Advancing health equity: Leveraging data to promote meaningful patient-provider relationships (Healthy Blue + Medicare (HMO D-SNP))

Please note, this communication applies to Healthy Blue + Medicare℠ (HMO D-SNP) offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

As we aim to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, we are working to make it easier for our members to establish connections with care providers. Your profile — including, but not limited to, your competencies and accessibility accommodations — helps establish such connections.

As you’re reviewing your practice profiles, either because of federal or state requirements or because your practice has moved or changed, please update the fields in our provider directory to accurately reflect your:

• Competencies.
• Race.
• Spoken languages.
• Ethnicity.
• Office accessibility or disability accommodation(s)

Indicate, for example, if you have expertise in treating people who identify as LGBTQ+ or if you have accessible exam tables to serve people with disabilities.

You can update your profile through Availity Essentials (Note: Availity, LLC is an independent company providing administrative support services for Healthy Blue + Medicare providers on behalf of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina), where applicable, or through other methods outlined in the provider manual. Please know that this is voluntary and that we are committed to being good stewards of your personal information.

What we will do with your data:

• Share it in our online member-facing directory and printed provider directory.
• Analyze aggregate data to identify opportunities and focus resources to improve inclusive provider recruitment.
• Analyze aggregate data for potential inequities among providers in value-based and incentive programs and take steps to eliminate these inequities.

What we won’t do with your data:

• Sell this information.
• Assign members based on your demographic information.
• Rank or tier you based on your demographic information.
• Use it in reimbursement decision-making for claim submissions.
• Use it in contract negotiations.
• Share it directly with your state medical board.

This is one of many steps we are taking to ensure every member has every opportunity to be their healthiest. Thank you for partnership.