February 24, 2012 BCBSIL Recognized for Making Health Care Understandable According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health literacy is the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions. U.S. Department of Education research indicates that only 12 percent of English-speaking adults nationally have proficient health literacy skills – making it very difficult for the vast majority to understand health information and follow health instructions. As a result, the need to improve health literacy among consumers has been gaining traction in the public and private sectors. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) created the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, and included health literacy objectives as part of its Healthy People 2020 plan. There are also health literacy objectives tied to the Affordable Care Act and national health information technology goals. BCBSIL Health Literacy Initiatives
If we want employees and members to understand their health care coverage benefits, make more informed health care decisions and take action to improve their health and wellness, then as the provider of health care benefit plans, it is our responsibility to communicate with them in plain, easy-to-understand language. That's why Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has had a health literacy policy in place for several years to guide member communications. And why we are so gratified to be recognized by several organizations for these efforts. Recently, BCBSIL's eCards for HealthSM website was honored by Health Literacy InnovationsTM (creators of health literacy software). The campaign won first place in the Clear Focus Multimedia Award by demonstrating a commitment to excellence in health literacy in a website or other form of communication, based on usability, design and reaching a targeted audience. ECards for Health – a website available to members and the public – offers motivational cards and screensavers at no charge on a variety of wellness topics to promote healthy behaviors. Employer groups are encouraged to use this value-added resource as part of their company's health and wellness campaign. Also, Jo Poorman, Health Care Service Corporation's (HCSC) senior director of print and digital media, has been featured in several industry articles addressing initiatives to improve health literacy. Ms. Poorman discussed company efforts to simplify member communications. BCBSIL is a Division of HCSC. Read the full articles in Healthcare Informatics' Feb. 1, 2012 and Feb. 10, 2012 issues, and Healthcare IT News' Feb. 14, 2012 issue. | 