Redefining the insurer-provider relationship through data

Over the course of the last several years, I have witnessed the beginnings of what I believe is a fundamental transformation in healthcare. Data is redefining the relationships among healthcare players and making it possible for a better healthcare system to become a reality. Insurers, providers and patients alike have felt the shift made possible by advancements in our ability to leverage data.

This week, I’ll be moderating a panel at Health Datapalooza, during which we will explore the ways insurers and providers are using public and private data as a foundation for working together to improve the delivery of care. In my view, this event is evidence that we really are in a new age in healthcare, with new opportunities to collaborate and new innovations coming out of those efforts every day.

It’s an exciting time. Where past relationships between payers and providers have at times been perceived as antagonistic, we are now working together to drive toward the real results we all want and need: higher quality care, better patient outcomes and more engaged consumers.

As we collaborate to improve patient outcomes, sharing data is a critical piece of the puzzle. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies’ approach to working with providers is driven by data. With 36 million provider records for 2.3 billion covered procedures and $380 billion in annual claims data contained within Blue Cross Blue Shield Axis, we’re able to mine valuable insights and share them with providers to create patient-focused care programs that are laying the foundation for the future of healthcare.

We’ve also identified other opportunities for data-driven collaboration, including:

• Member engagement: Helping inform patients so they can be proactive participants in making treatment decisions and behavior changes that help them get healthy faster and stay healthy longer.
• Member records: Creating more integration among the administrative, financial and clinical data that provides a holistic view of patient care.
• Care coordination: Data-sharing across teams to increase efficiency and improve care coordination, especially to make it easier to detect high-risk patients and focus care management on those who can benefit most from the support.

I’m looking forward to sharing more about data leadership and innovation across the Blue Cross Blue Shield System – and to have an engaging conversation with other experts who will share their national and regional perspectives on how they are using data to enable payer-provider collaboration. To see a complete list of speakers for Health Datapalooza, visit their website.