Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) this week announced that is has launched a safe and secure online social forum, My Blue Community^SM, for members to interact with other Blue Cross & Blue Shield members from around the nation on health and wellness-related topics such as allergies and asthma, cold and flu, diabetes, addiction, cancer and dental.  Members not only get guidance from experts such as chefs, trainers and health coaches, they can interact with one another, exchange information, share experiences, and offer advice to individuals who can relate to a similar situation or challenge. 

“A recent study from the Yale School of Public Health suggests that women who have had a heart attack can be susceptible to depression and other health challenges without the appropriate social support¹,” said Jim Gallagher, BCBSRI assistant vice president of strategic marketing and product innovation.  “My Blue Community is designed to be an extension of the support one may receive from providers or family members and can have a positive effect on health outcomes.”

In one recent discussion, a member, who recently lost 60 pounds and plans to lose 100 more, inquired about strategies to fight the constant need to chew.  Other members offered suggestions from eating a handful of sunflower seeds to chewing gum to eating ice.  Additionally, a health coach made suggestions like taking small packages of vegetables to drinking the recommended daily water intake.   The member who posted the question commented favorably on the suggestions and thanked the others in support of his “food addiction.”

When BCBSRI asked My Blue Community members to comment on why they like the site, one user said:  “Thanks for the opportunity to share, which is the best thing about the site.  I feel connected to those people that might be sharing the same thoughts.  Feeling scared, frustrated or just want to share an experience – this is the place.  It’s a safe environment to seek advice, share a recipe or talk about health issues.  I feel these peers are in it with me and that they are trustworthy.”

My Blue Community currently has more than 50,000 health-related discussions already under way and about 25,000 members across the nation.  The new online network can be accessed from www.BCBSRI.com.

About Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island:

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is the state’s leading health insurer and covers more than 600,000 members. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

CIGNA (NYSE:CI) has signed on as an outreach partner of the text4baby program, a national initiative to deliver vital health information via free text messages to pregnant women and new mothers, with the goal of helping women have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy newborns. Text4baby is a program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB).

Women can sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. Beginning the next day, they’ll receive a free, daily message for six days. After that, the service will provide three free messages each week, timed to the mom’s due date or her baby’s date of birth.

CIGNA will promote the text4baby program through its own Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy BabiesSM program, which gives expectant mothers information and support throughout pregnancy; through CIGNA’s 24-hour nurse line; and through myCIGNA.com, CIGNA’s personalized Web site for people enrolled in a CIGNA health plan.

“We’re delighted that CIGNA has joined our efforts to promote this innovative mobile-based service, and we commend CIGNA for all it does to help improve maternal and infant health,” said Judy Meehan, executive director of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.

“Nothing is more important than the delivery of healthy, full-term babies,” said Dr. Alan Fleischman, senior vice president and medical director for the March of Dimes, which CIGNA has backed as a national sponsor for 16 years. “We applaud CIGNA for its longstanding commitment to healthy babies and its support of the text4baby program.”

“Healthy babies start with a healthy pregnancy, and healthy pregnancies start with quality prenatal care and access to good information,” said Jeff Kang, M.D., CIGNA’s chief medical officer. “The text4baby program delivers timely information to expectant or new mothers in an innovative way, and we are pleased to support these efforts to help improve the health of both mother and child.”

The text4baby program is supported by numerous businesses throughout the country. U.S. government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services. The mobile health platform is provided by Voxiva and free messaging services are generously provided by participating wireless service providers.

More information about text4baby is available at http://www.text4baby.org/.

About CIGNA

CIGNA (NYSE:CI), a global health service company, is dedicated to helping people improve their health, well being and sense of security. CIGNA Corporation’s operating subsidiaries provide an integrated suite of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance, to approximately 46 million people throughout the United States and around the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com.

MAXIMUS (NYSE:MMS), a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced today that the Company and the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will co-present a case study on engaging public health insurance program participants using social media at the upcoming Medicaid Managed Care Congress.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been working with MAXIMUS, the Medicaid managed care enrollment counselor for the South Carolina Healthy Connections Choices program, on a demonstration project to examine the usefulness of social media technologies for outreach to low-income populations. The demonstration project, in partnership with the MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy, has been successful in providing health and enrollment information to consumers and program stakeholders who are actively engaged in social media networks.

