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Enrollment in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas* (collectively "BCBS") BlueEdgeSM consumer-directed healthplan (CDHP) has reached more than 661,000 members, far surpassing the 500,000 milestone. With the launch of new features and product options, BlueEdgeSM enrollment has grown at an annual rate of more than 210,000 members, with a 40 percent participation rate, since its introduction in 2004.**
The success of BlueEdgeSM comes from combining a holistic consumerism strategy with an extensive member engagement approach that:
- Empowers members to become more accountable through innovative plan options and incentive programs
- Engages members at every stage of their health care experience with online health management and wellness tools as well as member outreach options
- Creates a seamless product experience via guidance from customer advocates combined with self-service Web service features including the ability to view pharmacy information and spending account balance and transaction history without having to leave the BCBS secure member portal, Blue Access® for Members (BAM).
Incentives play a key role in promoting wellness in consumer directed health plan designs. BCBS offers several incentive options – including our BlueEdgeSM Wellness Rewards Health Care Account (HCA) – that employers can customize to help their employee population meet wellness goals. More than 100,000 members were enrolled in BlueEdgeSM Wellness Rewards HCA by the end of 2007. ** The numbers continue to grow as employers increasingly include incentives as a part of their wellness approach.
Contributing to the success of our consumer-directed products is a focus on preventive care with wellness benefits, which are typically covered at 100 percent of the allowable amount. Consumer-directed healthplans that promote wellness have the potential to prevent more costly medical care in the future. With BlueEdgeSM products, employers choose from a number of standard and custom preventive benefit options that can help promote healthy behaviors among members.
Today, more than ever, consumers are seeking information to make good health care decisions. A 2005 survey shows that 61 percent of respondents had sought health information within the 12 months prior to the survey. Another 52 percent expressed interest in taking an active role in their health care decisions (RAND Report, April 2005).
BlueEdgeSM helps meet the needs of these consumers by offering sophisticated interactive health education tools, promoting wellness, and encouraging self-management of health care and health care spending. Tools include treatment and hospital comparisons, healthplan cost estimators and the personal health manager. In addition, members can access online educational resources that cover topics such as disease prevention, weight control, fitness, nutrition, tobacco cessation and more.
With these options, members have more control over their health care and the opportunity to influence health outcomes. Employers are able to support their “information seeking” employees by offering them another choice of plans, increasing their options while having the potential to lower the employers’ health care contributions. The results speak for themselves with BlueEdgeSM members reporting a high level of satisfaction that is equal to or greater than the satisfaction level of health maintenance organization (HMO) and preferred provider organization (PPO) members.
Go to http://www.bcbstx.com/member/products/blueedge/ for more information on how BlueEdgeSM works, account options, tools and services, and FAQs.
*Divisions of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
**Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) Internal Membership System, January 2008.
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