Blue Promise: Presented By Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Texas

Something called “pass-through billing” is driving up the cost of your health care. In this edition of Blue Promise, we describe pass-through billing, identify efforts to address the problem, and share how you can make a difference. If you suspect fraudulent behavior, report it to our Fraud Hotline at 1-800-543-0867. Diane Carr, Manager of Network Management, Rick Haddock, VP of Network Management, and co-host Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence, join Dr. McCoy for this discussion. You can view this discussion in video format on YouTube. Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Watch the Blue Promise videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9DmcGeb0bd23gxwdyKd7TaJy-dM0iX7T

Blue Promise is a podcast and online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. This bonus episode of Blue Promise features a special recording from our friends at Texas A&M University. This conversation about rural health care was recorded during a SXSW panel in Austin on March 12, 2019. To hear more conversations like this, subscribe to Texas A&M Health Talks podcast, found on SoundCloud or wherever you download your podcasts. Watch the Blue Promise videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9…dyKd7TaJy-dM0iX7T.

Health insurance is a highly regulated industry. One of its unique aspects includes “Usual and Customary Reimbursement” charges, mandated in the state of Texas. Lee Spangler, Vice President of Government Relations at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, shares some insight on this law and how it has inadvertently impacted Texans. Blue Promise is a podcast and online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and his co-host, Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence. Watch the Blue Promise videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9…dyKd7TaJy-dM0iX7T.

Of the 254 counties in Texas, more than two-thirds are deemed "rural" by the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Department of State Health Services. There are increasing challenges to accessing health care in these communities. In this Blue Promise conversation, Dr. Nancy Dickey, Executive Director of A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, and Dr. Bob Morrow, Southeast Texas Market President at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, address this growing crisis. Blue Promise is a podcast and online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and his co-host, Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence.

Health insurance networks come in all shapes and sizes. But are they really necessary? In this Blue Promise conversation, two experts from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas offer their insights to the purpose and value of networks -- Shara McClure, Divisional Senior Vice President of Health Care Delivery, and Rick Haddock, Vice President of Network Management. Blue Promise is a podcast and online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and his co-host, Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence.

Seeking medical care during emergencies shouldn’t put people at risk for bankruptcy. However, Texans are continuously charged exorbitant prices in the midst of their most vulnerable moments – during an emergency medical situation. In this Blue Promise conversation, Dr. Paul Hain, Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, discusses the growing reality of price gouging in health care. Blue Promise is a podcast and online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and his co-host, Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence.

As health care costs continue to rise, Texans are feeling more and more pressure to be savvy spenders. But how is that possible when they can’t see the price tags attached to their health care services? This panel of experts includes two Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas executives -- Darrell Beckett, DSVP of Sales & Marketing, and Vijay Murugappan, BCBSTX's Vice President of Strategy & Value. Blue Promise is a podcast and online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and his co-host, Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence.

Would you pay $3,000 to treat a cough? Many health care patients already have. Texans continue to face sticker shock like this after receiving surprise medical bills at freestanding emergency rooms. In this episode, BCBSTX's DSVP of Health Care Delivery, Shara McClure, offers her perspective on this trending topic in Texas. Blue Promise is a podcast and online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and his co-host, Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence.

Why are health care costs in the U.S. so much more expensive than health costs in comparable countries around the world? Dr. McCoy discusses how we can contain these runaway costs with Dr. Paul Hain, BCBSTX North Texas Market President, and co-host Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence. You can view this discussion in video format on YouTube (https://bit.ly/2JO2xbS). Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

We all know hospitals provide important medical services in our communities, but do you know how they make their money? Join Dr. McCoy for this Blue Promise discussion to learn more about the price you pay when you access health care at a hospital. The panel includes Shara McClure, DSVP of Texas Health Care Delivery, David Cripe, DVP of Network Management, and co-host Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence. You can view this discussion in video format on YouTube (https://bit.ly/2JO2xbS). Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

What are 'upcoding' and ‘bundling’ and how can they affect the price you pay for health care? In this Blue Promise, a panel of experts discusses two leading drivers for the rising cost of health care. This discussion includes Dr. Paul Hain, BCBSTX North Texas Market President, Melissa Holladay, Executive Director of Texas Market Performance, and co-host Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence. You can view this discussion in video format on YouTube (https://bit.ly/2JO2xbS). Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

