Latest news with #Highmark
Business Journals
17-07-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Highmark Blue Shield enables digital front door for members with My Highmark app
Roughly two years from its initial launch, Highmark's My Highmark app has proven to be a popular digital front door to the insurer's services. 'If you think about what a typical health insurance experience might have been a couple of years ago, most people had to navigate lots of different apps and websites,' said Stacy Byers, senior vice president of experience, design and digital for Highmark Health. 'You might go to one place for just your insurance transactions. You might go to another place for your wellness program. You might go to another place to access virtual care. It was very fragmented with lots of login IDs and passwords to remember.' My Highmark consolidated all of that, creating a single point of contact for accessing all of Highmark's care and benefits resources. So far, more than 1.3 million users have signed onto the platform. High-tech collaboration Byers and her team were instrumental in Highmark's launch of My Highmark as its digital front door. They partnered with the Ontario-based health care technology company League, Google Cloud, and Highmark Health subsidiary, enGen, to create the app. Their goal: eliminate the need for customers to use multiple platforms to navigate their benefits while delivering a more personalized health care journey. The project required extensive cross-functional collaboration across product, digital product, design, sales, marketing, operations, technology and data. Still, the project moved quickly. It kicked off in May 2022, and the first version was available to Highmark employees and a small segment of members in January 2023. Throughout 2023, the team worked to add capabilities and members to the platform. Now, My Highmark is available to Highmark's commercial, Affordable Care Act, and Medicare Advantage members. Highmark continues to enhance the app and roll out significant updates. This summer, members will have access to a new provider directory with a smoother interface and improved data. 'We've done a massive data clean up, so when you look up a doctor, you can easily find their phone number and see if they're accepting new patients,' Byers said. What's inside My Highmark The My Highmark experience was built using human-centered design, a philosophy that Highmark adopted 15 years ago. This approach begins with understanding user problems and designing thoughtful solutions tailored to real-world needs. 'It is about understanding the problem and then designing the solution for the humans that are going to use a particular service,' Byers said. 'And it's not just for designers. It can actually help business people prioritize what it is that they're going to go do because they might understand that a certain feature is more helpful to their users than another feature.' Byers and her team started with the most common needs members have: find a doctor, check their claim status, understand their benefits and get customer support. Each of those functions is easy to access in My Highmark. Plus, the app's chatbot is programmed to address hundreds of issues. Then, if it isn't able to address a user's question, it seamlessly passes them onto a live customer service agent. Then, they added direct access to Highmark's many virtual care services. For example, members can set up and complete a virtual primary care visit directly through the app. They also can access its mental and behavioral health platform Mental Well-Being Powered by Spring Health and its virtual care platforms Virtual Pelvic Health, Bloom by Sword and Virtual Joint Health, Thrive by Sword. Benefits to employers Highmark's digital transformation isn't just about convenience; it's about improving health outcomes and reducing medical costs. The integration of diverse health benefits into a single platform creates a seamless, engaging experience that encourages preventative care and proactive health management. One of the ways it accomplishes this is by personalizing members' experiences. The My Highmark app prompts users to complete a health assessment and then uses the results to direct people to resources that are most relevant to them. 'We are only prompting you with the things that your coverage actually provides you access to,' Byers said. 'So you never have to have that disappointment of clicking on a link and realizing, 'Oh, it's not for me.'' For employers, the app gives employees a one-stop shop for information about their insurance coverage. This helps cut down on the time human resources team members have to spend answering basic questions. Employers can extend this capability by co- branding the app with their business and having Highmark add custom links to additional benefits programs they may offer, such as a dependent care account, transportation benefit or wellness rewards and incentives. 'Those wellness incentive programs start with the health risk assessment, which allows us to tailor their experience and prompt uses with the right information for how they can take advantage of Highmark resources on their health journey,' Byers said. By transforming health care access from a complicated maze of resources into a unified digital experience, Highmark aims to make navigating health care easier, getting the right care to the right people at the right time.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Leasing underway at 162-unit property near Montana State University