Jeff Stensland, Director of Communications for the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and Sunaina Menawat, Manager of Business Development for MAXIMUS Health Services, will present their case study entitled “Utilize Social Media for Greater Member Engagement, Communication and a Broader Reach.” Stensland and Menawat will present the demonstration project from its inception, the methodology and the social media tools used, and preliminary results. They will also discuss social media in the broader context of engagement and communication.

“One of the things I like about the demonstration project is that it tests the notion that lower-income people are somehow disconnected from the changes occurring in mass media. The project’s use of social media allowed us to interact with our members in new ways,” Stensland commented. “Members saw that we established a presence on the social media sites they regularly frequent, offering them a new way to get information, offer instant feedback and even ask questions. We look forward to sharing the insight garnered from the project with the Medicaid Managed Care community.”

“We are continuously looking for new ways to bring added value to our clients by improving outreach and education efforts to program participants,” commented Bruce Caswell, President and General Manager of MAXIMUS Health Services. “Until now, social media was often seen as an unconventional channel for communicating with participants of public health insurance programs, but this demonstration project shows that social media can be effectively used to reach program participants and help them make informed choices for improved long-term health outcomes.”

The Medicaid Managed Care Congress will take place May 17-19, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, Maryland. The Congress brings together State and Federal Medicaid Officials, Medicaid Managed Care Executives and National Policy Experts in a collaborative environment to create efficiencies while improving access to high quality care.

About MAXIMUS

MAXIMUS is a leading provider of government services worldwide and is devoted to providing health and human services program management and consulting services to its clients. The Company has more than 6,500 employees located in more than 220 offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Israel. Additionally, MAXIMUS is included in the Russell 2000 Index and the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.

Source
Healthy Connections Choices

Bazaarvoicea,  a market and technology leader in hosted social commerce applications, announced that Blue Shield of California has expanded its use of the Bazaarvoice social commerce platform with the launch of Ask & Answer™ on www.blueshieldca.com. With Bazaarvoice Ask & Answer, Blue Shield of California members can now ask and respond to specific questions on health topics such as allergies, diet/food/nutrition, women’s health, first aid, and more. Ask & Answer is immediately available at https://www.blueshieldca.com/askandanswer.

“Human beings are social in nature and we’re wired to share our opinions, ask questions, and tell stories about our experiences,” said Brett Hurt, founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. “Choosing the right healthcare plan is very important, and Blue Shield is on the forefront of helping members connect with each other to ensure a positive experience and make better decisions. Blue Shield is a true innovator with their industry-first Ratings & Reviews implementation, and we’re thrilled to see them extend their success with Ask & Answer to allow members to ask and respond to specific questions that aren’t being answered elsewhere.”

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more and more Americans are relying on word of mouth when it comes to health questions. The study reports that 68 percent of American adults ask a friend or family member for health information, and 41 percent of e-patients have read someone else’s commentary or experience about a health issue online.

Ask & Answer is the newest addition to Blue Shield’s roster of online community tools designed to offer members accessible, consumer-oriented health information. The program is not intended to replace the advice of a member’s doctor. Last year, Blue Shield launched Bazaarvoice Ratings & Reviews, which allows members to publicly rate their Blue Shield health plan and share their experiences. The award-winning Ratings & Reviews pilot has generated so much feedback from members that Blue Shield will expand the program to more members this year.

About Bazaarvoice

Bazaarvoice’s Software as a Service (SaaS) social commerce solutions have served more than 100 billion pieces of customer-generated content on more than 800 brand web sites like Best Buy, Blue Shield of California, Costco, Dell, Macy’s, P&G, Panasonic, QVC, and USAA in 36 countries. The company connects organizations to their influencers through a unique network that reaches hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe, enabling authentic customer-powered marketing. Through syndication, analytics, partnerships, and consulting, Bazaarvoice brings the voice of the customer to the center of their clients’ business strategy, proving “social” can drive measured revenue growth and cost savings for manufacturing, retail, travel, and financial services companies. Headquartered in Austin, the company has offices in Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, London, Paris, Singapore, and Sydney and employs 550 team members globally. For more information and access to client success stories, visit www.bazaarvoice.com, read the blog at www.bazaarvoice.com/blog, and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bazaarvoice.

