[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21918]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     A VALUABLE SERVICE FROM BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF SOUTH CAROLINA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 29, 2005

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to 
announce that BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, BCBSSC, ably led 
by President Ed Sellers, is now offering a valuable service in doctors' 
offices throughout our State.
  Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that BlueCross BlueShield 
of South Carolina has begun to offer physician offices a swipe-card 
reader that will immediately inform members ``how much the insurer will 
pay and what the patient owes.''
  Physicians can lease the swipe-card readers from Companion 
Technologies, a subsidiary of BCBSSC; the health insurer plans to send 
members a card that they can swipe through the readers, which will 
connect to the BCBSSC system through a broadband Internet line. The 
swipe-card readers will have the ability to process debit and credit 
card payments and provide information about eligibility and claims 
information.
  Companion officials said they hope other health insurers will 
integrate the swipecard readers into their systems. Companion President 
Harvey Galloway said, ``Many doctors lose significant dollars because 
patients don't treat doctor's office payments like they do their Visa 
bills.'' He added, ``The advantage to the doctor's office is knowing, 
while they have the patient in front of them, how much the patient 
liability is, and not having to go after them after they leave the 
office.''
  I am hopeful that this new benefit will prove to be helpful to 
patients and physicians throughout South Carolina.

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