Carolina Advanced Health Opens to Eligible BCBSNC Members

 

Chapel Hill, N.C. – Carolina Advanced Health, a new primary care physician practice and innovation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and UNC Health Care, is now welcoming eligible BCBSNC customers.  The new medical practice is a collaborative approach that will enhance efficiency and quality of care by coordinating a patient’s health care under one roof.  By doing this, the practice will improve health and quality standards and reduce complications among patients – both of which are expected to reduce medical costs.

 

“Carolina Advanced Health is an example of how two groups can work together to find ways to rein in medical costs by ensuring that patients receive quality, coordinated care,” said BCBSNC President and CEO Brad Wilson.  “Through a comprehensive approach towards wellness, prevention and chronic disease management, we are building the foundation for a better health care system in North Carolina.”

 

Carolina Advanced Health takes the patient-centered medical home model to a new level.  Doctors, nurses and other health professionals at Carolina Advanced Health work together to manage every aspect of patient care to help improve the patient experience.  On-site access to nutritionist and pharmacist consultations and behavioral health care means patients get support for all of their health needs in one place.   The practice also streamlines the medical process, allowing patients to request multiple appointments on the same day, ask BCBSNC Customer Service claims questions on-site, as well as pay bills and schedule appointments online.

 

“UNC Health Care is committed to providing all North Carolinians with access to high quality care and we are pleased to join Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina in this effort,” said UNC Health Care CEO William L. Roper, MD, MPH.  “This is just the beginning of what we hope will be a new era in personalized health care that leads to improved patient health, greater efficiency, and lower health care costs.”

 

“Patients with chronic conditions can spend a great deal of their time visiting doctors in multiple locations and updating them on their symptoms and treatments,” said Dr. Thomas K. Warcup, Carolina Advanced Health Medical Director.  “Carolina Advanced Health emphasizes a coordinated approach for patients that will improve the quality of care they receive.”

 

Carolina Advanced Health treats BCBSNC customers who are over 18, are covered by a participating BCBSNC health plan and are living with any of the following chronic illnesses: coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic heart failure and asthma.  The following customers are not eligible to visit Carolina Advanced Health at this time:  participants in Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement plans and the Federal Employee Program, CHAMPUS/TRICARE and persons covered by health plans other than BCBSNC or participating self-insured employer groups.

 

To learn more about Carolina Advanced Health, visit the BCBSNC media center to view an informational video. And visit http://www.carolinaadvancedhealth.org for more detailed information about the practice.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans.  For 77 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health.  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  Access BCBSNC online at http://www.bcbsnc.com.

 

The UNC Health Care System is a not-for-profit integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill.  It exists to further the teaching mission of the University of North Carolina and to provide state-of-the-art patient care.  UNC Health Care is comprised of UNC Hospitals, ranked consistently among the best medical centers in the country; the UNC School of Medicine, a nationally eminent research institution; community practices; home health and hospice services in seven central North Carolina counties; and Rex Healthcare and its provider network in Wake County. For more information, visit www.unchealthcare.org.

 

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