For many small businesses in Washington, healthcare is one
of the biggest expenses. Premera Blue Cross is working to make healthcare more
affordable and valuable.
Value in healthcare means affordability. It means a great
experience. It means top-notch care.
“We want to serve Washington for generations to come,” says
Bill Akers, who leads Premera’s group markets. “That’s why we look to make
purposeful improvements at every turn.”
Here are 5 ways Premera is improving healthcare for
Washington State.
Wider portfolio of
networks
Every employer has different needs, but Premera’s portfolio
provides small businesses with different options to fit their employees. “Each
customer’s needs may be different, but all employers want to save money on plan
performance and reduce administrative tasks,” says Akers. “With our product
portfolio, employers have options and the flexibility to design their plan
offerings to best meet the needs of their employees and their families.”
You want to give employees choices while keeping overall
costs down and ensuring people get the care they need. Premera examines its
relationships with providers and contracts with those who deliver the most
effective care at the best cost. We’ve expanded our network for small
businesses, recently reaching a new agreement with Providence Health and
Services.
Integrated care with
dental
Dental care is proven to
correlate with better health outcomes for employees. This lowers costs for
employers. Premera recently expanded and revamped our dental networks to meet
Washington employer needs.
Healthcare
partnership
Collaborating with doctors and health networks is the key to
creating a better system with more affordability. “We’re working with
Washington State health systems to build partnerships that improve customer
experience and decrease medical and financial waste. We’re developing new
technologies to give customers a more transparent view into varying costs for
care,” says Akers.
Beyond healthcare, Premera works with technology leaders to
build better experiences. Our partnership with Microsoft
created a new healthcare chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to better
meet our customer needs.
New digital tools
In addition to chatbots, Premera’s working to build digital
tools that deliver what customers need in real time. “We’re focused on consumer
tools for self-service and transparency around provider value. Technology
should weave together the entire experience,” says Akers. This includes the
launch of our refreshed mobile
app based on real customer feedback, an exclusive employer suite of benefit
tools that includes help with communicating and increasing employee awareness
of health benefits, and much more.
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Our
customers’ needs don’t stop when business hours end. We’ve invested in virtual
care tools to ensure customers can get the care they need anytime. “Virtual
care provides employees with access to consults with certified doctors who are
available any time of day. This type of care doesn’t replace a relationship
with a primary care provider, but it’s convenient and cost-effective,” says
Akers. All of our small business groups include this benefit with Teladoc as
part of their plans.