Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) and INTEGRIS Health are pleased to announce they have reached a new longer-term agreement ensuring all INTEGRIS Health facilities will remain in the BCBSOK network.
“Our goal with this agreement is to impact our state’s overall health, in alignment with Governor Stitt’s bold vision to make Oklahoma a top 10 state,” said Timothy Pehrson, President and CEO of INTEGRIS. “As newly appointed leaders of both INTEGRIS Health, the state’s largest health system, and BCBSOK, the state’s largest health insurer, we came to the table and asked, 'what can we do to help improve Oklahoma’s health ranking?' This is a daunting task given our state currently ranks 47 out of 50 in overall health.”
He added, “As we collaborated and brainstormed together, it was decided that a tighter relationship between our two organizations would be critical to create the necessary building blocks to advance the health of Oklahomans.”
“This new agreement obligates both of our organizations to jointly develop new value-based care capabilities that emphasize improving health outcomes of our members and patients. Value-based care is an innovative health care delivery and payment model that incentivizes health care providers and hospital systems to focus on their patients' health outcomes. The traditional fee-for-service model that is currently used simply pays for the care completed, regardless of the outcome,” explained Joseph R. Cunningham, M.D., BCBSOK President.
“There are no other industries where a consumer continues to pay the same price, regardless of the quality of the service or result of the service they’re purchasing. That’s essentially what value-based care is aiming to change. What this means for BCBSOK members who are INTEGRIS patients is that the care received from these joint efforts will be more collaborative, coordinated and focused on better health outcomes.”
An exciting component of the unprecedented five-year contract is that for the first time, INTEGRIS providers will be included in the Blue Advantage PPOSM. The effective date of that offering is expected to be Sept. 1, 2019. Members in the Blue TraditionalSM, Blue Choice PPOSM, Blue Preferred PPOSM, BlueLincs HMOSM and Blue Plan65 SelectSM will continue to receive in-network benefit levels at INTEGRIS.
This innovative relationship alone will not move Oklahoma to a top 10 state; however, it does lay the foundation to begin a long-term transformational journey. In addition, INTEGRIS and BCBSOK are committed to working jointly with state officials, health agencies, businesses, communities and others to achieve this goal.
###
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
For more than 78- years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma has been committed to meeting the health care financing needs of Oklahomans. As the state's oldest and largest private health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma provides health care benefit plans for more than 800,000 Oklahomans. For more information, visit bcbsok.com. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Montana and New Mexico), the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
About INTEGRIS HEALTH
INTEGRIS, the largest Oklahoma-owned not-for-profit health system in the state, is known for innovation and unparalleled quality offering advanced treatment options and specialties found nowhere else in the region. INTEGRIS owns or operates 24 health care campuses which include eight acute care hospitals, 12 specialty hospitals or facilities and four community hospitals. The system offers more than 170 family care and specialty clinics and employs more than 10,000 people. Its services include a clinically integrated network of more than 1,500 affiliated physicians and providers. INTEGRIS is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. For more information, visit integrisok.com.