On June 8, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association announced its new Blue Distinction program which, according to the Association, includes the following components:

• “Blue Distinction National Transparency Demonstration — A national transparency demonstration by 17 Blue Plans ensures that we are providing consumers with the most effective ways to learn about absolute and relative healthcare costs.
• Blue Distinction CentersSM — The Blue Distinction Centers identify quality providers of bariatric surgery, cardiac care and transplant services nationwide.
• Blue Distinction Provider Measurement and Improvement ProgramSM — The Blue Distinction Provider Measurement and Improvement Program integrates provider performance metrics from public sources into a national framework for improving healthcare quality.”