Blue Shield

SHATTERPROOF AND ANTHEM BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD FOUNDATION PARTNER TO REDUCE HEALTHCARE STIGMA AROUND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 29, 2024
Mortality, Patient, Blue Shield, Learning, Risk, Suds, SASI, Health, Elevance Health, Health care, Partnership, Substance use disorder, Curriculum, Mental health, Physician, Conditional sentence, Osteopathy, Organization, Disease, Nursing

BRONX, N.Y., April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex and often stigmatized health condition that affects countless individuals, families and communities. Stigma against people with a SUD extends beyond individual and interpersonal levels. The Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index (SASI) found that healthcare professionals hold stigmatizing beliefs toward someone with a SUD. Specifically, 65% of healthcare professionals falsely believe that a SUD isn't a chronic disease.

Key Points: 
  • To address addiction stigma among healthcare professionals, Shatterproof, a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction health crisis, is teaming up with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to bring additional learning to the healthcare community, reduce stigma of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and improve quality of care.
  • In partnership with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, Shatterproof will better the lives of people in recovery, people who use drugs, and people seeking treatment for substance use disorders."
  • "At Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we recognize the impact that long standing health and social inequities have had on communities of color," said Dr. Mark Levy, President and CEO, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, HP.
  • The funding for the partnership is through the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Elevance Health Foundation .

Health Equity Cannot Be Achieved Without Data Equity

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 29, 2024
Mortality, Congress, Language, Health equity, Blue Shield, Blue Cross (animal charity), Risk, Management, Childbirth, Gender identity, SOGI, REL, LGBTQ, FAAFP, Poverty, Blue Cross, Data collection, Face, Quality of life, Organization, American Heart Association, Disease, Nursing

CHICAGO, April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To reduce inequities in the U.S. health system, the Data Equity Coalition is calling for standardized data collection methods around race, ethnicity, language (REL), sexual orientation, gender identity (SOGI) and disability status through a new series of issue briefs.

Key Points: 
  • "Data standardization is crucial to advancing health equity and creating a better system of health—one centered on trust," said Blue Cross Blue Shield Association President and CEO, Kim Keck.
  • Data disaggregation allows us to detect differences, if they exist, between and within populations, and to design policies and programs that can help eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity."
  • More equitable data is key to addressing the health care system's persistent inequities—especially as it relates to mental health care access for members of underserved communities."
  • "The National LGBTQ Task Force urges the expansion and improvement of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics data collection to improve health equity.

L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans Celebrate New Community Resource Center in West Los Angeles, Highlight Five-Year Partnership Milestone

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 26, 2024
L.A. Care Health Plan, Blue Shield, Medi-Cal, Health, CRC, Community, Yoga, LOS, Tourism

LOS ANGELES, April 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan today held a grand opening ceremony for their Community Resource Center (CRC) in West Los Angeles (West L.A.) at 11173 W. Pico Blvd in Los Angeles.

Key Points: 
  • The new Center, which opened in October 2023, provides customized programs and services for local residents, based on population needs and health issues.
  • The West L.A. Center is one of four that will hold grand openings this year.
  • By year's end, the two health plans will complete the opening of 14 Community Resource Centers located throughout Los Angeles County.
  • "Blue Shield Promise is committed to offering local health and social services that positively impact the health and well-being of our neighbors, members, and surrounding West L.A. communities," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Promise.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Announces Chris Boles as Vice President of Medicare, Melissa Flicek as Chief Information Officer

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
PacifiCare Health Systems, Quaternary, Blue Shield, United, Target, Elevance Health, Blue, E-commerce, Medtronic, Engineering, HMO, Medicare Advantage, Blue Cross, Optum, Medicare, Target Corporation, Marketing, Management

Chris Boles has joined the organization as vice president of Medicare and Individual segments, while Melissa Flicek will serve as chief information officer.

Key Points: 
  • Chris Boles has joined the organization as vice president of Medicare and Individual segments, while Melissa Flicek will serve as chief information officer.
  • “Chris Boles and Melissa Flicek both bring impressive experience and proven results from their respective fields,” said Dana Erickson, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
  • Boles has held multiple leadership roles at Elevance Health, including vice president of Group Retiree Solutions and regional vice president of Medicare Blue Alliances.
  • Melissa Flicek – Vice President, Chief Information Officer
    Flicek has more than 20 years of experience in leading technology development and business transformation strategies.

Sharecare teams up with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield on Jump Shot for Health initiative to support Georgia Title 1 schools

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Well, Blue Shield, Anthem, Spouse, Learning, Essay, Community health, Good Sports, Heart, School, Elevance Health, Partnership, Atlanta Hawks, Work, CVS Caremark, Student, Peach, Organization

ATLANTA, April 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sharecare (Nasdaq: SHCR) and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia jointly announced today an initiative to reward State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) members for engaging in healthy behaviors and support two Georgia Title 1 schools1 in the process. 

Key Points: 
  • Initiative made possible by community partners Sharecare, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield – Georgia, CVS Caremark, Atlanta Hawks, and Good Sports
    ATLANTA, April 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sharecare (Nasdaq: SHCR ) and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia jointly announced today an initiative to reward State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) members for engaging in healthy behaviors and support two Georgia Title 1 schools1 in the process.
  • To participate, SHBP members simply join the Jump Shot for Health steps challenge in the Sharecare app and select a school as the “team” to which they will allocate their daily steps count.
  • “By sponsoring the Jump Shot for Health program, Anthem furthers its mission of advancing physical activity and promoting healthy lifestyles for Georgia students and educators,” said Janalyn Kelly, state account vice president, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield - Georgia.
  • Administrators at Georgia Title 1 schools interested in learning more about Jump Shot for Health can visit the program’s information page for the latest information and updates.

