Anthem Blue Cross 2003 Annual Report Download - page 15

ANTHEM, INC. page 13
Quality
A time for collaboration
Anthem’s efforts to improve health care quality—and member health—are built around our
ability to work closely with the hospitals and physicians who provide our members’ care. In 2003,
we believe we did this more successfully than ever before.
Our programs are developed in cooperation with physicians and hospital leaders, who have
responded enthusiastically to them. In addition to recognizing their efforts to improve care, these
programs also offer opportunities to earn additional reimbursement. Anthem is a leader nationally in
working with physicians and hospitals to recognize quality care that improves health.
For example, our Quality-In-Sights hospital incentive program in Virginia, begun in 2003,
recognizes efforts to improve the quality of care and safety for hospital patients, as well as patient
satisfaction. It focuses on heart disease, the number one cause of death for men and women, as well
as pneumonia and pregnancy.
In Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine we work closely with 10 hospitals as well as
physician organizations to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors. These Clinical Quality
Programs are designed to improve care in emergency rooms and intensive care units, help ensure that
patients with chronic diseases get the care they need, and reduce medication errors.
Today, nearly 14,000 physicians across all Anthem regions receive a portion of their reimbursement
for improving care to Anthem members. These programs focus on preventive care, care for members
with chronic diseases and the appropriate use of prescription drugs. One such program involves
primary care physicians who treat more than 350,000 Anthem members in New Hampshire.
We live in a time of amazing advances in science and technology that have the potential to treat
and cure some of our most challenging diseases. Anthem is emerging as an industry leader in working
with the medical community to understand and evaluate new technology and medical treatments
based on scientific research. The goal of our technology evaluation and medical policy is to help all of
us use technology wisely and identify health care services that should be covered under our benefits
programs. Anthem supports “evidence-based care” through nationally recognized guidelines for
medical care that are based on the newest scientific and clinical research. By linking the tremendous