Jennifer Atkins Describes Blue Cross Blue Shield's Commitment to Innovations in Oncology

Blue Cross Blue Shield is dedicated to maintaining local relationships to ensure they can provide the best care continuum to patients, said Jennifer Atkins, MBA, vice president of Network Solutions at Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Transcript

As the nation's largest health insurer, how does Blue Cross Blue Shield manage emerging innovations in oncology care and treatment?

We ensure 1 in 3 Americans—107 million people across the country, across a variety of insurance products, commercial and government programs. When we think about innovation, we think closely about how it aligns in a local market. We think about how providers and payers in those local markets and our local plans can work together to best use the innovation that's coming out of physician and hospital practices and facilities to really manage members across their care continuum and ensure that they're receiving the highest quality care. We then of course, use data and quality measurement to evaluate the overall value of that care. For us, what's important is really that local relationship and managing it at the patient and provider level.

What implemented innovations by Blue Cross Blue Shield in oncology care excite you the most?

We have some really great programs going on at the local level across the Blue's plans. I'd like to highlight 1 in particular, which is with US oncology and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. They have worked very closely with that practice to manage various cancer types using quality measurement and have talked about ways to reduce the administrative burden. This really brings value into the equation as well as the care continuum managed across the medical neighborhood. We really do the very best that we can for those patients and their families.