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A GROWING COMMITMENT
TO NEW YORK HEALTH Empire to become Anthem, signaling a continued journey to improve the whole health of New Yorkers. Empire BlueCross BlueShield has been on a mission to improve the health of all New Yorkers and when the company becomes Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield on January 1, 2024, that commitment becomes stronger than ever. As Anthem, the company will continue its unwavering dedication to elevating the whole health of the communities it serves, as it has for the past 89 years.
“As we take on the Anthem name, it represents our continued journey to materially improve the “Our New York health of our presence is not members and our communities.” changing,” said
Victor DeStefano, interim president of New York Commercial Business for Empire. “Our commitment to the community and our social responsibility to New York remains the same.”
— Victor DeStefano, interim president, New York Commercial Business
Empire joined the Anthem family of health plans in 2006 and continued to use the Empire name. “As Empire's commercial, Medicaid and Medicare health plans transition to the Anthem name, the company is well prepared to ensure it is business as usual for their valued customers, partners and members,” said Victor DeStefano. DeStefano described the transition as a reflection, in part, of the
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Company associates engaging with the community at a Food Bank event in Queens.
28
New York counties served
BY THE NUMBERS
4.875
14
states served
48.1
million members
million members
5007
employees
ever-changing healthcare landscape and culture. “As we take on the Anthem name, it represents our continued journey to materially improve the health of our members and our communities,” DeStefano said.
104,000 employees
Efficiencies for members, providers
The Empire-to-Anthem transition responds to the needs of a society that is increasingly mobile, where individuals may live in one state and work Continued on next page JUNE 19, 2023 S1
Continued from previous page in another. In 13 other states, Empire’s sister companies are all known as Anthem. Alison Forte, Empire’s staff vice president of sales operations and administration, said that many members live on the border of New Jersey or Connecticut; the shift to Anthem allows for greater brand recognition anywhere you are in the country and will help eliminate any potential confusion. “If a family member had a real emergency elsewhere in the country, it could be hard to navigate,” Forte said. “Anthem’s unified brand can remove those obstacles.” Another benefit to members will be the speed and efficiencies in which new products and benefits are able to come to market, as they won’t have to be positioned under two different names, Forte said. Care providers will also see efficiencies with both Anthem and Empire under the same name.
Members of the New York Medicaid team at a recent Maternity Health event.
"There’s a constant flow of medical management information with thousands of nurses calling thousands of care providers—it’s a huge administrative aspect that up to now has cost care providers
Commitment to data, technology improves whole health outcomes
V
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ictor DeStefano is passionate about the future of health care and the opportunities that Anthem’s investment in technology will create.
post-surgery had “blurred vision” as a known side effect. The ophthalmologist contacted the child’s pulmonologist, who agreed the dosage of the medication needed to be lowered.
DeStefano, interim president for New York commercial business, recalled a specific situation where a patient benefited from the Empire’s robust medical records system. This patient, a child, was experiencing blurred vision the week after an organ transplant. When an ophthalmologist searched the patient’s history in the Anthem systems database, it was discovered that one of the medications prescribed
As the health care universe continues to evolve and innovate, the greatest opportunities leverage data. The transition from Empire to Anthem highlights a shared use of data across 14 Anthem markets.
JUNE 19, 2023
Anthem’s data can improve patient outcomes.
In another case, DeStefano referenced the opportunities presented by a
time, money and resources,” said Daniel Jorgenson regional vice president for care provider relations. “In our effort to constantly improve our performance for providers, this transition will cut down
database that provides a transparent view of prescriptions throughout the Anthem network — even among dentists. This database would allow a medical provider to, for instance, verify whether a patient has already been prescribed an opioid by a dentist before potentially over-prescribing the pain-reducing drug, and vice-versa. “We have the system to do that, so a participating dentist can easily get in touch with a patient’s physician to get the details,” DeStefano said. SydneySM Health app among suite of tech tools
DeStefano remembers waking up with a sore throat, worried that he might have strep throat and pass it on to his young children at home. It was 6
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transition from Empire to Anthem is the focus on and continuity of the Blue Cross Blue Shield.
for Empire’s Medicaid division currently known as HealthPlus New York. “We’re a company focused on whole health.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the most recognizable health care brands in the country; 1 in 3 Americans are covered by a Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plan. Nationwide, more than 1.7 million doctors and hospitals contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield companies — more than any other insurer. Blue Cross Blue Shield's reach in the business community is strong with 70 percent of the Fortune 500 insured by a Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield company.
That focus already mirrors Anthem’s focus on engaging with and educating members about their health and striving to improve the wellbeing of entire communities. “You can’t be healthy if you’re living in a community where there isn’t access to fresh food or where there is a shortage of healthcare providers or problems with air quality,” Levy said.
Strengthening the whole health mission
on the administrative work and make everything that much more efficient.” The Power of the Blues brand
“We’re not just a health insurance company. We’re a company focused on whole health. — Dr. Mark Levy, president and CEO for New York's Medicaid division.
Alongside the name transition shift has been Empire’s growing commitment in recent years to redefining its mission.
One key element that will remain in the
“We’re not just a health insurance company,” said Dr. Mark Levy, president and CEO
a.m. and urgent care clinics would not be open for hours, so DeStefano picked up his phone and logged into Anthem’s popular Sydney Health app.
