Angela Braly is chair of the board of directors, president and chief executive officer of WellPoint Inc., the nation’s largest health benefits company in terms of medical membership, with more than 33 million – or one in nine – Americans nationwide covered through its affiliated health plans. WellPoint offers leading health benefits plans as well as specialty products and services including life and disability insurance benefits, dental, vision, behavioral health benefit services, radiology benefit management, analytics-driven personal health care guidance, long-term care insurance and flexible spending accounts.

In 2009, WellPoint generated operating revenue in excess of $60 billion and employed approximately 40,000 associates. WellPoint primarily does business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield or Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, and its mission is to improve the lives of the people it serves and the health of its communities. Read the rest of this entry »

Quick reference guide

Date of Birth: July 1st, 1961

Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas, United States

Career: Businesswoman

Angela Braly has been the Chief Executive Officer and President of Wellpoint, Inc since June 2007, after serving as executive vice president, general counsel and chief public affairs officer for the company. Angela Braly was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Business for 2000 and was named one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women in Healthcare in 2007.

Angela Braly – Early Years

Angela graduated from Richardson High School in 1979. Angela Braly then went on to university for her undergraduate degree at Texas Tech University, where Angela Braly graduated in 1982. Her Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University School of Law came later. Angela Braly was a partner in the St. Louis law firm of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.

Angela Braly – Beginnings of a Career

In January 1999, Angela Braly joined the company as general counsel for RightCHOICE (currently Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri). Angela Braly also oversaw the Missouri plan’s government relations efforts. During that time, Angela Braly managed the legal strategy resulting in the creation of The Missouri Foundation for Health, which serves the health care needs of underinsured and uninsured people in Missouri. Angela Braly later became president and CEO of the Missouri plan, managing all aspects of the business and setting strategies to meet customer needs.

Angela Braly – A Trademark

Ms. Angela Braly has directed the company’s strategy, including the expansion of its integrated care management programs and tools; the divestiture of WellPoint’s prescription benefits management business to Express Scripts, Inc. in order to provide customers with more costeffective solutions as well as enhanced services; the increased transparency through the Anthem Care Comparison tool to provide medical cost information to customers; and the measurement of the progress made in improving the quality of care that members and communities receive through a proprietary Member Health Index.

Under Ms. Angela Braly’s leadership, WellPoint’s commitment to its mission has been strengthened by diversifying its business portfolio to offer more innovative and comprehensive health solutions and through focusing on creating the best health care value by making health care fundamentally more affordable, providing access and guidance to the right care and advocating healthy living.

Angela Braly – Legacy

Ms. Angela Braly also serves on the board of directors of The Procter & Gamble Company, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM). In addition, Angela Braly is a member of Business Roundtable and The Business Council.

Angela Braly was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Business for 2000 and was named one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women in Healthcare in 2007. Forbes listed Angela Braly as the eighth most powerful women in business in 2009 whilst Fortune ranked Angela Braly the fourth most powerful woman in business in 2009.

Angela Braly (born July 1, 1961 in Dallas, Texas) is president and chief executive officer for WellPoint, Inc., a large US-based health care company, and is a member of the company’s board of directors. Angela Braly assumed those responsibilities on June 1, 2007, following several high-profile roles for the company.

Prior to her current position, Angela Braly served as executive vice president, general counsel and chief public affairs officer for WellPoint. In that role, Angela Braly was responsible for public policy development, government relations, legal affairs, corporate communications, marketing, and social responsibility initiatives. Angela Braly also had operational responsibility for the nation’s largest Medicare claims processing business and the federal employee health benefits business. Angela Braly was also a key strategist during WellPoint’s acquisition of New-York based WellChoice in 2005.

In January 1999, Angela Braly joined the company as general counsel for RightCHOICE (currently Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri). Angela Braly also oversaw the Missouri plan’s government relations efforts. During that time, Angela Braly managed the legal strategy resulting in the creation of The Missouri Foundation for Health, which serves the health care needs of underinsured and uninsured people in Missouri. Angela Braly later became president and CEO of the Missouri plan, managing all aspects of the business and setting strategies to meet customer needs.

Prior to that, Angela Braly was a partner in the St. Louis law firm of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.

Angela Braly received her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in 1982 and her Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University School of Law. Angela Braly graduated from Richardson High School in 1979.

On February 24, 2010, Angela Braly gave testimony to Congress defending Wellpoint’s insurance premium increases.”Health Insurance Executive Defends Higher Premiums”. New York Times. February 24, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/health/policy/25health.html?partner=rss&emc=rss. Retrieved 2010-02-24.  Angela Braly became chairwoman of the Wellpoint board on March 1, 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

today named John Martie President and CEO of its National Accounts business. Martie replaces John Langenus, who announced his retirement last week.

