Anthem Blue Cross Expands Zagat Health Survey Tool to San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Anthem Blue Cross today announced the expansion of the Zagat Health Survey, an online survey tool that will allow consumers to share their physician experiences with others regarding physicians throughout the greater San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento areas. In January 2008, Anthem Blue Cross launched the tool for members to rate physicians in the greater Los Angeles market.

"We're pleased to expand this tool, allowing our members to review and share feedback about physicians throughout these additional areas of the state," said Leslie A. Margolin, president of Anthem Blue Cross. "Since launching the tool last year, we have seen a very positive response from our members, as nearly 90 percent of members who completed the survey recommended their providers and offered useful comments about their experiences."

Working with Zagat Survey, Anthem Blue Cross is helping to address an unmet need for peer-to-peer interaction among health care consumers. The Zagat Health Survey tool provides a vehicle for members to review physicians based on a set of distinct criteria, creating a trusted resource to support informed member decision-making. This tool not only helps members, but is also designed to assist doctors in understanding members' experiences.

The online survey tool allows consumers to review their doctor visits based on:

    -- Trust -- Confidence in the physician's approach     -- Communication -- Physician's bedside manner, responsiveness and rapport     -- Availability -- Convenience for making appointments and physician's        punctuality     -- Environment -- Condition of the office, staff helpfulness, atmosphere        and amenities  

Consumers will also be asked whether they would recommend their doctor to others. The survey also features a comments section, allowing members to explain their ratings. These categories are solely designed to reflect a consumer's experience with a physician and not to reflect the quality of care received.

For each network physician, the online entry will display contact information, ratings on a 30-point scale for each of the four categories, and the percentage of members who recommend that physician. The most recent comments will be displayed first, and members will have the option to rate the usefulness of comments and report suspicious comments. Anthem Blue Cross members can complete the Zagat Health Survey by logging on to the secure member portal on the Anthem Blue Cross Web site.

"Consumer experience feedback is an important complement to clinical quality, cost and other information available to help consumers make informed decisions," said Dr. Kurt Tamaru, medical director, Anthem Blue Cross. "With this tool, Anthem Blue Cross is giving consumers the ability to share and learn from other people's experiences when making the important decision about selecting a doctor."

About Anthem Blue Cross:

Anthem Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association. (R) ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association.

About Zagat Survey, LLC

Known as the "burgundy bible," Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play. With more than 300,000 surveyors, Zagat Survey rates and reviews restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, shopping and a range of other entertainment categories and is lauded as the "most up-to-date," "comprehensive" and "reliable" guide ever published. Zagat content is available to consumers wherever and whenever they need it: in book format, on ZAGAT.com, via the downloadable ZAGAT TO GO for smartphones and on the mobile web with ZAGAT.mobi. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com

SOURCE Anthem Blue Cross

CONTACT: Peggy Hinz, +1-805-557-6791, [email protected], for Anthem Blue Cross