INScompanies Blog

First-of-Its-Kind Consumer-Directed Health Plan Empowers Seniors and Provides Increased Flexibility to Manage Health Care Spending

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP), the nation’s largest health benefits company, announced today that it will introduce an innovative new Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA), marking the first time an MSA plan will be available in the Medicare market. Consumers can enroll in this industry-leading plan beginning November 15, 2006 in conjunction with the Medicare open enrollment period. MSA plans will initially be offered in a number of states across the country.

The Medicare MSA plan offering is part of WellPoint’s new enterprise-wide initiative to make consumer-driven health plans available in all states and to all markets, from the largest employer to individual members.

The Medicare MSA plans include two components — a High Deductible Medicare Advantage health plan that covers Medicare benefits and a tax- advantaged Medical Savings Account (MSA). An MSA is an independent bank account, owned by the member, in which deposits will be made for use by the member to pay for health care services. ACS/Mellon Bank will serve as the custodian of the WellPoint Medicare MSA plans.

“Medicare MSAs offer an important choice for Medicare beneficiaries in that they allow members to save for future healthcare needs and exercise direct control over how their health care dollars are spent,” said Susan Rawlings, president, senior services for WellPoint. “WellPoint is committed to offering the diverse and growing senior population access to consumer directed health plans, thereby allowing our members more opportunities to choose the plans that best fit their needs and lifestyles.”

Medicare beneficiaries who would like more information about the Medicare MSA plan may call the company’s new enrollment unit in California at 888-211-9813 or elsewhere in the country at 888-949-5384. (TTY/TDD 800-297-1538). Hours of operations are 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. in all time zones.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint’s mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through its nationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefit solutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans and related services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as life and disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term care insurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at http://www.wellpoint.com .

SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.

CONTACT: Media: Naomi Goldman, +1-310-552-4197, or Investor Relations: Wayne S. DeVeydt, +1-317-488-6390, both of WellPoint, Inc.
 
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding WellPoint, Inc.’s business which are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the completed quarters in the current fiscal year.

New Roper Survey Reveals Notable Disconnect Between Seniors and Adult Children on Critical Issues; Program to ‘Connect the Generations’ and Encourage Action Now

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP), the nation’s largest health benefits company, today launched Connecting the Generations, a long-term nationwide educational initiative to help older adults and their families discuss and plan for important health and aging issues such as health care, financial security, independent living and end-of-life planning. The new initiative was designed to address the notable disconnect found between older adults and their families on critical aging issues as revealed in a new national survey conducted by Roper Public Affairs and Media Group and commissioned by WellPoint. The program encourages proactive planning on broader life issues in conjunction with the upcoming Medicare open enrollment period, when families are already engaged in assessing their health care needs and options.

The Roper/WellPoint Survey on Life, Health and Aging, which polled more than 1,000 seniors and adult children nationwide, confirmed the following key findings:

Generations Perceive Aging Differently - Adult children believe their senior parents worry more about aging issues than they actually do (53 percent vs. 33 percent).

Generations Aren’t Talking About Important Aging Issues, Especially Health - While 60 percent of adult children say they talk regularly to their parents about health matters, only 32 percent of seniors report discussing health topics regularly with their kids. Equally notable are the health and aging issues neither group talk about regularly - such as nursing homes and long-term care, wills or life insurance, funeral planning or the ability to drive.

Seniors Say They Are Comfortable Talking About Aging Issues, But Seldom Do So - While 76 percent of seniors said they are very comfortable talking about their driving ability and/or wills and life insurance with their kids, only 17 percent and 18 percent respectively report doing so. While many seniors are comfortable receiving help with their health care needs or insurance coverage, only 16 percent have discussed this regularly with their children.

Generations Are Most Disconnected on Medicare - 76 percent of adult children agree that it’s important to understand health insurance coverage and Medicare issues so they can help their parents, but more than half of adult children (52 percent) don’t understand Medicare.

Both Generations Want to Talk About Health, But Are Waiting for the Other to Bring It Up First - While nearly four in ten seniors and their adult children (37 percent) reported that they would like to discuss health issues more often, a roughly equal number (43 percent) say they would talk about if the other brought it up first.

To help older adults and their families facilitate these vital conversations and help them proactively plan for the future, WellPoint has launched Connecting the Generations — a new long-term educational initiative designed to provide valuable education and support to help fill the “gaps” in information between older adults and other generations — to ultimately create a community-at-large that is more informed, engaged and equipped to address important life issues.

“Living a secure and healthy retirement requires more than a good health care plan — it requires a life plan that has been thoughtfully discussed and communicated with family,” said Joan E. Herman, president and chief executive officer of Specialty, Senior and State-Sponsored Business for WellPoint. “Connecting the Generations is an important new component of WellPoint’s commitment to serving the needs of the nation’s growing older adult population and their families. We are excited to launch this program and offer a new level of education and service to help close the communication gaps revealed by the Roper survey.”