In his new role, Martie is responsible for customer relationships and continued growth of the national business, which currently serves more than 12 million members. He has 26 years of industry experience and is a 14-year WellPoint veteran. He currently serves as president of the company’s Colorado local group plan.

“John Martie is a proven leader within WellPoint. I believe his overall experience, market leadership and industry knowledge will help to drive the continued success of National Accounts,” said Ken Goulet, President and CEO of WellPoint’s Commercial Business unit.

Prior to leading WellPoint’s Colorado local group plan, Martie held increasingly- responsible leadership roles at the company’s Ohio local group plan in sales and underwriting. He serves on the boards of CoverColorado, the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, and the Denver Chamber of Commerce; and is a past president of the Colorado Association of Health Plans.

John Langenus retires from WellPoint after leading its National Accounts business for more than three years. “I have had the opportunity to work with John for many years. I have a great deal of admiration for him and deeply appreciate his sincerity, and his loyalty to the work that he does and to the people he works with,” said Goulet. “I wish him the best in his retirement.”

Most Americans Want Coaching, According to New WellPoint Survey

INDIANAPOLIS, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Most of us agree, there have been times we’ve needed a coach. Our closets are a mess and our bank account(s), even more so. Marital bliss is far from effortless, and our own teenage angst was a walk in the park compared to what we’re currently living with.

And yet, while family health doesn’t top our list, according to a new WellPoint survey, sometimes this kind of guidance is exactly what we need. Disability can happen to any of us at any time. In fact, the actual odds that a new worker will experience a long-term disability before retirement are one in three, according to the Council for Disability Awareness.

In times like this, WellPoint offers a health coach. Is this Vince Lombardi? No. Oprah? She is booked. However, 25 percent of those surveyed said they’d like to have Vince Lombardi or Oprah herself coach them through their trials and tribulations…someone who provides encouragement, gives incentives and pushes them hard.

WellPoint offers helth coaches to do exactly that. While two thirds of Americans don’t know what a health coach is – or even what one does, the role of a health coach can be invaluable.

“WellPoint health coaches work one-on-one with employees to help identify and resolve clinical and non-clinical issues that impact their ability to be productive,” said Julie Bietsch, vice president, WellPoint’s Care Management Operations. “With this support, employees may return to work more quickly and, in some cases, may be able to stay at work and avoid a disability claim altogether.”

Half of all Americans – and even more parents – admit they can’t afford to be sidelined by health issues for three months or more. And the toll is even greater for the employer, with studies suggesting that the cost of absence and lost productivity may be up to four times greater than health care costs alone. In fact, unplanned absences cost employers $74 billion and 2.8 million lost work hours per year.*  Read the rest of this entry »

Most Americans Want Coaching, According to New WellPoint Survey

Most of us agree, there have been times we’ve needed a coach. Our closets are a mess and our bank account(s), even more so. Marital bliss is far from effortless, and our own teenage angst was a walk in the park compared to what we’re currently living with.

And yet, while family health doesn’t top our list, according to a new WellPoint survey, sometimes this kind of guidance is exactly what we need. Disability can happen to any of us at any time. In fact, the actual odds that a new worker will experience a long-term disability before retirement are one in three, according to the Council for Disability Awareness.

In times like this, WellPoint offers a health coach. Is this Vince Lombardi? No. Oprah? She is booked. However, 25 percent of those surveyed said they’d like to have Vince Lombardi or Oprah herself coach them through their trials and tribulations…someone who provides encouragement, gives incentives and pushes them hard.

WellPoint offers health coaches to do exactly that. While two thirds of Americans don’t know what a health coach is – or even what one does, the role of a health coach can be invaluable.

“WellPoint health coaches work one-on-one with employees to help identify and resolve clinical and non-clinical issues that impact their ability to be productive,” said Julie Bietsch, vice president, WellPoint’s Care Management Operations. “With this support, employees may return to work more quickly and, in some cases, may be able to stay at work and avoid a disability claim altogether.”

Half of all Americans – and even more parents – admit they can’t afford to be sidelined by health issues for three months or more. And the toll is even greater for the employer, with studies suggesting that the cost of absence and lost productivity may be up to four times greater than health care costs alone. In fact, unplanned absences cost employers $74 billion and 2.8 million lost work hours per year.*

  Read the rest of this entry »

announced today that senior management is scheduled to present at the following conferences:

• Deutsche Bank 36th Annual Health Care Conference on May 2, 2011, at 2:50 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); and
• Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Health Care Conference on May 12, 2011 at 9:10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (12:10 p.m. EDT)

All interested parties are invited to listen to webcasts of the presentations by visiting http://www.wellpoint.com/ and selecting the “Investors” link. Following the presentations, webcast replays will be available at http://www.wellpoint.com/ for two weeks.

