Blue Cross And Blue Shield System Announces Pediatric Cancer Network; Network To Promote Access To Highest Levels Of Specialized Care

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WASHINGTON, April 11, 1996 -- What if your 9-year-old child is diagnosed with leukemia? Will you know where to go for the best care? The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) today announced the establishment of an unprecedented, state-of-the-art Pediatric Cancer Network that can help answer those difficult questions.

Through the Network, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans and their subscribers will have immediate access to the beat pediatric cancer care, coordinating the highest quality options and most cutting-edge treatment available in America today. The Network will also generate valuable outcomes data to be used by the medical and scientific community to define new treatments and move toward now cures.

The Pediatric Cancer Network initiative is supported by several national organizations with a role in cancer care for children:

• The National Cancer Institute
• Leading children's cancer treatment organizations, including the Children's Cancer Group, the Pediatric Oncology Group and the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
• Children's hospitals and health systems represented by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions
• The Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, a nationally recognized patient and family advocacy organization

"We know that the odds for children with cancer can be greatly improved with highly specialized, multi-disciplinary care provided under the direction of pediatric oncologists," Said Pat Hays, BCBSA president and CEO. "Our independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans throughout the United States will encourage physicians and their patients to use the Pediatric Cancer Network centers. We also encourage other managed care companies to adopt the model of the Pediatric Cancer Network."

The Pediatric Cancer Network is built on the scientifically established finding that children's survival rates can be significantly improved -- anywhere from 20 to 40 percent -- if their cancer care is coordinated by pediatric oncologists and delivered at comprehensive, multi-disciplinary cancer centers.

"The Network removes barriers to special care, ensuring the young cancer patient receives the most cutting edge treatment,' Hays Said.

Every hospital that seeks to become a Pediatric Cancer Network center must meet strict quality-based facility standards derived from nationally recognized guidelines and undergo a thorough on-site review. In most cases, these Network Centers participate in cooperative, multi-institutional clinical trials, which are helping to define new treatment protocols and keep science moving forward in search of cures.

According to the Network model, 80 percent of the child's care, from definitive diagnosis to the completion of active treatment, would be delivered in a Network center. A board-certified pediatric oncologist would coordinate every phase of the child's treatment with a top-notch team of specialists and caregivers. The remaining 20 percent of the child's care, which includes early diagnosis and post-treatment care, would be provided by the family's own physician under the direction of the center.

"One of our central goals for the Network is to improve children's cancer care for today and for tomorrow," Hays said. 'By pooling our knowledge and evaluating our outcomes, we'll continue to see the kinds of breakthroughs that offer children with cancer real hope."

The Pediatric Cancer Network is the first of its kind in the industry, but it is not the first "centers of excellence" network offered by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield System. The Blues have previously developed national networks for highly specialized services including organ transplantation and bone marrow transplantation.

"We are confident that the Pediatric Cancer Network will be successful and will become a care-delivery model for the entire health insurance industry," said Susan Gleason, BCBSA vice president, Health Management Systems. "We believe the Pediatric Cancer Network represents the best in managed care and Is a great example of how the managed care industry and the medical community can work together.

"It's our goal for this to become the premier network in the country to manage the diagnosis and treatment of today's young cancer victims,' Gleason added. "We're proud to have the support of the pediatric oncology community as we work toward that goal."

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Is an association of 63 locally operated, independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, collectively insuring I in 4 Americans, 30 million of whom are enrolled In managed care programs.

CONTACT: Pam Drellow, 202-626-4810 or Iris Shaffer, 312-440-5572, both of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association