Better Health, Better Experiences, Better Value: Our Purpose in Action

Health companies like Elevance Health help manage healthcare costs. It’s an important part of our job, but there’s more to the story and to what we do.

There’s a reason we work daily to create a better healthcare experience and why we constantly strive to help people be as healthy as possible. That reason is our purpose: improving the health of humanity. It drives us to look at the many factors that shape health and well-being, find ways to improve experiences and outcomes, and address the cost of care.

This purpose-built approach shapes our role in the healthcare system and the work we do within it.
 

Innovating to Address Whole Health

The traditional approach to healthcare has revolved around the medical and physical aspects of health. Today, we’re building upon that foundation to include better preventive care, personalized assistance in managing chronic disease, and support that addresses the factors that shape up to 80% of health and well-being.

This all starts with helping people get the right care, sooner. Aided by technology and data-driven insights, we can proactively reach out to members with a reminder to schedule an annual wellness visit or refill a prescription. Many of our health plans cover health assessments at little to no out-of-pocket expense, helping members avoid serious conditions and crises that can require more costly care.

For members managing chronic health conditions such as Crohn’s disease, cancer, or Type 2 diabetes, our patient-centered Concierge Care program provides a direct connection to a care manager they can contact for advice, guidance, and resources. The program helped curb hospital admissions for chemotherapy-related side effects by 66%, as well as 30-day readmissions among members recently discharged from the hospital by 25%.

Our data-driven Whole Health Index also helps us better understand where there are gaps affecting the well-being of individuals and communities. This type of knowledge can inform solutions that may improve overall health, such as opportunities for families to access nutritious food at a local school or for a member to more easily obtain a prescription through home delivery.

We similarly use data and research to identify where different approaches may lead to better outcomes. For example, a 2024 study from the Elevance Health Public Policy Institute (PPI) examined the effects of doula services in nine states and found that women who received doula care services experienced better outcomes than women who did not. Access to doula care became part of Elevance Health’s employee benefits package in 2025.

“We advocate for doula care because it works,” said Dr. Cynthia Brown, Elevance Health medical director and clinical lead for women’s health. “We’ve conducted research and run pilot programs. It’s clear that doulas help women access additional health services and the result is healthier, safer pregnancies and deliveries.”
 

Improving the Healthcare Experience

Making healthcare better also means making it easier for people to understand their options, navigate care, and get help when they need it. When technology, data, and a person-centered approach work together, they can create a simpler, smoother healthcare experience — one that consistently delivers the right support and advances our goal of becoming a trusted partner in health for the people we serve.

Tools like our Sydney Health app and the artificial intelligence-powered Virtual Assistant draw upon troves of data to help members find care that fits their needs, guiding them to the site of care that’s best for them and their budget and providing clearer information to help them better understand their health benefits. When more information or support is needed, expert service associates are just a live chat or phone call away.

That human connection remains at the center of a changing healthcare system and can be especially important when navigating a difficult health challenge. When Carlos, a member of one of our affiliated health plans, experienced a mental health crisis, he felt lost — unsure where to turn but in urgent need of help.

He found that help from Bob, a family advocate with his health plan. Bob helped Carlos use the Sydney Health app to access same-day virtual care for his prescription refills. The next day, Carlos was able to connect in person with a mental health professional he now sees regularly.

Bob’s empathy, encouragement, and relentless pursuit of a solution helped Carlos chart a clearer path to renewed health and well-being. “He owned my problem, and didn’t stop until he found somebody for me,” Carlos said. “He changed everything.”

Lowering the Cost of Care

Our purpose shapes our broader view, redefining health as more than an annual physical. It emerges in our efforts to surround our members with programs and features that make working with us and the entire health system easier. And it drives the steps we take to help lower costs for members, employers, and the healthcare system at large.

That work happens in many ways. We negotiate with care providers and drug manufacturers for better rates, strive to ensure people can get high-quality care in the setting that best meets their needs, and make sure healthcare dollars are spent appropriately by preventing fraud, waste, and abuse that can inflate the cost of care for everyone.

We design benefits and services that promote preventive care, which helps people stay healthier for longer. We give members tools and guidance that can help them find high-quality, lower-cost options that work just as well for them, and we help them better understand what their care may cost. One example: Among members who had used our Find Care tool — available online and within the Sydney Health app — targeted communications highlighting the platform were associated with a 32.7% reduction in out-of-network use compared with those who did not receive the messages. These members also saved $185 each on average.

No single solution will lower the cost of healthcare on its own. But by taking a broader view of health, helping people navigate care with confidence, and making every healthcare dollar count, we can help prevent complications, improve outcomes, and make the healthcare system work better.

That’s how our purpose — improving the health of humanity — can translate into what we’re working every day to deliver: better health, better experiences, and lower costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to have a broader view of healthcare?

Having a broader view of healthcare means redefining health as more than an annual physical. The traditional approach to healthcare has revolved around the medical and physical aspects of health. We build upon that foundation to include better preventive care, personalized assistance in managing chronic disease, and support that treats behavioral health with as much attention as physical health.

How does Elevance Health use data?

We use data to understand where better solutions are needed. We conduct our own research, test promising approaches, and follow the evidence to identify strategies that can improve health and health outcomes.

Why was the Whole Health Index created?

Elevance Health created the Whole Health Index to measure health in a community and better understand where there are gaps affecting the well-being of individuals and groups of people. This knowledge can inform programs and services that may improve overall health, such as opportunities for families to access nutritious food at a local school or for a member to more easily obtain a prescription through home delivery.