Making Health Care More Personal Helps Blue Cross Members
Blues Perspectives
| 4 min read
When you see your doctor, the appointment always starts by gathering information: height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, symptoms and medical history. That’s because your health care is deeply personal – and what is best for you is not the same as the patient in the next room.
The closer you work with your health care provider, the more proactive you and your care team can be in preventing chronic diseases and ensuring you are living the healthiest life possible. This is called personalized health care: a modern approach to medicine where prediction and prevention, coupled with increased patient engagement and coordination of care, can lead to better health outcomes for you as a patient. It also can contribute to lower costs for you and for the health care system as a whole.
As a health plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is helping members with their whole health, offering personalized solutions to improve access to health care wherever you are, whenever you need it. We are working with providers in our networks to encourage back-office efficiencies, coordination and communication between practices and hospitals to ensure you are spending less time in the doctor’s office, reducing redundant or unnecessary tests and overall able to live your healthiest, best life.
We continue to pursue innovations to make coverage easy, useful and personal. Each year, we are continuing to add to our suite of digital tools – empowering members to learn more about their health journeys, and giving them direct access to licensed providers for virtual visits. Here are some of our recent additions:
- Members have access to virtual health care visits through Virtual Care by Teladoc Health®, formerly Blue Cross Online Visits℠. Members can visit with a board-certified doctor or mental health expert online from anywhere in the U.S.
- For individuals with a diagnosis of cancer, we have added access to a comprehensive support program available on OncoHealth’s virtual platform, Iris. Members have 24/7 access to oncology nurses to ask questions and receive support, as well as access to mental health professionals, nutrition guidance, peer mentors and resource navigation help.
- For women that are attempting pregnancy, managing a pregnancy, or are postpartum, members have access to a digital care app by Maven Clinic that can supplement the in-person care they receive. The personalized app offers one-on-one support through the entire family planning journey, with access to clinicians, lactation consultants, pediatric sleep coaches and psychologists.
- For women undergoing the transition to menopause, Blue Cross is offering access to a personalized digital care app through Maven Clinic to help identify symptoms, explore treatment options, consult with experts and connect with a care advocate and licensed providers.
As Michigan’s largest health insurer, we are in a unique position to influence how care is delivered in the state. By working directly with providers, we are leading efforts to improve your patient experience – and ultimately your health. Some of our recent efforts include:
- Relaxing 20% of prior authorization requirements to improve health care quality, experience, access and affordability for members, while reducing administrative tasks for clinicians
- Offering infusion therapies at more convenient locations for patients – like their home or a nearby doctor’s office – to increase access and decrease costs.
- Embedding behavioral health professionals in primary care offices – offering more direct access to mental health care to patients – to address the rising demand for help.
- Protecting members from rising drug costs by offering a suite of savings programs and discounts, as well as forming strategic partnerships to address supply chain issues and address the root causes of drug price increases.
- Encouraging more physicians to adopt value-based care models, putting the patient health outcomes first as a priority. More than one million Blue Cross members see a physician participating in our Blueprint for Affordability program. Recent results show Blueprint physicians achieve $93 million in lower costs over a three-year period.
- Working collaboratively with physicians and hospitals across Michigan to share data on best practices to help health care professionals improve patient outcomes, make care more efficient, effective and affordable. Since 2005, the program has saved nearly $2.2 billion.
Personalized health care means our members are getting the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. Ultimately, this is good for everyone: members are living healthier lives, and there are fewer unnecessary tests and procedures – helping to keep the cost of care affordable for everyone.
