WC Wellchoice

WellChoice, Inc. (NYSE: WC) today announced that its primary operating subsidiary, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, launched new online functionality last month that will allow its members to create a secure, Internet-based health record that will gather and store extensive individual medical data. Once Empire members activate this feature through the member-only website, My Health Record collects health data from processed claims, including lab test results, doctor visits, immunizations, hospital stays, reported diagnoses, and pharmaceutical prescriptions. Members can also add extensive information of their own, including family medical history, health risks, allergies and prior medical history, creating an extensive, online personal health history. Privacy is extremely important, and My Health Record uses a secure HTTPS protocol and encrypts content using certificates, which provide state-of-the-art security for accessing the Internet. "The personal health record is a major advance in putting consumers in charge of their own healthcare," said Michael A. Stocker, M.D., president and CEO of WellChoice. "This is one more example of how technology can enhance the delivery of quality healthcare." Members manage My Health Record through empireblue.com, where they connect to WebMD Health's special health record feature. Upon activation, all historical data available is added to the individual's health record, and future information is added as available. Lab test results, often difficult for an individual to track, are among the data pulled into the record, with nearly 90% of all outpatient lab tests automatically added. Lab results that track specific values, such as cholesterol levels, are grouped together and graphically tracked over time. To make the downloaded data more meaningful, medical care and prescriptions are processed into concise lists, and reminders about prostate or breast cancer screenings and immunizations, as well as alerts about drug interactions, are automatically triggered. Members will be able to provide multiple physicians access to the record via the Internet later this fall, when that function is added. "When health information can be shared across multiple physicians, we believe that we will begin to see a reduction in the number of tests performed and more efficient care delivered more quickly to each patient," said Dr. Stocker. "When a doctor has in hand current medical test results, and doesn't have to wait for a record to show up from another medical office or a hospital, he or she has a clearer picture of the patient's progress, and won't have to repeat tests unnecessarily." The My Health website also gives members access to additional health tracking and management tools from WebMD Health. In the My Health site, members can compare their health to their peers, take a special women's health assessment, and improve and track fitness with a custom program built on a fitness assessment. Additional tools include a symptom checker, smoking cessation support, plans for managing health during pregnancy and tracking children's health needs. The site also helps members keep current with links to health news articles and online reviews of books on health as well as to help members manage their health better. About WellChoice WellChoice, Inc. is the parent company of the largest health insurer in the State of New York, based on PPO and HMO membership. WellChoice, through its Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield subsidiaries, has the exclusive right to use the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and marks in 10 downstate New York counties and one or both of these names and marks in selected counties in upstate New York. WellChoice offers a broad portfolio of products, including managed care and traditional indemnity products, and has a varied customer base including large group, middle-market and small group, individual, and national accounts. Additional information on WellChoice can be found at http://www.wellchoice.com. Cautionary Statement Some of the information contained in this press release is forward-looking, including statements relating to future financial or business results. Forward-looking information is based on management's estimates, assumptions and projections and is subject to significant uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the company's control. Important risk factors could cause future results to differ materially from those estimated by management. Those risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: our ability to accurately predict health care costs and to manage those costs through underwriting criteria, quality initiatives and medical management; product design and negotiation of favorable provider reimbursement rates; our ability to maintain or increase our premium rates; possible reductions in enrollment in our products or changes in membership including the loss of either the New York City or the New York State account; the regional concentration of our business in the New York metropolitan area and the effects of economic downturns in that region or generally; future bio-terrorist activity or other potential public health epidemics; the impact of health care reform and other regulatory matters; the outcome of litigation. For a more detailed discussion of these and other important factors that may materially affect WellChoice, please see WellChoice's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion of risk factors and historical results of operations and financial condition in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2005.