WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. Blue Cross of California today announced it has been awarded Disease Management Accreditation by URAC, a Washington, D.C.-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry.

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The disease states included in Blue Cross' accreditation are diabetes, congestive heart failure, and asthma. Blue Cross is the only full service health plan in California that has received this distinction. To achieve accreditation, URAC's Disease Management Standards require that companies establish a process to assess, plan and implement disease management interventions. Blue Cross had to develop documents that addressed how it involves its patients and providers in the disease management process, and how it evaluates its own activities. For each health condition covered by Blue Cross' disease management program, a clinical approach had to be developed based on available evidence and research. In addition to the specific Disease Management Standards, Blue Cross also had to be in compliance with URAC's Core Standards.

"It is a very special honor to have received this recognition and validation of our efforts from a premier accreditation organization such as URAC," said Dr. Jeff Kamil, Blue Cross vice president and corporate medical director. "Disease management is an important part of our medical efforts and commitment to our members' health. By designing and implementing programs that respond to the specific needs of members at risk, Blue Cross is better able to effectively improve the health status of its members."

"Blue Cross of California should be commended for meeting strict quality standards," said Garry Carneal, URAC president and chief executive officer. "It is critically important for health care organizations to make a commitment to quality and accountability. URAC accreditation is a demonstration of that commitment."

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org

Blue Cross of California and its California affiliates, with more than 7.4 million medical members, is an operating subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., the nation's second largest publicly traded health care company. WellPoint serves the health care needs of more than 15 million medical members and approximately 46 million specialty members nationally. WellPoint offers a broad spectrum of quality network-based health products including open access PPO, POS and hybrid products, HMO and specialty products. Specialty products include pharmacy benefit management, dental, utilization management, vision, mental health, life and disability insurance, long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, COBRA administration, and Medicare supplements. Visit Blue Cross of California, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Association, on the web at www.bluecrossca.com