“The Roper survey shows that seniors and adult children are comfortable talking about health and aging, but they need to get the conversation started!” said Dr. Edward Schneider, Dean Emeritus of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. “Often, families discuss these critical life issues under duress usually after a life-changing event impacts their family or friends. The time to talk and plan is now, when plans can be made proactively. Developing these action plans is imperative, enabling families to have peace of mind and a sense of control over their future.”

The first phase of Connecting the Generations includes easily accessible resources to empower seniors and their families including:

The Connecting the Generations Conversation Guide - a 24-page free booklet with tips and information for initiating conversations on critical health and aging issues, with practical checklists for future planning.

A new Web site, (http://www.ConnectingTheGenerations.org) serves as an online resource for older adults and their families to access information on health and aging. It also includes tips for initiating family conversations, an Ask the Expert column with noted gerontology expert and author Dr. Edward Schneider, information on health plan options, and downloadable checklists for future planning.

The initiative will also reach families through an expanding network of on-the-ground community outreach supported through nonprofit, public agency and retail partnerships in select regions across the country.

Future phases of Connecting the Generations will provide new educational tools, training and programs for caregivers, physicians and other health care providers to help serve the health and lifestyle needs and interests of the diverse senior population. The initiative will grow and evolve to utilize and engage WellPoint’s significant networks of physicians, pharmacists and other health care providers, associates, agents, brokers, corporate and community partners.

The Connecting the Generations Conversation Guide, full results of The Roper/WellPoint Survey on Life, Health and Aging, further information on the initiative are available online at http://www.ConnectingTheGenerations.org or by calling 866-406-0984.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint’s mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through its nationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefit solutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans and related services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as life and disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term care insurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at http://www.wellpoint.com.

SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.

CONTACT: Media: Maggie Bava, +1-310-552-4180, Investor Relations: Wayne S. DeVeydt, +1-317-488-6390, both of WellPoint, Inc. 
 
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding WellPoint, Inc.’s business which are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the completed quarters in the current fiscal year.

WellPoint Partnership with CVS/pharmacy Designed to Educate Seniors, Provide Medicare Part D Enrollment Guidance in more than 5,800 Stores

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) announced today that it will partner with CVS/pharmacy as a part of its efforts to help educate seniors about Medicare Part D options during the upcoming Medicare Part D open enrollment period. The partnership, which will encompass more than 5,800 CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide in 43 states, is one of several new WellPoint initiatives designed to enhance customers’ overall enrollment experience. The alliance will provide seniors with readily available resources and a convenient process for reviewing Medicare Part D choices and selecting a product that best meets their needs.

Through this partnership, WellPoint and CVS/pharmacy will collaborate to educate seniors eligible to participate in Medicare Part D. WellPoint will provide in-store distribution of Making Sense of Medicare Part D, an easy-to- use educational booklet. The company will also provide personal interaction and support through on-site agents at a number of CVS/pharmacy stores during the open enrollment period.

To strengthen its portfolio of competitively priced, value added products, WellPoint has expanded the number of drugs offered in its plans while also reducing the premium costs of its products offered through a number of its affiliates.

“Through this partnership, WellPoint will make it easier, more personal and very convenient for seniors looking for support to find the best plan, price and drug benefit for them,” said Joan E. Herman, president and chief executive officer of Specialty, Senior and State-Sponsored Business for WellPoint. “It is a key priority for our company to help educate seniors about Medicare options so they are confident in the choices they are making. Community-based outreach through CVS/pharmacy’s local stores is an important element of our focused plan to accomplish that goal.”

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint’s mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities. WellPoint, Inc. is the largest health benefits company in terms of commercial membership in the United States. Through its nationwide networks, the company delivers a number of leading health benefit solutions through a broad portfolio of integrated health care plans and related services, along with a wide range of specialty products such as life and disability insurance benefits, pharmacy benefit management, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, as well as long term care insurance and flexible spending accounts. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about WellPoint is available at http://www.wellpoint.com.

About CVS/pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Corporation, is America’s largest retail pharmacy. CVS is committed to serving the healthcare needs of all customers by being the easiest pharmacy for customers to use, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS is available at http://www.cvs.com/pressroom, as well as http://investor.cvs.com.

SOURCE WellPoint, Inc.

CONTACT: Media, James P. Kappel, +1-317-488-6400; or Investor Relations, Wayne S. DeVeydt, +1-317-488-6390, both of WellPoint, Inc.
 
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding WellPoint, Inc.’s business which are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, and the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the completed quarters in the current fiscal year.