BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Change Healthcare^®, the market leader in consumer engagement and cost transparency, announced today the launch of Healthcare University^TM, an interactive series of educational videos, quizzes and challenges that leverages game mechanics to teach consumers the basics of healthcare and how to make value-based healthcare decisions. The solution, which already has been piloted with a select number of clients and will be deployed by health plans and self-insured employers alike in the coming months, is designed to make benefits education fun, and, in turn, help drive down healthcare costs for individuals, their benefit plan sponsors and the industry as a whole.

"It's a new age in healthcare, one in which individuals are increasingly being called upon to bear greater responsibility for their health benefits and care," said Clayton Nicholas, vice president of strategy and marketing at Change Healthcare. "With the introduction of health insurance exchanges, and more and more employers shifting to defined contribution and high-deductible health plans, it's critical that individuals understand their benefit options; the extreme cost variance that exists in the marketplace; and, in general, how to be better healthcare consumers."

To address these challenges, Healthcare University takes a fresh approach to benefits education and delivers a sticky, engaging user experience.  Through the use of short videos, quizzes, games and gamification techniques, including reward points, badges and leaderboards, consumers are encouraged to learn about topics ranging from "The Importance of Being Your Own Health Advocate" and "Understanding Basic Health Plan Types" to "Negotiating Savings" and "Managing Your Paperwork." In the end, they are transformed from passive healthcare users into active healthcare consumers.

"By educating early and often with Healthcare University, health plans and self-insured employers can save money, while enabling their members and employees to make informed healthcare decisions that are good for their families and good for their budgets," Nicholas added. "We're especially excited to offer Healthcare University in both English and Spanish to extend our clients' reach."

To learn more about Healthcare University, visit http://www.changehealthcare.com/product/healthcareuniversity.html

About Change Healthcare
Change Healthcare Corporation (www.changehealthcare.com) launched in 2007 with a mission to engage consumers in obtaining personalized and actionable cost‐savings information that changes the way they purchase healthcare services. Built on a database of medical, dental and pharmacy claims from a national client base, Change Healthcare delivers substantial savings to health plan members and employers. With an average engagement rate of nearly 60 percent, the Company's web‐ based solution, Transparency Messenger^TM, is the only tool able to generate and proactively communicate immediate savings opportunities customized to the employee, their plan and local area.

SOURCE Change Healthcare