Ethnic Outreach Programs

Because diverse populations have unique health care needs and specific cultural sensitivities, WellPoint thoughtfully provides ethnic outreach solutions that speak to various communities' specialized needs, and:

• Demonstrate the importance of health coverage in culturally relevant ways
• Educate uninsured and underinsured populations about the process of obtaining health insurance
• Provide in-language educational materials, customer service and advertisements
• Offer health improvement education and services focusing on conditions affecting various ethnic populations
• Develop comprehensive infrastructure, including sales staff and member support teams who are able to offer assistance in numerous languages
• Reach out to diverse populations through attendance at and sponsorship of community events

Women's Health

WellPoint has taken a leadership role in women's health. Focusing on the medical issues that most affect women, we've developed a four-pronged approach that addresses wellness and prevention, disease management, quality improvement and community involvement.

Among the numerous resources we provide to help women take control of their health, are:

• Women's Health e-Newsletter: Available bi-monthly via email and online, each issue is full of valuable information on topics ranging from current medical news, to tips on juggling family responsibilities.
• Baby Connection and MaterniCall: Provides innovative health improvement programs that target high-risk pregnancies. Created by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals, these programs help members understand and take charge of their pregnancies.
• Mammography Compliance Initiative: Targets female health plan members between the ages of 52 and 69, providing personalized letters and follow-up phone calls to more than 80,000 women in this age group who have not had a mammogram in the past year.
• Breast Cancer Resource Center: For members diagnosed with breast cancer, this special California-based center has been established to help navigate the complex health care system. Designed as a one-stop-shop, a team of associates helps members manage their lives as well as their medical condition.
• Breast Cancer Initiatives: WellPoint's California subsidiary has undertaken two major initiatives:
  • A two-year pilot program aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of proactively using anti-nausea medications to reduce chemotherapy-related nausea; preemptively prescribing pain medications to minimize pain; and ensuring that patients with low blood counts received appropriate medication.
  • The second study, launched in 2000, evaluated the quality of care received by 2,000 members in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The results, announced in 2002, are being used to improve clinical performance.
• Women’s Health and Wellness Action Campaign: This campaign will prompt female members to stay up-to-date with recommended cancer screenings by employing data analytics and computer telephony technologies to identify and notify members who have not undergone timely mammograms or cervical cancer screenings.