When Brenda O’Donald needed a heart transplant, Barbara Little, a nurse case manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware, telephoned to help. The young production coordinator burst into tears. “She was really devastated,” Little recalls. Along with the medical uncertainties, there were daunting paperwork burdens.

Little shouldered the necessary bureaucratic chores, encouraging Brenda to focus on health decisions. Hospitalized and awaiting a donor heart, Brenda was determined to try a cardiac exercise program, and Little helped clear the way. Then, a stunning development: Brenda’s heart function improved. Transplantation, with its many unknowns, was called off. Back home, Brenda calls Little “a godsend.”

At CareFirst, we believe every member is important and should lead a healthy, vigorous life.

Introduced in 2004, our CareEssentials program is a unified approach to health care, beginning with preventive care. We mail reminders to our members to get immunizations and screenings that avert illnesses and detect conditions early. When medical care is needed, we help members find appropriate physicians and other health professionals. In 2004, we added 77,000 new members to our CareEssentials program.

The disease management component of CareEssentials offers 24-hour access to health experts and regular monitoring of treatment plans for chronic illnesses like diabetes. And when members face serious illness, our trained case manager nurses help them and their families plan their medical care. The result? Better outcomes and peace of mind.

CareFirst continues to develop new, affordable and flexible programs. We’re offering lower cost plans, with members controlling health spending accounts to help defray out-of-pocket costs, such as doctors’ office visits. New individual plans have lower premiums, offset by deductibles or co-pays.

Choice is important, so HMO Open Access members can make their own specialist appointments without referrals. And our Options program offers valuable discounts for alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic and yoga.

At CareFirst, our members come first.

KEEPING YOU INFORMED AND WELL:

• The My Account section of our Web site, www.carefirst.com, provides prompt, private information about your coverage, out-of-pocket payments and claims status and history.
• My Care First, also on our Web site, is a state-of-the-art wellness resource where members can track personal health goals, find 15,000 pages of health information and take interactive quizzes and polls.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware members can find the same health and wellness information at bcbsde.com.