Stellar Sales for 2000

Brokers in the National Capital Area and Maryland posted exceptional results for 2000, thanks in large part to the efforts of the broker community.

In the National Capital Area, John Gardner from Potomac Basin was the top producer, followed by Stephanie Cohen from Golden and Cohen. "Sales in the National Capital Area significantly increased in 2000 due to our excellent distribution channels and our BluePreferred product," says Mike Felber, Sr. Vice President of Sales for CareFirst. "BluePreferred is a very popular product because of the BlueCard PPO component, where members may access any Blue Cross Blue Shield participating hospital or provider across the United States and abroad simply by showing their ID card."

In Maryland, David Cardwell from Cardwell Associates was the top producer, selling the most Preferred Health Network (PHN) contracts from January through December, followed by Rob Avedon of The Avedon Group. "PHN is an excellent product for small groups in the Baltimore metropolitan area. It is competitively priced, has a strong network of providers, and has a dedicated broker service unit that is always prepared to answer questions and concerns," says Felber. "We anticipate PHN will continue to be a strong seller in the Maryland market for 2001, and hope to expand the network into Western Maryland."

PHN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in 2000, rounding out the company's portfolio to include a triple option plan - an innovative health care product that allows members to venture outside the HMO network and access CareFirst PPO providers.