Affordable Care

One way we are making care more affordable is by significantly reducing our own costs. In 2011 our total administrative spending was the lowest since 2006. However, in order to make health care more affordable we need to reduce the overall cost of medical care, which accounts for approximately 90 cents of every premium dollar. Our broad strategy to bring down health care costs includes:

• Innovative ways to pay for health care services, like our Alternative Quality Contract, which is helping physicians improve the quality of patient care
  
  
• New health insurance plans that emphasize greater value for members and employers, such as:
  
  
  • Blue Options: A tiered-network plan that rewards members with lower premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for choosing doctors and hospitals that deliver high-quality care at lower costs
    
    
  • Hospital Choice Cost Sharing: A plan feature that allows members to lower their premiums and out-of-pocket expenses by choosing hospitals that deliver high-quality care at a lower cost
    
    
• Enhancing wellness in the workplace and chronic illness prevention initiatives
  
  
• Negotiating more modest contracts with doctors and hospitals that allow caregivers to cover their reasonable costs while meeting community expectations to make care more affordable