What has the greatest impact on health? In the face-off between the genetics of health and the overall choices consumers make, it’s the personal choices that more significantly drive health status, spending and care.

How people choose to lead their lives – their health behaviors and lifestyle choices – has a 50 percent potential influence on their overall health, compared to genetics, with only a 20 percent influence. That opportunity, then, to drive and support better consumer health choices and self-care, is a central focus of the company’s total health management approach, which works to enable better health and care at every lifestage.

Total Health Management
In 2006, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee expanded and directed multiple channels of care support and management services into our new Total Health Management program, a comprehensive continuum of services and care support. From lifestyle programs that encourage the benefits of walking, to full-scale disease management and transplant programs, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has the appropriate level of prevention, coordination, intervention or care management to support each lifestage or health condition level.

Members are proactively identified for Total Health Management through a variety of methods, including state-of-the-art predictive modeling, claims data, health risk assessments and referrals.

Lifestyle, wellness and preventive services
For preventive steps and healthy lifestyle choices at the most basic level, the WalkingWorks program and BluePerks discount program provide instruction, motivation and incentive to take the initial first steps to self-direct a vital health and wellness routine. WalkingWorks is a comprehensive program that encourages plan members to walk more – and more often – as part of an everyday fitness routine. BluePerks provides members with discounts on services not covered by health plans, such as weight loss programs, gym memberships, massage therapy, vitamins, cosmetic surgery and more.

To identify and support initial or specific health needs, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee offers a convenient and easy-to-use online personal health assessment. Additional online tools provide members information and education to make more informed decisions about their health care. Consumer coaches, a 24/7 Nurseline staffed by registered nurses, and a health information library with more than 1,200 detailed messages on key health topics equip members with the health information and access they need, any time of day.

Care coordination for chronic illness
Additional programs support and counsel chronically ill members to help them maintain or improve their conditions with proper medication plans, appropriate self-care, and regular physician visits. Acutely ill members are assisted with solutions for the pressing health care needs they face, and those needing assistance coordinating appropriate ER use, transition of care details, and prescription drug utilization are supported with specialized programs that match treatment needs with the most appropriate facilities and providers.

Complex disease management and end-of-life care
Members with the highest risk for complicated health care needs are targeted with specialized services that help them recover from traumatic accidents, open heart surgery, organ transplants, premature birth and other complex medical conditions. Additional, intensive programs help members who suffer from congestive heart failure and cancer, or those who require hospice support and oncology management to ensure suitable care and quality services at a critical point in their lives.