uncertainties include but
are not limited to: our ability to accurately predict health care
costs and to manage those costs through underwriting criteria,
quality initiatives and medical management; product design and
negotiation of favorable provider reimbursement rates; our ability
to maintain or increase our premium rates; possible reductions in
enrollment in our products or changes in membership including the
loss of either the New York City or the New York State account; the
regional concentration of our business in the New York metropolitan
area and the effects of economic downturns in that region or
generally; future bio-terrorist activity or other potential public
health epidemics; the impact of health care reform and other
regulatory matters; the outcome of litigation. For a more detailed
discussion of these and other important factors that may materially
affect WellChoice, please see WellChoice's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion of
risk factors and historical results of operations and financial
condition in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
three months ended March 31, 2005.
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