BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Selects Linkwell to Deliver Healthy Couponing Program

NEEDHAM, Mass., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Linkwell Health announced today that it has been selected by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to offer its healthy food couponing program to the health plan's members. By presenting valuable coupons on healthy food products, BlueCross hopes to encourage better eating behaviors among its members with chronic health conditions. The coupons will be made available via targeted mailings to the members' homes.

"One of the key goals at BlueCross is to support our members' ongoing efforts to improve their health. We understand that diet and exercise are important factors in health and wellness," said Robert Mandel, Senior Vice President of Health Care Services for BlueCross. "This program, which presents healthier food choices bundled with product savings, provides an opportunity for us to offer value and help our members make choices that support their health goals."

Through its Well + Wise(SM) and MVMT for Life(SM) programs, BlueCross has long focused on new ways to help Tennesseans and its members nation-wide lead healthier lifestyles through exercise and smart food choices. The Linkwell Health program is yet another approach to health and wellness that appeals to the member through valuable food coupons.

"BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has an unwavering dedication to addressing cost issues and injecting solutions into the health care system," says Benjamin Gardner, President and CEO of Linkwell Health. "We are proud to be selected as one of the plan's programs to address costs by encouraging better behaviors while also saving money for the member."

Linkwell Health works with constituents across the health care and food industries to build healthy couponing programs that influence the buying decisions of members with chronic conditions.  Applying insights from purchase data, Linkwell Health designs customized couponing to incentivize healthier choices at the grocery store. The program analyzes purchase patterns both before and after implementation to enable plans and employers to assess impact.

About Linkwell Health

Linkwell Health applies market insights from food purchasing data to design customized food couponing programs for health plans, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and employers. Founded in 2007, Linkwell Health is a privately-owned company working with leaders in the health care industry. The company helps improve member health by offering incentives to influence daily food purchase decisions. Linkwell Health offers analytics, branded materials and performance reporting to track the impact of healthy couponing on member populations both short and long term. For more information, please visit www.linkwellhealth.com.

About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee offers its clients peace of mind through affordable solutions for health and healing, life and living. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on reinventing the health plan for its 3 million members. Through its integrated health management approach, BlueCross is developing patient-centric products and services that positively impact affordability, patient safety and quality. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.bcbst.com.

SOURCE Linkwell Health