needs. Further, it’s easier to notify patients when they are due for treatment. Smith contrasts programs such as these with reform efforts of the past and points out a chief difference. “BCBSNC is using a highly collaborative approach,” he says, “soliciting and listening to input and ideas from physicians, employers and patients. We are not dictating to anybody how this is going to play out. We want to sit down and listen to each other and find the common ground.” Additional programs that have arisen from conversation and collaboration include employer-sponsored initiatives that reward employees for healthier lifestyle choices, such as losing weight or exercising regularly. From a National Perspective Brady, Smith and Buckner say BCBSNC lives by what in preaches. The company has
tightened its own operations, pledging to cut more that $200 million in costs while working to retain as many of its 4,000 employees as possible. Consolidated branch offices and reduced overhead helps. And BCBSNC has not found it necessary to outsource any administration functions overseas. BCBSNC has the strength and funding for great accomplishments, the Charlotte leaders add. Approximately one in three North Carolinians is covered by BCBSNC, the highest market share among health insurers operating in the state. To explain that impressive position, Buckner again points to the company’s North Carolina roots and interests. BCBSNC is an independent entity, licensed by the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. It operates separately from BCBS organizations in other states, and makes decisions based on the needs of individual communities. Smith is quick to point out the larger perspective: BCBSNC is local, he agrees, but
“There’s a healthy spirit of camaraderie; a feeling that we are all in our situation together and that we want to help each other succeed.” ~Ellison Clary Director, Charlotte Community Relations
SPECIALISTS IN VOICE NETWORKS FOR 33 YEARS.
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maintains national reach. The company provides the largest national provider network in the market, ensuring that individuals can find quality, covered care whether they’re in California, Ohio or Charlotte. Employers based in North Carolina can access BCBSNC coverage for their workers in any other state. More innovation overall, chimes in Buckner, is another result of BCBSNC’s local focus. “Changing the way physicians do business can’t be mandated from above,” Buckner says. “Doctors have to alter the way they practice because they believe in new methods and are confident they will benefit their patients as well as themselves.” Predicting the future for health care and how to pay for it is well-nigh impossible in volatile times such as today, Brady, Smith and Buckner agree. No one can predict what turns health care reform will take nor draw up what a company such as BCBSNC will look like five years into the future. But BCBSNC will continue accelerating the pace of providing options and giving patients more control and tools for better decisions, they promise. And BCBSNC intends to find more ways to encourage and teach people to live healthier lives and realize a better quality of life, they add. BCBSNC is poised to respond to whatever health care directives may be dictated by health care reform and its inevitable changes. “Whatever happens,” Brady says, “we will be here—collaborating with physicians, employers and patients to ensure the best possible outcomes for all.” biz Heather Head is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Charlotte Operations 3530 Torringdon Way, Ste. 404 Charlotte, N.C. 28277 Phone: 800 242-1293 Principals: J. Bradley Wilson, President and CEO; Patrick Brady, Director, Major & National Accounts; Cooley Smith, Manager, National & Major Accounts; Shannon Buckner, Middle Markets Retention; Ellison Clary, Director, Charlotte Community Relations In Business: 78 years (a nonprofit licensee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association) Employees: More than 4,000 Headquarters: Durham, N.C. Business: Providing quality products, information and services to improve health and wellbeing to more than 3.5 million individuals in North Carolina. www.letstalkcost.com www.bcbsnc.com
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