2008 Summary Annual Report

The Rewards of Superior Performance

WellPoint encourages physicians and hospitals to provide the highest quality care through innovative pay-for-performance programs. We offer incentives for meeting or exceeding industry-standard clinical practices that result in better patient care and safety. For instance, we reward hospitals for using programs and technologies that improve medical outcomes, reduce errors and increase member satisfaction. In many states, we were the first to integrate all three of these components – a critical link for driving real change and increasing the value of every health care dollar.

As chief medical officer of Women’s Health Connecticut, the largest women’s health care practice in the nation, Dr. Mark DeFrancesco has been a vocal advocate for WellPoint’s performance incentive initiatives, which reward physicians and hospitals for following recommended care guidelines that result in better patient outcomes, reduced errors and higher member satisfaction.