Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) offers members preventive care programs at no additional charge.
Breast Cancer Program
To increase the rate of mammography screening and early detection of breast cancer, the HMOs of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois:
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Promote preventive care and screening mammography guidelines via member and doctor communications
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Send annual reminders to encourage female members age 40 and older to schedule mammograms and clinical breast exams to detect breast cancer
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Provide feedback to doctors on their screening rates and offers educational programs
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Provide a preventive flow sheet to doctors to make it easier to identify when members are due for a mammogram
Influenza Program
To improve the influenza vaccination rate for at-risk members, the HMOs of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois:
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Mail reminder brochures each fall to high-risk members urging them to get a flu vaccination
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Reinforce the importance of flu shots in member communications
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Encourage doctors to target high-risk members for flu shots in the fall and provides a list of high-risk members
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Measure the influenza vaccination rate for each medical group, and actively encourage medical groups to improve their rates
Cervical Cancer (Pap Smear) Screening Program
The Cervical Cancer Program:
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Targets women age 18 to 64 to receive Pap smear reminder cards
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Provides medical groups/IPAs a list of women ages 18-64 who should be encouraged to receive Pap smears
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Distributes health education materials related to cervical cancer screening to members at health fairs, open enrollments and work site seminars
Childhood Immunization Program
Our Childhood Immunization program was implemented in 2001 with the goal of increasing the number of children who receive all of the recommended childhood immunizations.
Between 2001 and 2004, the Combination 1 rate (children who have been continuously enrolled from their first birthday to the second birthday who have had 4 DTP/DTaP, 3 IPV, 1 MMR, 3 HiB and 3 Hepatitis B immunizations within defined timeframes on or before the second birthday) increased by 11 percentage points (from 63 percent to 74 percent) and the Combination 2 rate (Combination 1 immunizations plus varicella-chickenpox vaccine) increased 21 percentage points (from 47 percent to 68 percent).
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