BCBS Kansas City partners for two IT engagement solutions
Insurers are increasingly looking for ways to engage members for early interventions and better health outcomes that lower costs.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City has announced two IT partnerships to engage members for better medication adherence and clinical outcomes.
One is the implementation of AdhereHealth's Resolve solution that combines predictive analytics and clinical workflow to connect members to the resources and support they need for medication adherence.
The other is BCBS Kansas City's deployment of an AI digital-health-management solution through Boston-based Wellframe. Through secure mobile messaging to smartphones or tablets, members get a customized, interactive daily health checklist to help manage chronic and complex conditions, wellness, transitions of care, maternal health, cancer, and end-stage renal disease.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Insurers are increasingly looking for ways to engage members for early interventions and better health outcomes that lower costs.
Device-centric communications are a key component of the focus on population health efforts for care ranging from wellness to chronic, complex conditions. In addition to care management, there is also a significant data collection.
THE LARGER TREND
There are many examples of the trend towards partnerships that give insurers a greater consumer reach.
Among the largest pairings has been the merger between CVS Health and Aetna, a boots-on-the-ground approach to reach members through the pharmacy.
In November, UnitedHealthcare announced it would open 14 Medicare service centers within Walgreens stores in five metropolitan areas.
There's also the direct-insurer push into primary care, as UnitedHealth has been investing in physician practices. There's also the example of Humana and private-equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe making an initial commitment of $600 million to develop and operate primary-care centers for senior citizens.
Another case is the partnership between ACO-focused healthcare IT firm Aledade and Aetna to expand value-based primary-care offerings in Delaware, West Virginia and Utah.
ON THE RECORD
"One of our biggest goals is to make it easier for our members to get the care they need when they need it," said Raelene Knolla, vice president of Population Health for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. "We believe the ability for our nurses to interact directly with members digitally through the devices so many members have in their hands daily will significantly increase the health and wellness of our members."
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com
