Health Insurance Made ... Easier?

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Acknowledging consumer dissatisfaction with health insurers, Blue Shield of California pledges in a new advertising campaign to make it easier to access quality health care at competitive rates. The campaign -- which presents comedic variations on familiar complaints about the complexity, cost and limitations of health insurance -- reflects Blue Shield's ongoing commitment to making the healthcare system work better for consumers, businesses, insurance brokers and healthcare providers. The media campaign that launches today -- Blue Shield's first such effort in almost six years -- is accompanied by the introduction of a new logo and features television, billboard and online advertising.

"Most people don't like dealing with health insurance, so we're concentrating on making it easier to do business with Blue Shield," said Bruce Bodaken, chairman and CEO of Blue Shield of California. "Over time, by keeping costs down, offering one of the largest networks of physicians, and simplifying our processes and products, we will make health coverage work better for everyone."

Advertising Uses Humor to Acknowledge Concerns

The advertising campaign, designed by the award-winning agency TAXI, New York uses humor to underscore Blue Shield's acknowledgement that people are dissatisfied with their health insurance.

The television ads present regular people talking candidly about their frustrations with their insurers or with not being able to afford their current coverage. Each spot opens on a white background with the message 'we shield you from' appearing on screen, except the word 'shield' is represented by Blue Shield's iconic graphic of its signature shield. Suddenly a head appears against the white background at the end of the phrase, and begins speaking to the camera.

One spot, for example, highlights Blue Shield's efforts to simplify the explanations of benefits it offers consumers. A man says he called his health insurance company to ask what a certain procedure code meant. The customer service rep on the phone told him it was for a circumcision. "I told her I was pretty sure I had my tonsils out," he says. "We argued about it for twenty minutes. She won." At the end of the spot, the head disappears and the 'we shield you' graphic transforms into the Blue Shield logo as a voiceover announcer explains that, "An explanation of benefits shouldn't have to be explained. That's why we've made ours simpler and easier-to-read."

The outdoor campaign prompts rethinking of consumer expectations of customer service and limited access to physicians with succinct messages such as "thousands of doctors we hope you never need."

Television ads will be seen on broadcast and cable television stations in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento markets. The outdoor ads will be posted in high-traffic locations and the online ads will run throughout California. Signage featuring Blue Shield's new logo is currently posted in sports venues across the state, including San Francisco's AT&T Park and Monster Park, the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, HP Pavilion in San Jose, Angels Stadium in Anaheim, and San Diego's Petco Park.

It's more than just an ad campaign

Blue Shield's commitment to making health insurance easier goes beyond branding and advertising, and is reflected across its operations. Along with the new campaign, the company has recently launched several consumer-friendly innovations. Among these changes are:

* A new design for the company's award-winning web site with a new URL (www.blueshieldca.com) where it's easier for Blue Shield members to find a doctor, check the status of a claim and verify coverage options; * Revamped member welcome kit and enrollment materials, featuring simpler explanations of coverage choices and benefits; and * Clear Explanations of Benefit (EOB) forms that help consumers better understand who pays how much for what services

Future changes will include: new products that provide easily understood coverage at competitive rates; streamlined communications materials for providers and brokers written for people, not lawyers; enhancements to Blue Shield's online self-service capability for brokers, providers, employers and members, and other upgrades to customer service both online and over the phone.

These changes build on improvements Blue Shield has put in place over the past few years, which include:

* Maintaining a statewide network of more than 45,000 physicians and specialists, one of the largest in the state, giving consumers access to a broad range of medical expertise and care; * Introducing lower cost plans and pursuing aggressive strategies to control costs across the board; * Launching innovative services such as Healthy Lifestyle Rewards, which provides cash payments to members who participate in health improvement programs, and Nurse Line/Nurse Chat, which enables members to ask questions of a registered nurse about health concerns on the phone or in a secure Internet environment 24 hours a day, seven days a week; * Developing disease and care management programs to help members with chronic conditions including asthma, diabetes and congestive heart failure, as well as extremely serious conditions such as cancer and liver disease; and * Creating specialized self-service Web sites for physicians and brokers, enabling them to perform much of their administrative paperwork online -- from enrollment to determining eligibility to tracking claims.

Blue Shield's commitment to making health insurance easier has also been reflected in its public policy leadership and charitable activities. In 2002, Blue Shield became the first health plan in the country to offer a specific plan for universal coverage and has pursued coverage expansion legislation in Sacramento and Washington D.C. ever since. In 2005, a reinvigorated Blue Shield of California Foundation awarded nearly $30 million in grants to nonprofit organizations involved in health care and domestic violence, and will donate a similar amount in 2006.

Campaign Continues Blue Shield's Momentum

Over the past several years, Blue Shield of California has been the one of the state's fastest-growing health plans, expanding from fewer than 2.3 million members and $3.6 billion in revenues in 2000 to 3.3 million members and $7.5 billion in annual revenue today. Its leadership in reining in administrative costs, providing access to a broad network of quality providers and delivering excellent service has helped it to win large contracts with major labor trusts and government employers including CalPERS, the Department of Defense's TRICARE program for military families, and the Motion Picture Industries Health Plan.

Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company dedicated to providing Californians with access to high quality care at a reasonable price. Founded in 1939, it now has 3.3 million members, 4,500 employees, one of the largest provider networks and more than 20 office locations, providing a wide range of HMO, PPO, Medicare, Healthy Families and administrative services products throughout the state. In 2005, the company contributed $30 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation to fund nonprofit organizations that improve access to quality health care in California. Contact your local agent or broker for more information about Blue Shield products and services, or visit the Blue Shield web site at www.blueshieldca.com.