Press Releases
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MASSACHUSETTS SIGNS CONTRACT WITH RelayHealth® TO
REIMBURSE PHYSICIANS FOR WEBVISITS®
Boston, MA, March 6, 2003 — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) announces a pilot program to reimburse physicians for on-line webVisits. The pilot program will be conducted in conjunction with RelayHealth, the nation's premier provider of secure Web-based, doctor-patient communication services.
Physicians can use the RelayHealth service to communicate on-line with patients, with whom they have established relationships, enhancing patient access to care for non-urgent situations. BCBSMA will be the first health plan in Massachusetts to reimburse physicians for webVisits. BCBSMA will pay the participating physicians for each webVisit and members will pay an office visit copayment depending on their plan and the nature of the webVisit.
An example of a webVisit is a member who experiences symptomatic back pain. BCBSMA stresses that the webVisits do not replace office visits.
The program also allows physicians to distribute educational resources and prevention care reminders. It is designed to comply with federal and state laws protecting the confidentiality of patient information.
This initiative is aligned with BCBSMA's continued focus on providing members with access to high quality care and assisting physicians in providing that care through the use of innovative technologies. BCBSMA also wants to be the easiest health plan to do business with by deploying innovative technologies. “We believe that reimbursing physicians for webVisits will help members, since they may be able to consult with a physician without disrupting their day,” said James Fanale, M.D., BCBSMA's Chief Medical Officer.
“We are honored to add a prestigious health plan such as BCBSMA to the growing list of health plans reimbursing physicians for webVisits using the RelayHealth service” adds Giovanni Colella, MD, president and chief executive officer of RelayHealth. “We look forward to working closely with BCBSMA to develop a strong network of physicians and patients benefiting from the convenience of secure, structured online communication.”
BCBSMA is the third Blue Cross Blue Shield Association-affiliated health plan to begin offering reimbursement to physicians for RelayHealth webVisits. BCBSMA expects to launch the first phase of the pilot program in the summer, and will ultimately involve at least 500 physicians.
RelayHealth recently announced the results of a large-scale independent study in which patients and physicians surveyed reported high levels of satisfaction and expressed a shared preference for this mode of communication for non-urgent health matters. Most physicians surveyed found the service satisfying, easy to use, easy to integrate into their practices, and preferred it to office visits for non-urgent patient needs. A substantial majority of patients rated the service favorably compared to a phone call or office visit, both in terms of convenience and quality. Over two-thirds of these patients reported an improvement in access to their own physician.
“Electronic communication can enhance the relationship between patients and providers, yet it remains underutilized in health care,” comments Danny Sands, MD MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Clinical Director of Electronic Patient Records and Communication, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “Some of the barriers have been workflow, remuneration for online delivery of care, and security. RelayHealth has been a national leader in connecting doctors and patients through its web-based secure messaging service. RelayHealth provides tools for managing clinical dialog, improving workflow, and allowing for reimbursement for providing online care. BCBSMA is demonstrating leadership in Massachusetts by supporting a promising new channel of communication that can improve the healthcare experience for doctors and patients” adds Dr. Sands.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com)
was founded more than 64 years ago by a group of community-minded business leaders. Today,
headquartered in Boston, BCBSMA provides coverage to 2.4 million members. Consistently recognized
for standards of service that are among the highest in the nation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts is the choice for health care consumers seeking reliable and high quality health
care coverage. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an independent licensee of the Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Association.
About RelayHealth
RelayHealth (www.relayhealth.com) is the premier provider
of secure online healthcare communication services linking patients, healthcare professionals,
payors, and pharmacies. RelayHealth's Web-based, doctor-patient messaging platform connects
doctors and their patients efficiently, affordably, and securely. The RelayHealth service improves
and streamlines healthcare delivery and access through modular features built around clinical
structure, practice workflow, and reimbursement featuring the webVisit® clinical consultation.
More secure and efficient than telephone or e-mail, RelayHealth combines HIPAA-ready messaging
and the eScript end-to-end electronic prescribing service for the most seamless, comprehensive
and powerful messaging platform available to healthcare professionals and their patients.
