American Imaging Management Named as Finalist for 2011 URAC Award for Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection

CHICAGO, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- American Imaging Management (AIM) was selected as one of 20 finalists for the 2011 URAC Awards for Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection. URAC, the nation's leading accreditation organization, will honor the finalists during URAC's 12th Annual Quality Summit, October 4-6, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois.

The Imaging Cost and Quality Program, jointly submitted by AIM and WellPoint, Inc., was selected by a distinguished panel of judges out of entries from across the nation. Finalists are invited to present their winning programs at the Annual Quality Summit which will showcase best practices in two categories: consumer decision-making and consumer health improvement.

The Imaging Cost and Quality Program is a new model of engagement that helps health plan members navigate the process of selecting diagnostic imaging facilities by delivering information on cost and capabilities via an outbound telephone call.  Health plan members that are enrolled in an AIM program receive a telephone call when they have been identified as needing a diagnostic imaging procedure. During this call, the health plan member is notified of the costs and capabilities of the various diagnostic imaging facilities in their geographic area.  Armed with this information, the health plan member can select the imaging facility that best meets their needs in terms of cost and capabilities. In addition to providing information, the call center team also provides support in scheduling appointments with the selected imaging facility.      

The program was initially launched by AIM in conjunction with WellPoint's affiliated health plan in Indiana, and has achieved significant member engagement and satisfaction by delivering a level of information that had previously not been available to the general public.

"We are delighted to be selected as a finalist for this prestigious award," said Brandon Cady, president and CEO of AIM.  "Supporting people in making the best decisions for themselves and their families was our objective in developing this program and we appreciate URAC's recognition of these efforts."    

"URAC's Annual Quality Summit provides a unique opportunity for leaders in health care to learn what premier companies are doing to advance consumer empowerment and protection," said Alan P. Spielman, president and CEO of URAC. "We are proud to honor AIM's program. By sharing these best practices, we can work to inspire the industry as a whole to adopt proven practices that advance patient safety and empower consumers."

All finalists are invited to attend the awards ceremony during the conference, when they will discover how they will be distinguished as award winners. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention Award winners in each of the six organization categories will be announced at the dinner. Platinum Award winners will also be announced, in the two topic categories.

For complete conference details and to register for URAC's 12th Annual Quality Summit, October 4-6, 2011 in Chicago, IL, go to http://www.urac.org/12thAnnualSummit/12thAnnualSummit.asp.

About American Imaging Management

American Imaging Management, Inc. (AIM) is a leading specialty benefit management company with over 20 years of experience in the radiology benefit management industry. AIM's mission is to make healthcare services more clinically appropriate, safer and more affordable. AIM promotes the most appropriate use of diagnostic imaging through the application of widely accepted clinical guidelines delivered through an innovative platform of technologies and services. AIM pioneered the use of web self-service technology in diagnostic imaging management and has continually integrated technology tools to create a more effective and efficient clinical review processes in support of the physician-patient relationship. AIM also manages a growing platform of healthcare services including cardiac services and specialty pharmaceuticals. Through a commitment to delivering excellence in clinical content, service, innovation and operational performance, AIM has developed a national client base of health plans, and currently provides its services to more than 35 million health plan members. AIM is an operating subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP; www.wellpoint.com). For more information on AIM, please visit http://www.americanimaging.net.

SOURCE American Imaging Management, Inc.