Group Practices

Group Practices Feature Story

Content is King

Written by Tom Chaffee

A Minnesota Blue expands its Web presence and streamlines content management, reducing administrative burdens on IT.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
(BCBSMN) is the largest health plan in the state, providing health coverage to more than 2.9 million members. By law, all health plans in the state are required to operate as non-profit organizations. This creates some fairly unique circumstances for our business, since we compete for market share as any for-profit would. Like all health insurance companies, we have come to rely greatly on our public Web site as a primary channel for communicating with members, employers, brokers and agents and healthcare providers. Equally important, however, are our corporate intranets that facilitate collaboration and the flow of business within our organization.

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Light Speed Data

Written by Jack Wolf

A New York medical center utilizes fiber optics to leverage its extensive IT infrastructure for near-instant data transmission.

Almost all businesses and industries have been transformed through technology to some extent in the past 20 years, but few have seen shifts as dramatic as those seen in the healthcare industry. Technology has affected the way in which patients are cared for as well as the way in which hospitals and other healthcare providers do business.

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Making the Most of EBM

Written by Randy Charles

Evidence-based medicine moves forward with clinical decision support.

Evidenced-based medicine (EBM), the application of tested, measurable guidelines to the care of individual patients in clinical settings, is poised to transform the business of medicine. It reduces variability of care by encouraging physicians and other clinical professionals to follow best care practices as documented in evidence and compiled in guidelines. This, in turn, improves the quality of care and demonstrably improves outcomes.

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Web Welcome Mat

Written by Kathy A. Merritt, M.D. and Jill P. French, RN, MSN

A Pediatrics practice updates its Web site to maximize patient and provider communications.

In an increasingly competitive and consumer-driven healthcare environment, members of the executive team at Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescents in North Carolina realized that they had a great resource at their fingertips — their Web site. At the same time, they recognized that they were not making the most of its potential as: a patient communication and education tool; a method for streamlining administrative processes; and, a strategic weapon that would give them an edge in a high-tech community.

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Claiming Responsibility

Written by Michael Lubao

With new revenue integrity technologies, health plans and payers are more effectively controlling costs and identifying fraud.

Just like their healthcare provider colleagues, health plans and payers have a fiduciary responsibility to spend hard earned premium dollars both fairly and wisely. A vigorous approach to maintaining revenue integrity is, of course, good business. But it’s also supposed to benefit patients and healthcare professionals. Given that annual healthcare expenditures are approaching
$2 trillion, the stakes are enormous and, from the perspective of the individual, these high costs leave absolutely no room for inaccuracy. When undetected, most errors and fraud count against someone’s annual deductible or lifetime limit on benefits. Dollars squandered today can mean financial risk tomorrow.

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Group Practices

Group Practices Feature Story

Content is King

A Minnesota Blue expands its Web presence and streamlines content management, reducing administrative burdens on IT.

Light Speed Data

A New York medical center utilizes fiber optics to leverage its extensive IT infrastructure for near-instant data transmission.

Making the Most of EBM

Evidence-based medicine moves forward with clinical decision support.

Web Welcome Mat

A Pediatrics practice updates its Web site to maximize patient and provider communications.

Claiming Responsibility

With new revenue integrity technologies, health plans and payers are more effectively controlling costs and identifying fraud.

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