Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announces plan to address racial health inequities

Health inequities and racial injustice persist in American life and in the healthcare industry, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has signaled its intention to address these issues with a set of new initiatives, including new charitable investments.

The investments include: a grant program to support not-for-profits led by Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC); a first-to-market approach to collecting race and ethnicity data to address inequities in the care members receive; expanding marketing efforts to better reach a more diverse audience, with messages focused on addressing gaps in care and improving overall health; and new investments and support for minority-owned businesses.

These efforts will be enabled by new $350,000 Racial Equity and Justice Grants that support BIPOC-led not-for-profit organizations focused on addressing racial injustice in Massachusetts communities. 

Blue Cross has awarded six organizations with a two-year grant, providing $25,000 in general operating support per year, and two organizations with a one-year, $25,000 grant. Grantees also will have the opportunity to receive pro bono support.

The program builds on Blue Cross' existing investments, such as a recent $1 million contribution to the New Commonwealth Fund for Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund created last year by local Black and Brown executives, including Blue Cross EVP and Chief Legal Officer Stephanie Lovell and Blue Cross board members Quincy Miller, president of Eastern Bank, and Corey Thomas, CEO of Rapid7.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

Research has shown people of color – in particular Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Americans – have less access to high-quality treatment and experience poorer outcomes for a wide range of medical conditions, including COVID-19.

Blue Cross's work to address these inequities includes convening an advisory council of leading local and national experts in health inequities to help guide and shape Blue Cross strategy from a broad range of perspectives.

On top of that, Blue Cross is collecting member-level race and ethnicity data that can be used to collaborate with the community and clinical partners to reduce racial and ethnic inequities. It's also creating new metrics and programs that address disparities. It is also educating employees on the impact of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors, and using this information in day-to-day interactions both internally and externally.

The insurer also said it's reviewing existing contracts with vendors to assess their programs for detecting and addressing health inequities – for example, in their algorithms and care management services – and incorporating such questions in future vendor assessment and RFPs. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion governance structure is evolving to include health equity issues and publishing – company-wide – an enhanced scorecard that measures progress against other companies in an attempt at accountability.

The company is also partnering with community organizations such as the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pacesetters Program and the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, and promoting a diverse company culture by embarking on efforts such as cultivating diverse job candidate pools and adding Juneteenth to the corporate holiday calendar.

THE LARGER TREND

BCBSMA has been busy lately, adding Minneapolis-based Learn to Live's digital delivery of behavioral therapy to its solutions portfolio in November 2020. The program provides online support for members struggling with depression, insomnia, stress and anxiety.

The technology is available by both web and mobile delivery. The programs are self-directed, providing self-help information and skill-building lessons with limited financial barriers for those seeking help.

A December study in JAMA Network Open uncovered significant inequities when it came specifically to telehealth access, particularly by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age and when someone needed to use a language other than English.

ON THE RECORD

"As a community and a country, we are facing twin pandemics of both coronavirus and racism. Those of us in healthcare have a responsibility to address both," Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO, BCBSMA. "And just as we acted swiftly to respond to COVID-19, we are deepening our commitment to racial justice and to addressing long-standing inequities in healthcare. We will continue to be a leader in creating a more equitable healthcare system."
 

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com