Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield marks 75 years of improving health in Wisconsin
Company committed more than $1.5 million to charitable causes in 2014
MILWAUKEE – August 3, 2015 – Fear of an unexpected illness leading to financial ruin is not unique to our time. In fact, as recently as the 1930s, formal health insurance networks did not exist, and families had to pay out of pocket or barter with the local doctor to get the medical care they needed.
This changed in Wisconsin for the better beginning in 1940 when six Milwaukee hospitals formed Associated Hospital Services (later known as Blue Cross of Wisconsin), a prepayment insurance plan that provided people with hospital coverage. Then, in 1943, the Medical Society of Milwaukee County formed Surgical Care Blue Shield, a prepayment plan that provided physician coverage. Separately and, later, together, these two organizations helped usher in a new era in health care, providing financial security for generations of Wisconsin families.
Now, 75 years since its earliest roots, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin (Anthem) remains an industry leader focused on improving health care with trusted and caring solutions.
“Health care is always changing and we’ve tried to not just keep up, but to lead,” said Larry Schreiber, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin. “Our networks and products have grown and changed through the years, but the one thing that has not changed is our commitment to serving the people of Wisconsin and to improving health throughout the state.”
Today, Anthem is at the forefront of increasingly sophisticated insurer-provider collaborations that are working to improve the safety, value and efficiency of health care. Recent highlights include:
- Participation in Wisconsin’s federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace since its launch in 2013;
- Development of Blue Priority, Anthem’s high-value network, which features some of the state’s highest quality, most cost-efficient health care providers to provide a patient-centered health care experience; and
- Enabling 24/7/365 access to a doctor via the company’s LiveHealth Online telehealth benefit.
In the community, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its corporate foundation work to identify the local health issues most need of attention, and then direct the company’s charitable support and volunteer efforts toward improving health in those areas. Anthem’s current focus is on promoting active lifestyles and working to reduce the devastating impact of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease and lung disease on Wisconsin children, adults and seniors. In 2014, the activities of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, its foundation, and associates resulted in more than $1.5 million and hundreds of volunteer hours being directed to health-improving causes and programs throughout Wisconsin.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s ongoing community support is anchored by the company’s year-round programs that encourage volunteerism and philanthropy:
- Associate Giving Program – Recognizes associate contributions to health and human services nonprofits with a 50 percent match from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation.
- Dollars for Doers – Gives company associates an opportunity to track service hours and earn a grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to the charities at which they volunteer.
- Paid Time Off – Provides associates with up to eight hours of paid time per calendar year to use to volunteer at a qualified 501(c)(3) charity of their choice.
The company has also been recognized by multiple organizations for its workplace environment and diversity initiatives, including the 2015 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles® Platinum award from The National Business Group on Health, and CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ re-accreditation from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
“We’re tremendously proud to celebrate our 75th anniversary this year, and know there is much more work still to be done,” Schreiber said. “The advances made over the past 75 years are just the beginning and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for our society and our health care system.”
Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, its products and community involvement can be found atwww.anthem.com and on the Wisconsin Digital Newsroom blog at anthemwi.tumblr.com.
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About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin (BCBSWi), which underwrites or administers the PPO and indemnity policies; Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation (Compcare), which underwrites or administers the HMO policies; and Compcare and BCBSWi collectively, which underwrite or administer the POS policies. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin is available atwww.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinIn, or visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.
About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
Through charitable grant making, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, promotes Anthem’s inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s annual associate giving campaign and its parent foundation provides a 50 percent match of associates’ campaign pledges. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
