Huntington Memorial Hospital announced today that it has collaborated with Anthem Blue Cross and six of its fellow leading hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties to form Anthem Blue Cross Vivity, a new insurance offering that will provide convenient access to some of the best hospitals, primary care doctors and specialists in the region at an affordable price.
“Being part of Anthem Blue Cross Vivity is central to our mission of providing people in our region real choice and value in how they access the affordable, quality healthcare that is right for themselves and their families,” said Stephen A. Ralph, president and CEO of Huntington Memorial Hospital. “As healthcare continues to evolve to meet the needs of all Americans, our participation in Anthem Blue Cross Vivity is one important way that we will continue to attend to the varying healthcare needs of the San Gabriel Valley – just as we have for more than 120 years.”
All seven hospitals that are part of Anthem Blue Cross Vivity are known for their strong brands that are synonymous with quality – and all have hospitals ranked in the top 30 in Los Angeles and Orange counties by U.S. News & World Report. That means members of Anthem Blue Cross Vivity can be assured of receiving care from a network of hospitals and affiliated medical groups that provide the best quality care at affordable prices.
In addition, members will have access to LiveHealth Online, a webcam-based telehealth solution offered by Anthem that allows members to see a doctor on demand, day or night. Anthem Blue Cross Vivity will also offer a host of wellness benefits that employers canselect to provide for their employees, including a gym reimbursement of up to $400 per year, FitOrbit online personal training, and more. Anthem’s 24/7 Nurseline will also be available to Anthem Blue Cross Vivity members for health and wellness advice free of charge.
CalPERS, the nation’s second largest purchaser of health benefits and an early adopter of healthcare system innovations, has already agreed to use Anthem Blue Cross Vivity doctors and hospitals within their Select HMO network in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Other large employers can start requesting proposals on Oct. 1, with coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2015.
The creation of Anthem Blue Cross Vivity signals a new and innovative way to deliver coverage and care at an affordable price as it marks the first time an insurer has partnered with several top hospitals in a joint venture to create an independent, third party company to provide medical benefits. Its name is coined from vivify, a verb meaning “to enliven or animate.”
“Anthem Blue Cross Vivity speaks to the energized team of providers coming together to deliver a uniquely people-centric offering,” said Ralph. “The name’s root in the Latin vivere, “to live,” highlights what Anthem Blue Cross Vivity is all about: impacting the lives of Southern Californians by giving them the highest-quality care as well as choice within and control over their experience.”
In addition to Huntington Hospital, the other hospitals participating in Anthem Blue Cross Vivity are Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Health, MemorialCare Health System, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital and PIH Health.
Huntington Memorial Hospital, www.HuntingtonHospital.com, is a 625-bed not-for-profit hospital located in Pasadena, California. It has been ranked nationally by U.S. News and World Report in two specialties and was named among the top hospitals in California. The hospital is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HuntingtonMemorialHospital and on Twitter at @HuntingtonNews.
