Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Ochsner Announce Partnership to Address Rising Healthcare Costs

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana – the largest insurer in the state – and Ochsner Health System – a nationally ranked, global healthcare destination – has announced a unique partnership. Together, the two organizations are working together to identify solutions to help remedy rising healthcare costs, increase access to healthcare options, and address quality issues for individuals and businesses in Louisiana.

The relationship represents a unique payor-provider partnership in which the two organizations will operate under shared governance and have joint responsibility for financial performance, market strategy, clinical care model design, and data sharing responsibilities to drive value for patients through jointly designed insurance products. These products will deliver a market-leading care experience at a much more affordable cost.

“What’s unique is that an insurer and provider are now aligned with a shared vision of what it takes to improve the health delivery system, and we are working in partnership with Ochsner Health System to do just that,” says Blue Cross President and CEO Steve Udvarhelyi. “We both understand that transforming healthcare is the only way to achieve the results we need in terms of quality and value.”

Ranked 49th in the 2016 America’s Health Rankings report, poor health outcomes and rising costs are an ongoing problem for Louisiana. Meanwhile, six of the 10 most expensive places to purchase healthcare in the nation are in Louisiana, according to a 2013 Institute of Medicine study looking at Medicare markets.

“When you look at the data and the significant need in our state, partnerships like this are critical to make significant improvement,” says Ochsner Health System President and CEO Warner Thomas. “We partner with like-minded organizations, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, who share our vision to improve quality and outcomes, provide more access to care, and make healthcare more affordable across Louisiana.”

A first solution brought forward by this partnership is a new and revitalized product, Blue Connect, which provides Blue Cross members with coordinated, focused care, and preferred access to Ochsner and its partners.

Blue Connect members will have access to a network of primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, labs, and other healthcare providers, which include Ochsner’s 29-owned, managed and affiliated hospitals, and more than 2,500 physicians.

Patients on the Blue Connect plan will benefit from same-day appointments, telehealth services, and concierge-type access to care.

09/14/2017