Anthem Blue Cross And Blue Shield In Virginia Launches Zagat Health Survey Tool

Members can provide feedback on their experiences with Virginia physicians; helps both members and physicians

October 6, 2009

RICHMOND - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia today announced the launch of the Zagat Health Survey tool, an online survey tool that will allow its members to share their physician experiences with other members throughout the state.

"Zagat is widely known and trusted for its ability to help people share and learn from other consumer experiences.  By working with Zagat we are able to create a trusted resource for our members that will actively engage them in sharing and using that information," said C. Burke King, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia.  "We are committed to providing our members with useful information to better help them navigate the health care system.  Making information available, such as the patient experience information contained in the Zagat Health Survey, along with other quality and cost transparency information, is part of that commitment."

Working with Zagat Survey, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia is helping to address an unmet need for peer-to-peer interaction among health care consumers.  The Zagat Health Survey tool provides a vehicle for members to review physicians based on a set of distinct criteria, creating a trusted resource to support informed member decision-making.  The criteria are solely designed to reflect a consumer's experience with a physician and not to reflect the quality of care received.  This tool not only helps members, but is also designed to assist doctors in understanding members' experiences.

The online survey tool allows consumers to review their doctor visits based on:

• Trust - Confidence in the physician's approach
• Communication - Physician's bedside manner, responsiveness and rapport
• Availability - Convenience for making appointments and physician's punctuality
• Environment - Condition of the office, staff helpfulness, atmosphere and amenities

Members are also asked whether they would recommend their doctor to others.  The survey also features a comments section, allowing members to explain their ratings.

For each network physician, the online entry will display contact information, ratings on a 30-point scale for each of the four categories, and the percentage of members who recommend that physician.  The most recent comments will be displayed first, and members will have the option to rate the usefulness of comments and report suspicious comments.  Anthem members can complete the Zagat Health Survey by logging on to the secure member portal on the Anthem Web site.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. (serving Virginia excluding the city of Fairfax, the town of Vienna and the area east of State Route 123.).  Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its affiliated HMOs, HealthKeepers, Inc., Peninsula Health Care, Inc. and Priority Health Care, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. (®)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 in Virginia is available at www.anthem.com.

About Zagat Survey, LLC
Known as the "burgundy bible", Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play.  With more than 300,000 surveyors, Zagat Survey rates and reviews restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, shopping and a range of other entertainment categories and is lauded as the "most up-to-date", "comprehensive" and "reliable" guide ever published.  Zagat content is available to consumers wherever and whenever they need it: in book format, on ZAGAT.com, via the downloadable ZAGAT TO GO for smartphones and on the mobile web with ZAGAT.mobi.  For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.