[November 13, 2012]

PFCD and WellPoint Hill Briefing Underscores Commitment to Quality Health Care Delivery and Providers

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) and WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) hosted a Capitol Hill briefing today, demonstrating their commitment to proactively identifying and advancing solutions to support health care providers in delivering coordinated, patient-centered care. The briefing, titled "Innovations in Care Delivery Models and the Role of Physician Incentives," was part of a continued effort to highlight barriers to effective prevention and management of chronic disease.

"Finding effective and sustainable solutions that will improve the overall health of Americans, and help reduce costs, lies in the hands of the public and private sectors together. Convening the key stakeholders to identify best practices and proactively improve care coordination and delivery is an essential part of health care reform," said PFCD Chairman Ken Thorpe. "Restating our intentions with an event like this, particularly on the heels of such a tight election, is affirmation of PFCD's mission to raise awareness, on both sides of the aisle, of the health care delivery issues affecting our nation and the number one cause of death, disability and rising health care costs."

The aging population and rising rates of chronic disease have exposed the cost, capacity, and delivery challenges currently facing our health care system. Addressing these challenges has increased the demand for health care providers-especially primary care physicians-who treat patients holistially while working closely with other providers on each patient's care team to ensure the best possible care and outcomes.

"WellPoint is committed to improving health care quality and affordability and recognizes that primary care physicians play a key role in achieving that goal. Our Patient-Centered Primary Care Program, based on our positive experience with Patient-Centered Medical Homes, encourages enhanced care coordination, information sharing and patient-centered care by all primary care physicians," said Ruth Raskas, Vice President of Clinical Health Policy at WellPoint. "We see this initiative as an essential part of prevention and wellness efforts that can ultimately improve overall health."

The following panelists showcased new initiatives, resources and partnerships underway to effectively implement new care delivery models - with an emphasis on those that incentivize providers:

• Ruth Raskas, Vice President, Clinical Health Policy, WellPoint
• Kavita Patel, MD, Managing Director for Clinical Transformation and Delivery, Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, Brookings Institution
• Jon Easter, Director, Public Policy and Advocacy, GlaxoSmithKline

For more information on PFCD and future events, please visit www.fightchronicdisease.org.

About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) is a national coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the U.S.: chronic disease.

About WellPoint, Inc.

At WellPoint, we believe there is an important connection between our members' health and well-being-and the value we bring our customers and shareholders. So each day we work to improve the health of our members and their communities. And, we can make a real difference since we have more than 33 million people in our branded health plans, and approximately 64 million people served through our subsidiaries. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, WellPoint's plans do business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Empire Blue Cross (in the New York service areas). WellPoint also serves customers throughout the country as UniCare and in certain California, Arizona and Nevada markets through our CareMore subsidiary. Our 1-800 CONTACTS, Inc. subsidiary offers customers online sales of contact lenses, eyeglasses and other ocular products. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.

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