Availity Announces Strategic Relationship With Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Availity LLC, the industry's premier health information network, today announced a collaboration with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield inKentucky to help improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Anthem will join the Availity Health Information Network, supporting the secure exchange of health care information betweenKentucky physician practices, hospitals and health plans.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080715/CLTU028LOGO)

Availity, which was created in 2001 as a joint venture between Humana Inc. and Blue Cross Blue Shield ofFlorida, Inc., offers a secure, multi-payer, web-based solution at no cost to providers. The Availity services simplify administrative processes in the health care system and deliver a seamless, consistent user workflow - an important step toward advancing affordable patient care.

Beginning in early 2010,Kentucky providers will be able to submit eligibility and benefits inquiries, claim status inquiries and claims to Anthem, in addition to Availity's existing health plan partners, including Humana.

"Using Availity truly supports our mission at Baptist Healthcare," said Mary Ann Stewart-Herman, practice manager at Baptist Medical Associates (an affiliate of the Baptist Healthcare System). "One of our priorities is to provide effective and prompt medical care for our patients and Availity helps us do that. Access to Availity has definitely improved our efficiencies and we are thrilled to hear Anthem is going to be joining."

Availity's "one-stop-shop" approach benefits patients, providers and health plans by streamlining the health care administration process and providing a consistent user experience. And, the Availity platform provides for expansion into clinical and financial information exchange, further improving care delivery and the provider workflow.

"Our relationship with Availity continues our longstanding commitment to help simplify the health care process so that doctors and patients spend more time on care and less time on paperwork," said Deb Moessner, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield inKentucky. "The savings of time and money for providers, members and customers reflect our commitment to manage administrative costs throughout the health care system. Every penny saved on forms, phone calls, claims and benefit administration is money that can be invested in innovative products and services that improve the health of our members."

"We are delighted to work with Anthem as we expand Availity's services in Kentucky," said Russ Thomas, president of Availity. "We have been keenly interested in deploying our services in the state for some time. Our longstanding relationship with Humana makesKentucky a natural for us. With Anthem on board, we are able to offer providers a deeply valuable service enabling access to the key health plans in the state."

The Availity portal will be fully deployed inKentucky following a successful controlled deployment phase scheduled to begin in Fall, 2009.

About Availity, LLC - Patients. Not paperwork.(R)

Availity optimizes information exchange between multiple health care stakeholders through a single, secure network. The Availity Health Information Network encompasses administrative, financial, and clinical services, supporting both real-time and batch exchange via the Web, business to business (B2B) integration, and electronic data interchange (EDI). For more information, including an online demonstration, please visit www.availity.com.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans ofKentucky, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. (R)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 inKentucky is available at www.anthem.com.

SOURCE Availity, LLC

Copyright © 2009, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze, Daily News

Tags: ,HEA,HIN,JVN,FL-Availity-&, -Anthem