New data shows health costs increase when Texas physicians consolidate into hospital systems. Why do providers enter these types of relationships and how can we help them stay independent? Dr. McCoy discusses the changing healthcare landscape and strategies to keep costs down with a panel of experts. This edition features Dr. Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University's Baker Institute, Lee Spangler, JD, BCBSTX Vice President of Texas Government Relations, and co-host Ross Blackstone, BCBSTX Director of Strategic Influence. You can view this discussion in video format on YouTube. Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

Natural disasters can pose public health problems long after the initial crisis ends. On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, we use our data to determine how the storm impacted the health of Southeast Texas. The panel for this discussion includes Bob Morrow, MD, Southeast Texas Market President, Leanne Metcalfe, PhD, Executive Director of Planning and Research, and co-host Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence. You can view this discussion in video format on YouTube. Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

Join us for a special panel discussion, recorded at a Dallas Business Journal event, about ways the health care system can collaborate to reduce costs and improve outcomes. The panel features Marianne Fazen, Ph.D., Executive Director of the DFW Business Group on Health, Stephen L. Mansfield, PhD, FACHE, President and CEO of Methodist Health System and our own Paul Hain, M.D., BCBSTX North Texas Market President. Tracy Merzi, Publisher and Market President of the Dallas Business Journal, moderated the discussion. Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

Using the emergency room in non-emergency situations drives up health care costs for all Texans. In this edition of Blue Promise, we talk the root causes of these high costs and what individuals can do to protect themselves. Dr. Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University's Baker Institute, Dr. Paul Hain, BCBSTX North Texas Market President, and co-host Ross Blackstone, BCBSTX Director of Strategic Influence, join Dr. McCoy for this discussion. You can listen to the complete discussion in podcast form on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/2KyH87U) and SoundCloud (https://bit.ly/2jncyl6). Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

The United States is facing one of the deadliest crises in its history: the opioid epidemic. New BCBSTX data shows that current regulations on opioid prescriptions aren't working as intended, so what can we do to stem the tide of the epidemic? Leanne Metcalfe, PhD, Executive Director of Planning and Research, Phiyen Tra, PharmD, Director of Clinical Programs, and co-host Ross Blackstone, Director of Strategic Influence, join Dr. McCoy to discuss the origins of the crisis and potential responses. You can view this discussion in video format on YouTube. Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

In Texas, there were nearly 200,000 family and dating violence incidents in 2016. In this Blue Promise, we dig into our data to determine the impact of this type of violence on health. Leanne Metcalfe, Ph.D., Senior Director of Collaborative Research at BCBSTX, Jan Langbein, CEO of Genesis Women's Shelter and Support, and co-host Dr. Esteban Lopez, BCBSTX Chief Medical Officer, join Dr. McCoy for a discussion about the causes and costs of family violence. You can view these discussions in video format on YouTube (https://bit.ly/2JO2xbS). Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

Even if you don’t have short-term limited duration insurance (STLDI), you should still be worried about changes to these policies. Once reserved for temporary coverage lapses, recent policy changes could make these plans seem like a good option for those looking to purchase inexpensive health coverage. Pati McCandless, BCBSTX Vice President of State Health Policy, joins Dr. McCoy and co-host Ross Blackstone, BCBSTX Director of Strategic Influence, to talk about the limitations of STLDI policies and the impact they could have on the health insurance market as a whole. You can view these discussions in video format on YouTube (bit.ly/2JO2xbS). Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

How can we protect health care from hackers? Join Kevin Charest, BCBSTX Chief Information Security Officer, and Kristin Conley, BCBSTX DSVP of Enterprise Risk Management, and co-host Ross Blackstone, BCBSTX Director of Strategic Influence, for this discussion about cybersecurity, risk management and the evolving digital health landscape. You can view these discussions in video format on YouTube (https://bit.ly/2JO2xbS). Blue Promise is an online video blog and podcast that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.

Advances in technology have given us the ability to diagnose, predict and screen for genetic diseases. But does everyone need this type of test? Dr. Esteban Lopez, BCBSTX Chief Medical Officer, discusses the uses of genetic testing and its limitations. Blue Promise is an online video blog that aims to address complicated health issues with candid conversations from subject matter experts. New editions are published regularly and are hosted by Dr. Dan McCoy, President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.