This story was originally published on Multifamily Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Multifamily Dive newsletter. Property: Highmark Developers: Clarion Partners, Wentworth Property Co. Location: Bozeman, Montana Units: 162 Rents: $2,245-$3,895 Cost: Withheld New York City-based real estate investor Clarion Partners has made its first investment in the Bozeman, Montana, area with the development of 162 townhomes and apartments on an 8-acre Qualified Opportunity Zone site. Highmark, developed in partnership with Phoenix-based developer Wentworth Property Co., is located in the city's South University District neighborhood. The project started leasing in April and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Units at Highmark, spread between seven residential buildings, will range from one-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom townhomes. The apartments will offer 10-foot ceilings, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and in-unit laundry, while the townhomes will have individual yards and balconies. Amenities will include a clubroom, fitness center, package room, an outdoor gathering area, a hot tub, a dog park, a pet spa and more than 300 parking spaces. The South University District is a cluster of residential and commercial properties located around the Montana State University campus. The property is located within half a mile of MSU and 2 miles of downtown Bozeman. In addition to the university, local employers include Bozeman Health and database software company Oracle. 'Bozeman offers an unparalleled outdoor lifestyle as well as proximity to a growing employment base in education and technology,' Jason Glasser, managing director of Clarion Partners, said in the release. 'The development of Highmark will add a variety of new housing options in a popular area where home prices have become increasingly unaffordable.' The Opportunity Zone program is an economic development tool created under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that incentivizes people to invest in distressed areas in the U.S. Originally set to start expiring on Dec. 31, 2026, the budget bill recently signed into law has made the program permanent. Clarion currently has 170 properties in areas designated as Opportunity Zones, equivalent to nearly $8 billion in gross real estate value. It also has 734 properties, or $38 billion in value, in submarkets next to OZs. Recommended Reading Trilogy buys ZOM development during construction for nearly $86M Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Midstate firm honors Flag Day early with service
(WHTM) — Saturday is Flag Day, which commemorates the day our flag was adopted in 1777. Many flags, of course, will be flying this weekend. Highmark Blue Shield in Camp Hill held a flag-raising ceremony a day early. 'We raise it every single day,' said Kathleen McKenzie, vice president of community affairs for Highmark. 'Highmark always had the American flag out, and we listen to what's happening in the world and we're asked to, at certain times, lower the flag in memory or honor of certain things that are going on in our country. 'It's a rallying tool, I guess, or a symbol for us as Americans whenever things are going back, we can all rally around the flag because it brings us together,' said Roosevelt Allen, DDS, senior vice president and chief dental officer for United Concordia. Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices Pennsylvania was the first state to establish Flag Day as an official holiday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Dominion Post
12-06-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
Mon Commission grappling with soaring insurance costs
MORGANTOWN — 'This is just not sustainable.' Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom lamented that the annual increases in the cost of group employee health insurance is on a trajectory that will consume an untenable percentage of the county's overall budget in the near future without intervention. On Wednesday, the commission approved a proposal from Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield that comes with a 20.48% cost increase to the county when it takes effect Aug. 1. All told, the percentage increase absorbed by the county will total just over $1 million. Commissioner Sean Sikora explained that the final agreed-upon number was actually negotiated down significantly from Highmark's opening offer, which would have kept everything unchanged from the current plan — except the cost, which would have jumped 34.8%. In order to bring the percentage down, the commission agreed to raise employee deductibles from $6,000 single/$12,000 family to $7,000/$14,000. That disclosure was followed by a commitment from the commission to cover all employee deductibles at a potential maximum cost of $900,000. There will be a change on the employee end. Co-insurance — the percentage of a medical bill the patient pays after meeting the deductible — will increase from 10% to 20%. 'Really, that's the only negative impact to the employees,' Sikora said. 'There's two positive impacts. One, they're not getting a premium increase when there is one — a significant one. Two, they're not having to pay any deductible, which previously they had to pay $750 or $1,500.' Sikora explained that the county, like many other public and private entities, is facing what's known as the 'group plan dilemma' in which costs rise higher and higher while the level of satisfaction – either from employees, employers or both – falls. Embedded within the group plan concept is the inevitability that a small number of individuals will push costs up for everyone. It was explained that the offer Highmark first presented to the county was predicated on the fact that the company paid out 23% more than it collected in premiums in the current cycle. 'The problem we're dealing with is our experience in claims is what's driving our cost. There's nothing we can do about that. It's really just what they call in the industry the 'group dilemma.' Having these group plans, if we put it out to bid or we ask for a new proposal, we're paying for our experience. All that information is known and all that information is out there. We have a small portion of our participants that account for nearly 50% or 60% of all our claims, and those aren't going away.' While the commission opted to move forward with the Blue Cross/Blue Shield proposal, the insurance discussion isn't over. The body recently heard a pitch regarding ICHRA, or Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement, through which employees would work with a consultant to select their own health plan options from various insurance carriers and the commission would reimburse employees tax-free for premium costs up to a defined amount. As it stands, the commission is looking at an overall insurance spend of approximately $6 million in a $43.6 million budget. That's up from about $4.9 million. Based on recent history, there's no indication the county won't be back in this position a year from now. 'And that's just not realistic. That's not acceptable. We have to look at other options,' Bloom said.
