The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation said last week it has launched an online tool that allows users to track the changing makeup of the state’s health-care delivery system.
The foundation added its new website provides easy access to information about ownership and major contracting relationships for the state’s acute care hospitals, hospital systems, medical groups, physician networks and community health centers.
“We developed this mapping tool in order to bring greater transparency to the evolution of the delivery system as providers work to implement state and national health care reform and accept new, alternative forms of payment,” said Celeste Lee, the foundation’s interim president and senior director of grant making. “In addition to being of interest to policymakers, health-care leaders and journalists, delivery system changes have wide-ranging implications for patients and health insurance consumers who need to make well-informed choices about their care and coverage.”
Among the site’s features is a “Recent Changes” section where users can find information on new mergers, acquisitions and network or contracting changes as they take place, officials said. For example, the site shows that last year, 18 significant changes took place, including the merger of Northeast Health System and Lahey Health System, and the movement of physicians from Compass Medical, Hawthorn Medical Associates and Whittier IPA, among other groups, to the Steward Health Care physician network.
The website also summarizes the makeup of the state’s major hospital systems, and also provides information on each component of the relationship, officials said.
The foundation added that it drew upon data from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and consulted with several other organizations and physician leaders to develop the site.
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May 20th, 2013