To listen to the live webcasts, please visit WellPoint’s website at least 15 minutes early to download and install any necessary audio software. Individuals who listen to the presentations will be presumed to have read WellPoint’s most recent filings with the SEC, including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2011.

INDIANAPOLIS, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) today announced that first quarter 2011 net income was $926.6 million, or $2.44 per share, including net investment gains of $35.6 million after-tax, or $0.09 per share. Net income in the first quarter of 2010 was $876.8 million, or $1.96 per share, including net investment gains of $18.6 million after-tax, or $0.04 per share, partially offset by an intangible asset impairment charge totaling $13.7 million after-tax, or $0.03 per share.

Excluding the items noted above for each period, adjusted net income was $2.35 per share in the first quarter of 2011, an increase of 20.5 percent compared with adjusted net income of $1.95 per share in the prior-year quarter (refer to GAAP Reconciliation table for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable measures calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or “GAAP”).

“We are pleased with our positive start to 2011. Our membership and earnings results are higher than we originally anticipated and we are continuing to become a more efficient and effective company, as evidenced by our 4.5 percent reduction in SG&A expenses while serving 363,000 more medical members than we did in the first quarter of 2010,” said Angela F. Braly, chair, president and chief executive officer. “While we are becoming more efficient, we are continuing to invest in our future and executing on our strategy to improve the lives and health of our members. As we deliver health care value for our members, we enhance value for our shareholders.”

“Our first quarter results are a testament to the strong value proposition we create in our efforts to hold down the rate of rising health care costs while improving quality, and our commitment to continuously improve by building a better WellPoint. Based on these results, we are raising our year-end 2011 membership expectation to 33.9 million and increasing our full year earnings guidance,” said Wayne S. DeVeydt, executive vice president and chief financial officer. “We are also managing our capital to enhance value for our customers and shareholders. During the first quarter, we paid the first cash dividend in WellPoint’s history and also utilized $742 million to repurchase 11.4 million shares on the open market.” Read the rest of this entry »

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Records are made to be broken, and a Guinness World Record was could be shattered thanks to the help of children right here in South Lake Tahoe.

On March 22, more than 120 members of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe joined their peers from more than 1,000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing jumping jacks or star jumps.

As part of National Boys & Girls Club Week (March 20-26), Boys & Girls Clubs of America embarked on this initiative with its clubs across the country through the organization’s Triple Play program.

This program, supported by founding sponsor Coca-Cola and the WellPoint Foundation, encourages kids to eat healthier, become more physically active and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships.

“Young people living healthy, active lifestyles puts them on a pathway to a great future,” said Kelly Garrity, Program Coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe.

“By jumping their way into history, they proved that you don’t have to have fancy equipment or a gym membership to get active and be healthy. Fitness can start with something as simple as a jumping jack.” Read the rest of this entry »

INDIANAPOLIS, March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — In response to the tsunami in Japan and the resulting humanitarian needs, WellPoint, Inc. today announced its corporate Foundation will make a $50,000 contribution to AmeriCares for disaster relief. The WellPoint Foundation funds will provide medicine, medical supplies and aid to those in need.

A nonprofit aid organization, AmeriCares provides disaster relief, medical supplies and health care assistance across the globe.

“The WellPoint Foundation is committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families in our communities,” said Lance Chrisman, executive director of the WellPoint Foundation. “As global citizens we have been terribly saddened by the images and news coming out of Japan and are pleased to be able to contribute to the worldwide relief effort.”

In addition to the Foundation grant, WellPoint will encourage its associates to make individual donations to AmeriCares or the American Red Cross to help the people of Japan.

The WellPoint Foundation has been a consistent, proactive supporter of first-responder organizations providing relief and medical assistance in the wake of major disasters. Recent relief efforts supported by the WellPoint Foundation include the international responses to the earthquake in Haiti, natural disasters in China and Myanmar, and Hurricane Katrina. Read the rest of this entry »

Key Diversity Initiatives Such as Talent Development and Mentoring Move WellPoint up 14 Places in 2011

INDIANAPOLIS, March 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) is ranked No. 36 on The 2011 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list released last week.

The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® is the leading assessment of strategic diversity management leadership. A total of 535 companies participated this year, up 19 percent from last year.

“Our commitment to diversity and inclusion truly is a competitive advantage and one important way we drive superior health care value,” said Angela Braly, chair, president and CEO of WellPoint. “The diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and life experiences of our associates foster the innovative solutions that best meet the needs of our customers, doctors and hospitals, and our communities.”

According to Luke Visconti, DiversityInc CEO, “A strong focus has been to increase the number of people from traditionally underrepresented groups in its leadership ranks through talent development and mentoring. In recent years, WellPoint has introduced a number of diversity initiatives to encourage more diverse hiring and recruitment strategies, especially with women and people with disabilities.”

Read the rest of this entry »