WellPoint, Inc., (NYSE: WLP) today announced that Amy Cheslock has been appointed to the role of vice president of Payment Innovation for Provider Engagement and Contracting within the company's Commercial and Specialty Business division.

Cheslock previously served as vice president of Provider Engagement and Contracting for WellPoint's Central Region markets and enterprise Cost-of-Care initiatives. She succeeds Jill Rubin Hummel who, last month, was named president of WellPoint's affiliated health plan in Connecticut.

As vice president of Payment Innovation, Cheslock will be accountable for developing provider payment and delivery models that reduce total cost of care, as well as reward and support improvements in health care quality, patient safety, health outcomes, health status and access. Additionally, Cheslock will focus on pay-for-performance initiatives, enterprise-wide provider communications, management of National Account networks and provider transparency initiatives. She also will oversee WellPoint's enhanced personal health care initiative, a program that focuses on patient-centered care and reimburses providers for value-based, rather than volume-based, performance.

"Amy's expertise, strong provider relationships, and deep commitment to putting our members first make her the perfect fit for this position," said Doug Wenners, senior vice president with WellPoint. "I am confident her leadership and insights will further grow our company's outstanding Payment Innovation efforts while positively impacting the delivery of health care nationwide."

Since joining WellPoint in 2005, Cheslock has held a variety of progressively responsible roles in WellPoint's Provider Engagement and Contracting division, including leadership roles in Network Development, Trend Management and Hospital Contracting, before assuming her role as vice president, Cost of Care and Planning. In this role, she was instrumental in managing provider contracting for the company's affiliated health plans in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin and Georgia.

About WellPoint, Inc.

WellPoint is one of the nation's leading health benefits companies. We believe that our health connects us all. So we focus on being a valued health partner and delivering quality products and services that give members access to the care they need. With more than 67 million people served by our affiliated companies including approximately 36 million enrolled in our family of health plans, we can make a real difference to meet the needs of our diverse customers. We're an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We serve members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin. In most of these service areas, our plans do business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Empire Blue Cross (in the New York service areas). We also serve customers in other states through our Amerigroup, CareMore and I-800 Contacts, Inc. subsidiaries. To find out more about us, go to wellpoint.com.

WellPoint, Inc.
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Brandon Davis, 804-366-3007
Brandon.Davis@wellpoint.com