Health Net Federal Services, LLC, part of the Government Contracts segment of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) and managed care support contractor for the TRICARE North Region, has launched a Facebook page to connect with its military service members, families and customers it serves in a new way.

“We are excited about the opportunity to engage with our beneficiaries through social media, an evolving vehicle of choice to communicate conveniently and in real time,” said Steve Tough, president, Health Net Federal Services. “We hope this serves as yet another avenue for beneficiaries to retrieve the latest TRICARE North information.”

On its Facebook page, Health Net Federal Services will highlight TRICARE news, benefit changes, healthy living tips and stories that interest its military families. Specifically, this month, Health Net Federal Services will highlight Month of the Military Child, alcohol awareness, and tips to keep military families sailing smoothly through a Permanent Change of Station.

Throughout May, posts will focus on Emergent and Urgent Care, Behavioral Health, Mother’s Day, Military Family Appreciation Month, Armed Forces Day and Asthma. Health Net Federal Services invites all TRICARE North Region beneficiaries, providers and its partners to follow it on Facebook.

To become a Fan of Health Net Federal Services, visit: http://www.facebook.com/healthnetfederalservices.

About Health Net Federal Services: Health Net Federal Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc., has a long history of providing cost-effective, quality managed health care programs for government agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. As the managed care support contractor for the TRICARE North Region, Health Net provides health care services to nearly 3.0 million uniformed services beneficiaries, active and retired, and their families.

To help kids to make healthy decisions, MVP Health Care has launched a new and improved version of its KidPower Program, www.mvpkidpower.com on Facebook.

Being on Facebook enables KidPower to actually connect with families in their living rooms or on handheld devices through daily posts that motivate and inspire them to get active, eat better and live healthier lives,” said David Henderson, MVP Health Care executive vice president. “There is rich content for every family interested in a healthy active lifestyle for their children and the site can even be used as a resource for youth sports coaches, summer camp staff or anyone running a program for young people,” Henderson added.

While Facebook users can become fans of the page and actively participate in dialogue and discussions, anyone can access the site to view upcoming events in their area, flip through photos and videos from past events and get connected with expert advice from top athletes such as Olympic Gold Medalist soccer player Abby Wambach, legendary lacrosse star (now Syracuse University coach) Gary Gait and the MVP Health Care cycling team.

The MVP KidPower program began hosting free youth soccer clinics lead by Abby Wambach in 2004. Added to the clinic circuit in 2009 was Gary Gait. Combined, the two athletes have attracted more than 22,000 aspiring young athletes for instructional demonstrations, skill drills and motivational talks. The site will be used to advertise registration for these clinics, in addition to promoting community marathons, road races, kids’ fairs and safety rodeos sponsored by MVP Health Care.

MVP Health Care:
MVP Health Care provides fully insured and self-funded employer health benefits plans, dental insurance, and ancillary products, such as flexible spending accounts in New York state, Vermont, and New Hampshire through its operating subsidiaries. For details, visit www.mvphealthcare.com.

With the average teen spending approximately nine hours a week on social networking sites, the UCLA School of Public Health has partnered with Health Net of California to develop a health literacy training intervention using social media to encourage adolescents ages 13 to 17 to utilize their health care more effectively.

The two-year project, funded by a $1.1 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, will use a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of two different interventions a Web-based social media intervention and a usual care intervention to improve preventive care and decrease emergency room visits among adolescents.

“Over 90 percent of teens today use social networking sites, not just to interact with their peers but also to get information about issues that are important to them,” said Michael Prelip, a professor of community health sciences at the UCLA School of Public Health and one of the principal investigators of the project. “This intervention will provide important clues about the effectiveness of social media in influencing adolescents understanding of their health care rights, responsibilities and benefits so that they can become good health care consumers.”

