Information to Transform Health Care

In the new WellPoint, we wanted to create a company that can catalyze significant improvements in health care. In our nation’s public/private health care system, health benefits companies are well-positioned to harness the power of information in order to transform care.

We compile medical data across the entire system—hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and labs. We translate that data into meaningful information for consumers and health care professionals while protecting members’ privacy. We can provide cost and performance information that consumers can use to consider their health care options. We can provide information on outcomes and best practices that physicians can apply to decisions on patient care.

For example, as a result of emerging concerns about the COX-2 class of drugs, we reviewed our health care and prescriptions claims databases to identify potential issues within our own member population. We believe our data indicate that for our members age 40 and older, the use of COX-2 drugs shows an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke.

WellPoint has shared this information with the Food and Drug Administration. We have also sent letters with this information to members and physicians. This study demonstrates how we can use clinical information from our claims databases to improve the health of our members and the quality of health care.

Achieving the full potential of these techniques requires a broad, national patient database, the financial resources to invest in large and complex information technology systems, and the market presence to help drive the design and adoption of systems and standards. Achieving greater scale in these areas is one reason why we created the new WellPoint.

Investment to Lead Change

Our overarching philosophy is that health benefits companies can be a catalyst for positive change and can reach beyond the needs of their own membership to address broader health issues. We must make the investments necessary to drive change.

We will make those investments to advance three key goals: First, we have to accelerate the transition to a technology-based system that provides information for physicians and patients to make more informed decisions. Second, we must make evidence-based medicine the standard of care. Third, we have to engage consumers in their health care and in maintaining their own good health.

We believe that such investments reflect our responsibility as the nation’s leading health benefits company. Both Anthem and WellPoint had strong traditions of philanthropic support to expand access to quality health care. The new WellPoint will carry on that legacy through our foundations and corporate giving programs that contributed more than $14 million in our communities in 2004. We will continue to make investments that drive change in health care and accelerate adoption of 21st Century information technology to improve health.

We are deeply grateful to our Board of Directors for their leadership in bringing together two great companies. We thank Roger Birk, William Hart, James McDowell, Jr., John Sherman, and Dennis Sullivan, Jr. for their years of service on the boards of Anthem, Inc. and WellPoint Health Networks Inc. We also want to acknowledge Allan Hubbard, who served on the board of WellPoint, Inc. until his appointment as director of the National Economic Council at The White House in January 2005.

The leadership team of the new WellPoint represents the best in the industry. Our managers are extremely talented and experienced, and we’re very pleased with how well our new team has come together.

More than 38,000 WellPoint associates have remained focused on serving our customers through the past year and a half as we worked to complete our merger and build our new organization. To our associates, thank you for your unfailing commitment to improving the health of the people we serve.

As the nation’s leading health benefits company, we see part of our role as helping to make our health care system work better for everyone. For Americans seeking affordable, quality health care, WellPoint will be part of the solution.