Poll: More Than Half of Black Birthers in Minnesota Feel Racial Bias and Lack of Access Leads to Greater Health Risks and Maternal Mortality

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Health, Environment, Special, Health equity, Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Pregnancy, Housing, Nursing

More than half of Black Minnesota birthers feel that discrimination based on their race/ethnicity negatively impacts their health, according to a recent survey commissioned by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota .

Key Points: 
  • More than half of Black Minnesota birthers feel that discrimination based on their race/ethnicity negatively impacts their health, according to a recent survey commissioned by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota .
  • Respondents who have experienced pregnancy suggest the lack of safe, affordable housing conditions, limited access to quality healthcare services and healthy food options, and inadequate health insurance coverage negatively impact their health.
  • In recent years, 9.6% of Minnesota babies were born preterm and 7.2% were low birthweight .
  • The poll indicates a demand for collective efforts to address these issues that are crucial to the well-being of Minnesota’s Black birther community.

Backblaze Completes Trusted Partner Network Assessment, Receiving Blue Shield Status

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 11, 2024
MPA, Blue Shield, TPN, Motion Picture Association, SVP, Trust, Intellectual property, SAN, Online shopping

SAN MATEO, Calif., April 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Backblaze, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLZE), the leading specialized storage cloud, today announced that it has joined the Trusted Partner Network (TPN), a security initiative wholly owned by the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

Key Points: 
  • SAN MATEO, Calif., April 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Backblaze, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLZE), the leading specialized storage cloud, today announced that it has joined the Trusted Partner Network (TPN), a security initiative wholly owned by the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
  • To achieve Blue Shield status, TPN members submit self assessments of their security posture which interested companies can then review when assessing their product or service.
  • “Backblaze is committed to standards-based information security controls across all of our products and solutions, as our SOC 2 Type 2 attestation supports,” said Mark Potter, Chief Information Security Officer at Backblaze.
  • For more information about the Trusted Partner Membership efforts to advance content security, please visit the TPN website .

Purchaser Business Group on Health Launches Program to Connect Employees to Top-Performing Primary and Specialty Care Providers

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Blue Shield, Certification, CalPERS, Michelin Guide, Patient, Nursing

Designed to establish a gold standard in health care, this innovative program rigorously evaluates and identifies top-tier advanced primary care teams based on an employer and purchaser set of standards and shared quality metrics.

Key Points: 
  • Designed to establish a gold standard in health care, this innovative program rigorously evaluates and identifies top-tier advanced primary care teams based on an employer and purchaser set of standards and shared quality metrics.
  • Blue Shield of California, recognizing the potential of the Care Excellence Program to set a new benchmark in health care quality and accessibility, is collaborating with PBGH to implement market testing and early adoption of the program.
  • Results will be used to improve care and ensure providers are working toward practicing advanced primary care within its network.
  • The PBGH Care Excellence Program enables large, self-insured employers to connect their employees and dependents with the highest-performing health care providers in their area to deliver advanced primary care and referrals to specialists providing the highest level of quality care,” she said.

Collective Health Expands National Footprint into Texas with Grand Opening of Office in Plano

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Managed Care, Software, Networks, Professional Services, Pharmaceutical, Optical, Data Management, Technology, Health Insurance, Dental, Human Resources, Practice Management, Health, Collective, Blue Shield, Culture, Blue Cross, Commerce, Dallas Regional Chamber, Daikin, APEX, Growth, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Management

Collective Health, the leading employee health benefits platform with integrated member advocacy, clinical navigation, and an extensive partner ecosystem, today unveiled its newest office location in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas.

Key Points: 
  • Collective Health, the leading employee health benefits platform with integrated member advocacy, clinical navigation, and an extensive partner ecosystem, today unveiled its newest office location in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas.
  • “We are delighted to bring new opportunities, investment, and support to our growing client base in Texas,” said Ali Diab, CEO and co-founder of Collective Health.
  • Since its beginning in 2013, Collective Health has grown to service over 500,000 members and 70+ enterprise clients nationwide.
  • Collective Health looks to welcome over 50 new employees to its award-winning customer experience team in Plano by the end of the year.

Anthem and Ballad Health Announce New Contract

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 22, 2024
Hospitals, Health, Nursing, Managed Care, Health Insurance, MNsure, Blue Shield, Anthem, Hospital, Elevance Health, Commonwealth, Partnership, Rural health, Physician, Medicare, American International Group, Organization, Ballad Health, Health insurance

Ballad Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia have signed a new multiyear agreement with the health system’s hospitals, facilities, and physicians in Anthem’s network in Virginia guaranteeing continued access for Anthem members in the Commonwealth.

Key Points: 
  • Ballad Health and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia have signed a new multiyear agreement with the health system’s hospitals, facilities, and physicians in Anthem’s network in Virginia guaranteeing continued access for Anthem members in the Commonwealth.
  • Ballad Health is an integrated community health improvement organization serving 29 counties of the Appalachian Highlands in Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Northwest North Carolina, and Southeast Kentucky.
  • “While hospitals in many rural communities have closed or are closing, three Ballad Health hospitals in Southwest Virginia were recently named among the 100 best rural and community hospitals in America by the Chartis Foundation’s Center for Rural Health,” said Ballad Health Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Levine.
  • “This level of quality and access for Southwest Virginia is a result of the important partnership between Anthem and Ballad Health.