Health Net initially approached UCLA in 2007 to partner on the grant opportunity, which was successfully awarded two years later.

While 88 percent of teens have health insurance, they may have little experience or skill using the current health care system effectively, said the projects principal investigator, Deborah Glik, a UCLA professor of community health sciences.

“One of our chief goals is establishing best practices for encouraging teens to use their insurance and the health care system so they can become knowledgeable health care consumers as they transition into adulthood,” said Nancy Wongvipat Kalev, Health Net’s director of Health Education and Cultural and Linguistic Services and one of the study’s collaborators. Health Net and the UCLA School of Public Health have a shared goal of ensuring that everyone makes effective use of his or her doctor’s services and that we both understand what motivates young people to access care.

The study will assess the impact of various traditional and newer social media interventions on utilization patterns, health literacy, preventive health care interactions with primary care providers, adoption of preventive health practices, health information-seeking, and attitudes toward health care.

About Health Net

Health Net of California, a subsidiary of Health Net Inc., is one of the largest health plans in the state. Together with Health Net Life Insurance Company, it serves more than 2.2 million members statewide and contracts with more than 56,000 physicians, 300-plus hospitals and nearly 5,000 pharmacies, giving its members greater choice and more convenient access to care. Its commercial HMO and POS, Medicare, and Medicaid lines of business have received “excellent” accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. For more information about Health Net, visit its website at www.healthnet.com

About The UCLA School of Public Health

The UCLA School of Public Health is dedicated to enhancing the public’s health by conducting innovative research; training future leaders and health professionals; translating research into policy and practice; and serving local, national and international communities. For more information, visit www.ph.ucla.edu.

Aetna (NYSE:�AET) today announced a new team-based fitness and nutrition program for employers nationwide that uses online social networking to encourage people of all health and fitness levels to work together with their colleagues to achieve their optimal health. Powered by�Shape Up The Nation, Aetna Health Connections Get Active!^SM is modeled after Aetna�s own Get Active Aetna employee program. The program has been exceptionally successful among Aetna’s own employees, with 57 percent of employees participating in the program in 2009.

“We all know the health benefits of losing weight, being more active, quitting smoking, eating a healthier diet and more, but many people don�t know where to begin and the thought of doing it alone is often daunting,” said Lonny Reisman, M.D., Aetna’s chief medical officer. “Introducing a program to employees that includes a group dynamic has proven effective for motivating Aetna�s own employees to get healthy. In fact, many Aetna employees have shared amazing success stories about how the program helped them achieve and sustain healthy lifestyles. Now, Aetna is bringing this program to our customers so that other companies can enjoy the success that Aetna has had with its own employees.”

Kip Hill, an Aetna employee in Arlington, Texas, credits the program with helping him lose 120 pounds by eating better and exercising regularly. Hill has participated for three years and says, “It is such an important program. I’m a competitive person, so this makes exercise fun because you have teams and you are rooting each other on.” Now, just 40 pounds away from his goal weight, he�s already met another important health goal � quitting smoking. “I love the program because it makes you think about how to fit exercise into your busy schedule and if you continue to do it all year long, you really see a difference.” Now, Hill is even more active, leading his son’s Cub Scout pack and once he reaches his goal weight, Hill says he hopes to enjoy a whole range of activities with his two sons, like karate, kickboxing and hiking.

Aetna Health Connections Get Active!
Powered by�Shape Up The Nation, a wellness company focused on leveraging the power of trusted social networks to promote healthy living, Aetna Health Connections Get Active! is being offered to large- and medium-sized employers who want to help employees of all health and fitness levels improve their overall health. The social networking platform is designed to unite employees to schedule group exercise opportunities, find colleagues with similar health interests, use online fitness and nutrition trackers and participate in team competitions. Participants can invite, challenge, track and motivate each other throughout the year. Aetna Health Connections Get Active! joins Aetna’s full suite of health and wellness programs aimed at helping people achieve their optimal health.

“We are proud to partner with Aetna to bring our employee wellness platform to their customers,” said Mike Zani, Shape Up The Nation’s chief executive officer. “Research shows that trusted social networks can be harnessed to encourage healthy behaviors and increase the likelihood for success through peer motivation, support, and accountability. Aetna members will benefit greatly from this powerful new tool for improving their health.”