Members can use Sydney Health to check symptoms, schedule appointments and connect with providers using secure video or text chat at low or no additional cost.
“I texted with a doctor, and she had me send photos of my throat securely through the app,” DeStefano said. The doctor set DeStefano’s mind at ease: he didn’t have strep throat.
One of the app's compelling capabilities is its ability to help Anthem members establish a relationship with a primary care provider. While these virtual providers can provide urgent care for allergies, flu and skin rashes, they can also provide a comprehensive annual wellness visit, address more than 400 conditions, and help with management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma.
That immediate clarity, along with the easy access to care, is part of what DeStefano and other Empire leaders consider a game-changer for its members. With more than 2.6 million users nationwide, Sydney Health is one of the industry’s fastest growing apps. But its capabilities transcend searching for care providers or explanations of benefits.
The Anthem brand has a strong footprint beyond just New York that will allow for this whole health mission to strengthen and expand.
Levy added, “As part of the Anthem family, we strive to advance health beyond healthcare, by serving people across their entire health journey and addressing their full range of needs with an integrated whole-health approach.”
“Our growing use of data and technology allows us to better understand and improve the health needs of our members,” DeStefano said.
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Anthem’s shared commitment to elevating whole health within our communities
W
hile the company name may be changing to Anthem, the community commitment will remain unchanged. For instance, when| Empire discovered blood pressure rates trending high in a predominantly South Asian community in Queens, the health insurer took note — and action. Upon closer look, company leaders discovered most of the members in that community were on Medicaid but had day jobs and could not easily get to daytime events that offered blood pressure screenings. After Empire moved the events to weekends and evenings, it saw the overall blood pressure for the tracked members in the community drop by 5 percent. A similar data-driven community health story unfolded in Brooklyn: the company discovered that the rate of low-birth-weight babies born to Black women were three times the city’s overall average rate. The company targeted one predominantly Black neighborhood by funding a local organization that trained doulas and provided food delivery programs to support nutrition. The number of low-birth-weight babies for the tracked members in that neighborhood decreased by 3.5 percent. Both efforts relied on granular, ZIP codebased data and targeted interventions designed to support positive health outcomes. “That’s the difference between being just a health insurance company and a company focused on whole health,” said Dr. Mark Levy, president and CEO for Empire’s Medicaid division. “We would prefer to teach our members about fitness and nutrition and help them get fruits and vegetables so they can proactively take control of their health,” Levy said. Addressing food insecurity, education and beyond Last year, Empire associates volunteered more than 10,000 hours in the community. In addition, Empire partners with more than 300 nonprofits, including Food Bank for New York City, City Harvest, and Tent Ministries, with whom Empire funds a co-branded food distribution truck that serves Brooklyn. Finding the right community partnerships that help Empire have impact in the community is critical. Aside from the food assistance programs, some of the company's community partnerships include: S4
JUNE 19, 2023
Bronx’s Longwood Prep students participating in Mindfulness with the Mets program at Citi Field designed to inspire youth to have a healthy and active lifestyle.
team’s Health & Wellness programming, the Mets, with Empire's support, launched “Mindfulness with the Mets.” This program encouraged young students to learn about the importance of mental health and find ways to bring positive thinking and solutions to help ease anxiety and combat depression.
The distribution of groceries is particularly important, Franklin says, noting that many members live in neighborhoods with easy access to sugar-filled drinks and fast food but with a lack of supermarkets selling affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. “We have community health educators talking about nutrition at stimulating and appealing events,” she said.
■ PENCIL Inc.: The nonprofit that
Community centers as problem solvers
■ New York Mets: To complement the
helps mentor students in the Bronx about everything from financial literacy to writing resumés.
■ Public Health Solutions: Empire
worked to establish a diaper distribution bank.
■ Public School 398: In addition to
a food pantry, Empire administers blood pressure screenings outside the school.
■ Montefiore Medical Center and the New York Parks Department:
The groups co-hosted Fit Fest in the Bronx, inviting community-based organizations to come to share resources and educational materials with community members in attendance. “Unlike most of our competitors here in New York, we’re able to leverage our foundation to provide grants for local organizations to address whole-health issues,” said Manisha Franklin, Empire’s director of community relations for Medicaid. “The job is not done until every child has access to quality education and healthcare, but in the meantime every bag of groceries and every diaper makes a difference for our communities.”
Empire has 16 community service centers across New York that will soon feature the Anthem name. These centers help Medicaid members navigate their health insurance plans — but they also support the community in navigating social and economic barriers that might prevent them from getting the care they need in the first place. While the associates at the centers are helping to solve these problems, they are also building relationships. “We have deep roots in the communities that we serve,” Franklin said. “Social responsibility is a pillar that we stand on.” Beyond these centers, Empire coordinates and facilitates from 100 to 200 events a month in underserved communities — frequently in partnership with local nonprofits. Empire associates speak most of the major languages represented in New York’s diverse communities. “We are there to make people’s lives better and help them know the faces of our staff,” said Victor Bell, director of Medicaid sales and marketing for Empire. “The relationships we have with our members and partners in the community will continue to be our guiding light.”