Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company, California’s largest health insurance companies, announced yesterday, that they will be creating a large health information exchange. This exchange will be called the California Integrated Data Exchange or Cal Index and is expected to be launched at the end of the year. It would contain medical records of about nine million Californians acquired from claims data held by the two companies.
The objective of Cal Index is to give health providers immediate access to patients’ medical histories. The database would save money in cases where the patients change their health provider, as the new doctor would not have to order tests that have been already done by prior practitioner. However, California has very strict laws and this announcement has raised concerns about the privacy of patients’ medical data. In reply, the President of Anthem Blue Cross, Mark Morgan, said that those who don’t want their records in the database can opt out online or call a designated phone number.
Blue Shield President, Paul Markovich, said: “Although Blue Shield and Anthem Blue Cross are fierce market competitors, we realized we needed to work together to bring the health care industry into the digital age.”
About $80 million is expected to be invested by the two competitors on this project to keep it running for three years. They will provide data integration assistance to 30 large provider organizations. All participants along with these 30 original providers will be subject to a subscription fee. CEO of Anthem Blue Cross said: “Providers in health plans must collaborate to ensure that Californians receive the safest, highest quality health care at a sustainably affordable price”.
Date: August 6, 2014