Blue Cross touts world's biggest healthcare info database

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association last week unveiled what it calls the largest health care information database in the world.  The national association has gathered claims information from 20 Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance plans across the country, including Blue Shield of Northeastern New York in Latham, to create Blue Health Intelligence (BHI). These 20 plans have a total of 79 million members in all parts of the country, and represent employers of all sizes in a wide variety of industries. Scott Serota, president and CEO of the BCBSA, is quoted by The Albany Business Journal claiming that BHI ill provide an "unmatched level" of health care information. 

BHI will be made available first to employers, and later to consumers and providers. It will focus on health care cost and quality, with the goal of providing sharper insight into healthcare trends and clinical practices, as well as information about the effectiveness of certain treatments, drugs and technologies. The database is being pilot-tested, and is expected to be fully operational by 2007.

Get more background on the new health database effort:
- read this story in the Albany Business Journal

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