BCBS of Massachusetts teams with Google to offer PHRs
Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts members will be able to look up their healthcare claims and some medical records online this fall via Google Health, the new healthcare web portal recently launched.
BCBS of Massachusetts is the first health insurer to sign on to the service, according to the Boston Globe. The payor said the service will help patients manage their medical care and have more productive discussions with doctors.
“We believe Google Health will be an important tool used by our members to improve the safety and effectiveness of their healthcare,” said Cleve Killingsworth, chairman and CEO of the payor, in a statement.
Steven Fox, a BCBS vice president heading the online project, said the web tool will make it easier for members to access information about their claims, the Globe reported.
“It will be portable. It could improve compliance with treatment protocols. Now, when you get blood work, you'll have the ability to see the actual report,” Fox said.
The Globe said that BCBS has been at the forefront of healthcare IT, exemplified in its donation of $50 million to the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, a pilot project that outfitted physicians in three Massachusetts communities with equipment to start using EHRs.
BCBS of Massachusetts is the first health insurer to sign on to the service, according to the Boston Globe. The payor said the service will help patients manage their medical care and have more productive discussions with doctors.
“We believe Google Health will be an important tool used by our members to improve the safety and effectiveness of their healthcare,” said Cleve Killingsworth, chairman and CEO of the payor, in a statement.
Steven Fox, a BCBS vice president heading the online project, said the web tool will make it easier for members to access information about their claims, the Globe reported.
“It will be portable. It could improve compliance with treatment protocols. Now, when you get blood work, you'll have the ability to see the actual report,” Fox said.
The Globe said that BCBS has been at the forefront of healthcare IT, exemplified in its donation of $50 million to the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, a pilot project that outfitted physicians in three Massachusetts communities with equipment to start using EHRs.