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New Excellus BlueCross BlueShield infographic discourages scheduling early deliveries

Wed, 27 May 2015 12:34:49 -0400

One-third of babies born in 2013 in upstate New York were delivered before they were full term, and a third of them were delivered by cesarean section, according to a new Excellus BlueCross BlueShield infographic discouraging early elective delive...

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Looking for Owners of "Forgotten Funds"

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 09:30:53 -0400

More than 13,600 individuals and companies in New York state have forgotten more than $2.66 million in checks issued by Excellus Health Plan, including by its d.b.a., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS). This isn't money left in their pockets, bu...

Upstate NY Medication Adherence Survey Findings

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 13:46:07 -0400

About four out of every 10 upstate New York adults facing chronic conditions report that they don't always take their medications as prescribed, according to a comprehensive medication adherence survey commissioned by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield...

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield among first health plans in U.S. to embrace Choosing Wisely

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:48:56 -0400

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield announced today it became one of just a few health plans across the country to partner with Consumer Reports on Choosing Wisely®, a nationwide initiative to promote shared decision making between patients and doctors ...

Upstate NY's low uninsured rate already exceeds 2024 national health care reform goal

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 16:52:31 -0500

Upstate New York's health insurance coverage rate for residents younger than age 65 continued to eclipse the national rate by more than 7 percentage points in the final year of U.S. Census data collected just before federal and state exchanges wer...

Happy 26th birthday! Feeling lucky?

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:08:38 -0500

If you're an uninsured young adult in upstate New York and you break your leg while skiing, you could face almost $8,000 in medical bills, according to research by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

Upstate NY adults more likely to smoke than adults in rest of the state and nation

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:47:56 -0500

Cigarette smoking among upstate New Yorkers has steadily declined since 2004, but smoking rates in upstate New York continue to be higher than state and national averages, according to a new Excellus BlueCross BlueShield report issued today.

New fact sheet cites low vaccination rates, higher incidence of some preventable diseases in upstate NY

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:29:35 -0400

Upstate New York residents are more likely to contract certain vaccine-preventable illnesses and develop the flu at twice the rate of other state residents, according to a new Excellus BlueCross BlueShield fact sheet released today.

Excellus BCBS endorses new IOM report on end-of-life care

Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:41:10 -0400

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield endorses a new report issued Sept. 17, 2014, by the Institute of Medicine on ways to improve care for individuals at the end of their life.

New report cites medication adherence as a multi-billion dollar health improvement opportunity

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:15:47 -0400

Upstate New York adults who fail to adhere to the prescriptions written by their health care providers to address their medical conditions risk their health and add billions of dollars in avoidable health care costs annually, according to a region...

New York state lags nation in organ donor registrations

Tue, 29 Jul 2014 00:15:44 -0400

New York state adults register themselves as organ and tissue donors at less than half the rate of adults nationwide, but the need for lifesaving organs in New York state is among the highest in the country, according to a report issued today by E...

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield members benefit from high portion of premiums spent on medical care

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 09:49:16 -0400

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield paid out $864 million more for medical care on behalf of its insured membership than what federal and state standards required for the first three years of newly required reporting, officials said today.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Looking for Owners of "Forgotten Funds"

Sun, 27 Apr 2014 23:02:01 -0400

More than 10,400 individuals and companies in New York state have forgotten more than $1.41 million in checks issued by Excellus Health Plan, including by its d.b.a., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS). This isn't money left in their pockets, bu...

Buying coverage by March 31? Make sure your doctor works with your plan

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:21:16 -0400

Planning on doing some spring skiing? Well, if you break your leg, you might pay $3,500 more out of your pocket if you see doctors who are not in your health insurer's network, according to a new Excellus BlueCross BlueShield infographic.

Excellus BCBS Awards Hospitals $24.5 Million for Quality Improvements

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:09:54 -0500

Forty-seven upstate New York hospitals and health centers last year earned $24.5 million in quality improvement incentive payments from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield as part of the health insurer's Hospital Performance Incentive Program (HPIP). In...

Campaign introduces a new "superhero" to protect the health of local citizens

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 14:04:08 -0500

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield today launched a community engagement campaign to help protect people against deteriorating health conditions, hospitalizations and sometimes deaths that can result when they don't take their prescription medications ...

Happy 26th birthday. Feeling lucky?

Wed, 11 Sep 2013 17:35:10 -0400

If your bicycle crashes and you break a leg, you could face more than $7,000 in medical bills if you're an uninsured young adult in upstate New York, according to a new infographic by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

Don't stop protecting your skin, even if summer is coming to an end

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 11:38:43 -0400

Summer is coming to an end, but the risk for skin cancer is still present. Medical professionals suggest wearing a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher every day and covering exposed skin, even in the fall months.

New national report shows upstate New York has some of the lowest health care spending in the country

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 00:16:34 -0400

The Rochester region, long recognized for high quality health care, has emerged in a new report from the Institute of Medicine as having the lowest total Medicare health spending in the country.

Excellus BCBS members benefit from high portion of premiums spent on medical care

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:16:13 -0400

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield exceeded federal and state standards by $330 million in the amount it spent on medical benefits on behalf of its membership in 2012, officials reported today.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Looking for Owners of "Forgotten Funds"

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:04:41 -0400

More than 9,100 individuals and companies in New York state have forgotten more than $1.1 million in checks issued by Excellus Health Plan, including by its d.b.a., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS). This isn't money left in their pockets, but ...

Local prescription drug plan earns top marks from Medicare

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:01:37 -0400

The prescription drug plan BlueCross BlueShield Rx PDP is one of four standalone Medicare Part D plans in the nation and the only such plan in New York state with the highest quality star rating from the federal government for 2013.*

Two Prominent Upstate New York Businesswomen Join the Governing Board of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:11:23 -0400

Two prominent upstate New York businesswomen were appointed to the governing board of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield's parent corporation, The Lifetime Healthcare Companies.

New report: Most upstate NY adults diagnosed with high blood pressure follow recommended care, but many don't

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:14:41 -0400

While many upstate New York adults diagnosed with high blood pressure take steps to control the condition, thousands are putting their health at risk by failing to do what they can to manage it, according to a new Excellus BlueCross BlueShield rep...

$26.6 Million Federal Grant to Fund Community Partnership to Transform Local Health Care

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:21:49 -0400

The federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has awarded a $26.6 million, three-year grant to the Greater Rochester community to transform health care in the Finger Lakes region by providing a more comprehensive primary-care mo...