PHRs Offered by Health Insurers

Health insurers are aware and understand that the public wants to play an active part in the health care that they and their families receive. The days of people feeling that it was taboo for them to really be aware of what was happening medically are gone. Keeping a personal health records (PHRs) up to date is easier than ever before.

Many health insurers such as Aetna, Cigna, BlueCross/BlueShield and UnitedHealth offer personal health records. Not only do they offer these to their members but encourage the use of this tool to help manage health care and contain cost. A few of these health insurers are also offering the use of personal health records to non-members of their plans. This opens up a great potential for most people to assist with managing their health and the health dollars spent.

Health insurers had many well founded reasons for providing this service to their members. With the cost of health care on the rise and the amount of waste that can be seen today in the health care industry it only makes since that something needed to be done. Offering people the opportunity to keep up with what is occurring with their health and the dollars spent only makes sense.

Aetna offers personal health records that are kept online for the company’s members. This powerful tool allows people to know exactly what is happening with their health at any given time. It can also be shared with physicians to promote team work between all parties participating in the health care of that person. Aetna’s promotes the use of personal health records for the reduction in errors that occur and to help decrease the waste between physicians. Waste can be seen through test, especially lab work, repeated by different physicians that are seeing that one person.

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and BlueCross/BlueShield Association (BCBSA) also offer and encourage participants in the health insurance programs to participate in online personal health records. They have set specific standards and guidelines within their program that lets people know exactly what they can expect to find in their personal health records. A sample of the information that is maintained through the insurers is hospitalizations, medications, office visits, diagnosis and any test results that the person may have received. This record is kept up-to-date so that the person can know at any time what is going on with their health. One of the things that these health insurers do is encourages the people who have personal health records is to add information that the insurers may not have. For example, health history may not be up to date and needs additional information added.

CIGNA has incorporated the Quicken Health Expense Tracker into the PHR for its members at myCigna.com. UnitedHealth Group (UHG) also offers a PHR to its members named myOptumHealth.com. OptumHealth takes things a step further by using the PHR and health risk assessment as feedback for consumer-direct health incentives. Some insurers also offer a type of reward incentive to promote the use of its personal health records. This may be the potential for lower premiums, gift cards or some other reward when the cost of health care is reduced. It was found that for every dollar spent towards a rewards program that two to three dollars may be saved making it a viable solution to get people to participate. These health insurers also have the data that they need to assist with helping the person understand what is happening with their disease processes and the best way to promote a healthier life style.

WellPoint was one of the first health insurers to offer personal health records online to its members in 2006 via a partnership with WebMD. The PHR included data that the insurer received for that member and personal data input from the member. Wellpoint felt that this gave a better picture of what was really going on with that person. Wellpoint’s PHR is part of a broader program named 360 Health. 360 Health includes a wellness portion in which other qualified health care professionals could work with these records and assist with teaching the person what might be the best approach to discuss with their physician. WellPoint’s focus was on the health and wellness of its members. The company felt that by utilizing this type of service the company’s returns would be at a 2:1 ratio.

AvMed is another health insurer that has recognized the benefits that can be found when providing members with the ability to have access to their personal health records. AvMed is offering the personal health record system, known as iHealth, to members. AvMed has partnered with Medem Inc. of San Francisco, the developer of iHealth, to provide this state-of-the-art benefit to members. Working with the members and the health care providers has demonstrated a cost savings in health care dollars. To additionally provide more benefits for their members AvMed offers its members educational programs that are gear toward their specific needs. For example: someone has a new diagnosis of diabetes, education and information is set up for them specifically addressing their needs and management of their disease process. By better managing care for that individual, more benefits are reaped by the member as well as a cost savings all the way around.

Health insurers across the nation have recognized the benefits that providing personal health records to their members offers. It has become the must have step in helping to cut health care cost without sacrificing the health care that members receive. People today are more aware of what is going on with their health. This allows them to be more active in the role that they play to help maintain their health. You still have the occasional health provider in some areas that may feel somewhat threatened by the idea that people want to be active in what is happening to them but this is few and far between today.

Even people that are uninsured or have a health insurer that doesn’t offer this benefit can still use personal health record as a tool to better their care. Microsoft and Google are two such entities that offer this type of service for those that want it. Be aware though that this information is only as good as what you enter or have entered into the record.

This country still has a large number of uninsured people that it cares for. That may not change in the near future but with health insurers and their members playing active roles in their health care through such tools as personal health records cost can be lowered and we as a nation may better serve our people.

Health insurers, their members, and health care providers are working toward having a system that no matter where you are your health needs can be met. This is so much better than leaving it up to the guess work of what people may think is going on with them. It not only saves money but it can definitely save lives as well. Ensuring a better quality of life through education and understanding is a large part of where the health insurers are coming from. Personal health records are only part of the steps to a better understanding and health care system. It takes everyone to make it work. Something has to happen to keep health care viable in a nation that is economically strapped at this time in our history. One step at a time is all it takes to make change happen. Understanding these changes thoroughly is important. Check with your health insurer to see what specifically it has to offer you and your family.