Get Active Aetna results
Aetna has used a variety of wellness programs, including its own Get Active Aetna program, now in its third year. More than 20,000 Aetna employees actively participated in the program in 2009. In 2008, nearly 60 percent of employees participated and as a whole, participants walked the equivalent of 132 times around the earth’s equator. This year, Aetna employees walked 3.9 million miles or the equivalent of circling the equator 156 times.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.

About Shape Up The Nation
Shape Up The Nation is the first wellness company focused on leveraging the power of trusted social networks to promote healthy living. Founded in 2006, Shape Up The Nation has pioneered an innovative approach to behavior change that uses social networking to reduce health care costs by improving the health of large populations through peer motivation, support, and accountability. Shape Up The Nation�s evidence-based online platform is used by more than 100 leading self-insured employers and health plans. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Shape Up The Nation is online at www.shapeupthenation.com.

Source: Aetna

Blue Shield of California announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind initiative called Ratings and Reviews, which allows members to provide candid, public feedback about their experiences with Blue Shield’s plans. The program gives Blue Shield of California members a platform to share their opinions about the different plans, and will allow potential members to get tips and advice about choosing the right plan for their needs. The new program is already available to some members, and early feedback can be seen at www.blueshieldca.com/bsc/reviews/home.jhtml.

“Our members want to be heard and want to be able to interact with us and with each other in exciting new ways. We plan to address any issues raised in these forums openly to help our members get easy access to quality and affordable health care,” said Rob Geyer, senior vice president of customer operations at Blue Shield of California. “We’re proud to be the first health plan in the country to be fully transparent and encourage our members to share their health care experiences online in a richer and more visible way.”

Members can rate their Blue Shield health plan and read other members’ reviews by logging in to their account. The “rating” section uses a five star scale to measure overall satisfaction, customer service, value, doctor access, prescription drug coverage and whether or not the plan is easy to use and understand. The “review” section offers members an area to write in comments, advice and suggestions.

The Ratings and Reviews program is the latest in a series of initiatives that the not-for-profit health plan has undertaken to allow Californians to voice their recommendations about improving care. In 2007, Blue Shield’s “Chat Boxes” program gave Californians a chance to speak their mind in front of TV cameras – and resulted in new stand-alone dental products, improved online tools for finding a provider and applying for insurance and broader multi-language capabilities, among many other improvements.

About Blue Shield of California

Medicare plan HealthSpring today became the first major Medicare Advantage plan to establish a presence on popular social media site Facebook. “Our research tells us that many Medicare beneficiaries – and even more of their children or younger individuals soon becoming eligible for Medicare – use the Internet regularly and are looking to the web for information about key decisions such as choosing a Medicare plan,” HealthSpring Vice President of Marketing Mark Tinsey said. “We are excited to expand our online presence through Facebook and provide further access to information for prospective members and the general public.”

HealthSpring said it will use Facebook to establish a branding presence and provide visitors with basic information about the company. The site features video clips and photos from the company’s current advertising campaign and directs visitors to HealthSpring’s website or phone lines for more information.

Establishing a Facebook presence required approval through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees Medicare plans such as HealthSpring, the company said. “We were surprised to find when we approached CMS about Facebook that no other plans were trying to do this,” Tinsey said. “I’m certain it will soon become common practice, and we’re pleased to have been able to work through the process with CMS to get approval and establish compliance guidelines for how Facebook can be used.”

“We think it’s important to provide as many ways as possible for the public to learn about HealthSpring,” Tinsey said. “Particularly as baby boomers become eligible for Medicare, it just makes sense that Facebook would be one of those ways.”

HealthSpring’s Facebook page is located at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/HealthSpring/154249412054?v=app_4949752878.

HealthSpring is based in Nashville, Tenn., and is one of the country’s largest Medicare Advantage coordinated care plans. HealthSpring currently owns and operates Medicare Advantage plans in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas and also offers a national stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan. For more information, visit www.healthspring.com.

SOURCE: HealthSpring