Business Journals
10-06-2025
- Health
- Business Journals
How Highmark Blue Shield delivers pharmacy value for clients, members
With the rising cost of prescription drugs, companies across the country are faced with challenging decisions to balance affordability and access for their employees. From specialty medications that are life-changing but carry a six or seven figure price tag, to generic medications that become scarce and spike in price, there's no shortage of pharmacy-related pressures for employers who already face an uncertain economy. At Highmark, more than a third of our overall health care spend is now allocated to pharmacy costs. And, of that pharmacy-related spend, about half of it is on specialty medications that typically treat chronic, complex health conditions associated with high costs. To best serve our clients and members, we have forged partnerships and launched innovative programs that boost prescription drug affordability and adherence. And we also follow the real-world evidence of how effective a medication is to ensure we're delivering value. Specialty pharmacy innovation Highmark is working with a healthcare technology company, Free Market Health, to provide streamlined access to prescription drugs for Highmark members with complex health conditions, from specialty pharmacies equipped to provide high-quality care management. We're utilizing Free Market Health's platform, which matches specialty medication referrals and pharmacies in real time while balancing the cost and value of care. Patients are benefitting, with a reduction in drug abandonment and a reduction in claims costs for medications, benefiting members and group customers. We also leverage the Free Market Health platform to incentivize specialty pharmacies serving some of our most medically complex members to administer social determinants of health assessments and identify individuals facing additional challenges. Identified members are referred to a Highmark social worker to address their Social Determinates of Health (SDOH) concerns. Lowering generic drug costs We have seen more essential generic outpatient medications become scarce or expensive in recent years, creating barriers to better health. These shortages and price spikes create additional stress and financial strain for consumers. When it became time to develop a national response, Highmark stepped up and has continued to play an important role in CivicaScript, a new non-profit drug company dedicated to bringing quality and affordable outpatient generic medications to market. Highmark members are saving money on their generic oral oncology medication prescriptions through Highmark's leading role in CivicaScript. Members taking abiraterone acetate, which is used to treat prostate cancer, are saving an average of $90 per month in out-of-pocket expenses for the medication through Highmark's role with CivicaScript and a select specialty pharmacies. Highmark members, group customers and the plan have collectively saved over $6 million since the lower-cost version of abiraterone acetate first became available in September of 2023. The portfolio of lower-cost medications available through CivicaScript will continue to expand, with a focus on generic outpatient drugs that treat specialty and other chronic health conditions such as cancer and neurological disorders. We're also part of an initiative to dramatically lower out-of-pocket costs for insulin with CivicaRx. CivicaRx will manufacture and distribute insulins at significantly lower prices than insulins currently on the market, providing value to both insured and uninsured patients nationwide. Does the drug work? We are also working with fellow leading Blue Cross Blue Shield plans to curb rising prescription drug costs by improving transparency in the drug value chain, tracking the clinical and cost-effectiveness of medications, and forming innovative partnerships with manufacturers and other stakeholders. If people take prescription medication, we want it to be safe and effective. The real-world evidence that we receive on the effectiveness of prescription drugs helps us to ensure that we are providing value to our clients and members. There's no panacea for rising prescription drug costs, but Highmark will continue to put members and clients first through innovation, partnerships and real-world evidence. For more information, click here.
