Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Selects Health Dialog to Provide Continued Care Management Services

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health Dialog Services Corporation today announced it has been selected again by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) to provide whole person care management services to BCBSF members. Under the new three-year agreement, all of BCBSF’s two million commercially insured members will have access to telephonic Health Coaching and related support across a broad spectrum of healthcare needs. The expanded agreement represents an increase of 400,000 lives as compared to the previous agreement, and includes significant data and systems integration enhancements. New terms will go into effect in January 2007.

“After a six month industry review we made the decision to renew and expand our agreement with Health Dialog because it was clear that the company continues to effectively support our members,” said Bill Kerr, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. “Health Dialog has created a multi-cultural outreach strategy to effectively engage individuals within the context of their own culture.”

Health Dialog Health Coaches, who are registered nurses, dieticians, and respiratory therapists, work with individuals and their family members telephonically and online to help them manage chronic conditions, significant medical conditions, and general health and wellness concerns. Using a Shared Decision-Making® approach, Health Coaches are available around the clock to help members understand the total picture of their health, as well as risks, benefits, and outcomes of various treatment options, so they can gain the skills and self-reliance necessary to work more effectively with their physicians. The Health Dialog program also gives members access to award-winning educational resources in print, audio, video, and online.

“We are very excited that we will continue working side by side with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida,” said George Bennett, Chairman and CEO, Health Dialog. “Over the past four years we have together made great progress in improving healthcare quality and reducing healthcare costs and we look forward to continued advancements as we continue to integrate, innovate, and make healthcare better.”

About Health Dialog

Health Dialog is a leading provider of care management services, including disease management, and is one of the fastest growing privately held firms in the U.S. The firm helps physician groups, health plans, and self-insured employers improve healthcare quality while reducing overall costs. The firm’s services include analytic services and telephonic, online, and other care management support for individuals, payors, and physicians. Health Dialog helps individuals become more actively engaged in the management of their health and healthcare and have more effective relationships with their physicians. For more information about Health Dialog, please visit their website www.healthdialog.com.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is a leader in Florida's health industry. BCBSF and its subsidiaries serve more than 8.6 million people. Since 1944, the company has been dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of all those it serves by offering an array of choices. BCBSF is a not-for-profit, policyholder-owned, tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please see their website http://www.bcbsfl.com.