CareFirst Leaps Into E-Commerce

In today´s growing Internet economy, many consumers are demanding the ability to shop and conduct their business online. The health insurance industry is no exception. "Our customers and business partners are always looking to manage their health care in a simpler, faster, more efficient way," explains Michael Felber, Senior Vice President of Sales for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst).

"Broker Express" will launch in April 2001 and will enable brokers to manage prospects, provide quick quotes and produce fully customized proposals. Sales collateral will be available on the site and brokers will be able to fully enroll a group online.

Testing of Broker Express will begin in January, where a sample of brokers will work with the web site and give their feedback. "Broker Express will give our brokers an extremely useful tool to conduct their business," explains Shekar Subramaniam, Director of Broker Sales. "It will help them to streamline their processes and make them more efficient."

Broker Express is one of the first phases in a number of e-commerceinitiatives set by CareFirst. Future projects include "Group Express" where prospective clients will be able to accept proposals and complete group applications online. A member component will also be added, where members will be able to view benefit offerings, link to provider directories, and submit membership applications.

"We´re making health care easier," says Felber. "By establishing a solid e-Commerce presence, our customers and business partners will be able to access their health insurance information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."