WellPoint, X Prize launch $10 million healthcare contest

The California-based foundation X-Prize, which helped launch the first private manned space flight in 2004, is teaming with the insurer WellPoint Inc. to try to fix the U.S. healthcare system. The companies have announced an open competition to devise solutions that improve healthcare cost and quality, with a $10 million prize for the winner. Essentially, the competition will look for ways to "dramatically improve" cost and quality, said Brad Fluegel, a WellPoint executive vice president.