Popular Capital BlueCross Consumer Tool Gets Even Better With Recent Enhancements

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital BlueCross has significantly enhanced its popular online suite of transparency tools to help members better understand and compare cost, quality and satisfaction among providers as well as spend their health care money wisely. In 2010, Capital BlueCross was the first health insurer to bring this type of tool to our market.

The updated MyCare Advisor tool meets members' need for immediate, round-the-clock access to useful and accurate provider cost and quality information for over 100 common elective medical procedures. Enhancements include added hospital quality measures, driving directions to providers, the ability to conveniently search by city or state, and a number of new navigational features.

Simple to access and use, the enhanced MyCare Advisor helps members shop for high quality, cost effective medical procedures in the same way they do for cars, computers and houses. Members just need to log into the secure member portal at mycapbluecross.com, click on the MyCare Advisor link, choose a procedure category and select a ZIP code.  Then, all of the facilities that meet certain criteria for the selected procedure are displayed for review and comparison. For instance, a recent comparison among Harrisburg-area facilities shows that the cost of a colonoscopy ranges from $1,083 to $2,336, while a CAT scan of the head ranges from $184 to $1,537.

Quality Information:  In addition to cost ranges, information available to members includes the name and contact information for each facility; the network the facility is participating in; the number of procedures performed annually at each facility; and whether the facility has a Blue Distinction Center of Excellence designation which is reserved for centers that meet higher quality and outcomes standards for more complex procedures, such as cardiac care, hip replacement and complex cancer treatment.  There also are quality measures that indicate how well doctors and nurses communicate with patients, how well they manage their pain, and how well information about medication and discharge is conveyed. 

"Historically, people don't spend the same amount of time scrutinizing their health care purchases as they do buying a new vehicle, or even buying groceries," said Dr. Christopher Rumpf, Capital BlueCross Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. "With the rough economy forcing us all to be more mindful of value, Capital BlueCross is pleased to be able to help our members take a good look at medical costs and quality using MyCare Advisor, which is especially for those with deductibles or co-insurance."

Capital BlueCross has a long history of bringing innovative resources, like MyCare Advisor, to its members to help reduce cost, increase quality and improve satisfaction. These MyCare Advisor enhancements are the first of a series of planned member-focused, transparency initiatives in 2012.

Capital BlueCross is the leading health insurer in its region, providing health insurance coverage to residents in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. The company is committed to making health insurance simple for its customers and members through all the stages of life by offering nationally acclaimed customer service and a full range of innovative benefit programs for groups and individuals at competitive prices.

By establishing a culture of caring, Capital BlueCross constantly strives to do more in order to deliver more for the men, women and children who depend on the company for their health insurance needs. Capital BlueCross has been providing medical value to the people and communities of central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley for more than 70 years and employs over 1,800 people in the region.

Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

More information about Capital BlueCross and its subsidiaries can be found by going to www.capbluecross.com.

SOURCE Capital BlueCross