SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced that Cigna and Sentara Healthcare
have joined a new health utility network using blockchain. The aim
of the network is to convene a broad ecosystem of healthcare
organizations in a highly secure, shared environment with the
goal of enabling organizations to build, share and
deploy solutions using blockchain that drive digital transformation
in the industry.
The network also includes Aetna, Anthem, Health Care Service
Corporation (HCSC), and PNC Bank. Together they are exploring ways
that blockchain can be used to address a range of industry
challenges, including promoting efficient claims and payment
processing, enabling secure and frictionless healthcare information
exchanges, and ways to maintain current and accurate provider
directories.
"We came together to create the health utility network realizing
the need to improve transparency and interoperability in the
industry in order to improve healthcare for all Americans," said
Rajeev Ronanki, chief digital
officer of Anthem, Inc. "Engaging additional members across partner
levels and industry perspectives will increase the network's reach
and ability to deliver high value solutions."
At its core, blockchain is about strengthening trust in data.
It's a digital record keeping system that creates a new way to
share and secure data across a business network. The ability to do
this in real time, while maintaining permissioned access, data
ownership and governance across many disparate parties, is what
makes it so transformative.
"Cigna sees enormous potential for blockchain to improve the way
we harness insights across the health care ecosystem to better
serve our customers and communities," said Mark Boxer, executive vice president and chief
information officer, Cigna. "By working together, and joining the
health utility network as a founding member, we have a significant
opportunity to create new efficiencies that will lead to improved
whole person health and wellness outcomes for our customers and
clients."
"Sentara is dedicated to leveraging Information Technology to
continuously improve health every day," said Mike Reagin, Sentara Healthcare senior vice
president and chief information and innovation officer. "Blockchain
is poised to help solve some of healthcare's most crucial data
security, and IT interoperability issues as we look to implement
new customer-centric healthcare delivery models."
"The distinctive attributes of blockchain is enabling
collaborations between parties that could not easily take place
previously, and with that entirely new business models are
emerging," said Lori Steele, general
manager for Healthcare and Life Sciences for IBM. "The
byproduct of this is the ability to link organizations in real-time
and in ways that can ultimately improve the patient
experience."
One of several areas of focus for the healthcare ecosystem will
be new ways to address payments. For example, a lack of trust
between payers and providers can impede efforts to move toward
alternative payment models. IBM and PNC have begun collaborating on
a way to use blockchain to create shared efficiencies, drive
adoption of bundled payments as a reimbursement mechanism, and help
improve the value of care. The two organizations are scheduled to
demonstrate the solution during the HIMSS Conference.
The business model of the healthcare blockchain network is
predicated on a commitment to open and inclusive participation.
More members expect to be added including other health
organizations, providers, startups and ISVs, and together members
will expand use cases that can benefit the healthcare industry.
The announcement was made during THINK 2019, IBM's annual
conference focused on technology and business.
About Think 2019
At Think 2019, IBM will outline new offerings, client engagements,
partnerships, technology breakthroughs and developer tools that
underscore how IBM and partners are changing the way the world
works.For more information, visit the IBM Think 2019 Newsroom:
https://newsroom.ibm.com/think. Follow the conference on Twitter at
#think2019 and @ibmlive, and go
to https://www.ibm.com/events/think/ for the full schedule and
live streaming agenda.
About Aetna
Aetna, a CVS Health business, serves
an estimated 39 million people with information and resources to
help them make better informed decisions about their health care.
Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and
consumer-directed health insurance products and related services,
including medical, pharmacy, dental and behavioral health plans,
and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care
management services, workers' compensation administrative services
and health information technology products and services. Aetna's
customers include employer groups, individuals, college students,
part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers,
governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and
expatriates. For more information, visit www.aetna.com and
explore how Aetna is helping to build a healthier world.
@AetnaNews
About Anthem, Inc.
Anthem is a leading health benefits
company dedicated to improving lives and communities, and making
healthcare simpler. Through its affiliated companies, Anthem serves
more than 74 million people, including nearly 40 million within its
family of health plans. We aim to be the most innovative, valuable
and inclusive partner. For more information, please visit
www.antheminc.com or follow @AnthemInc on Twitter.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind for
those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability,
affordability and quality care through integrated capabilities and
connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health.
All products and services are provided exclusively by or through
operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health
and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance
Company, Life Insurance Company of North
America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Express Scripts companies or their
affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite
of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health,
pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products
including group life, accident and disability insurance.
Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has 160 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links
to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
About Health Care Service Corporation
Health Care Service Corporation is the country's largest
customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer
overall, with more than 16 million members in its health plans in
Illinois, Montana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma and
Texas. A Mutual Legal Reserve
Company, HCSC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Association. For more information, please
visit HCSC.com, visit our Facebook page or
follow us at Twitter.
About IBM
IBM is recognized as the leading enterprise blockchain provider.
The company's research, technical and business experts teams have
broken barriers in transaction processing speeds, developed the
most advanced cryptography to secure transactions, and are
contributing millions of lines of open source code to advance
blockchain for businesses. IBM is the leader in open-source
blockchain solutions built for the enterprise. Since 2016, IBM has
worked with hundreds of clients across financial services, supply
chain, government, retail, digital rights management and healthcare
to implement blockchain applications, and operates a number of
networks running live and in production. The cloud-based IBM
Blockchain Platform delivers the end-to-end capabilities that
clients need to quickly activate and successfully develop, operate,
govern and secure their own business networks. IBM is an early
member of Hyperledger, an open source collaborative effort created
to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies. For more
information about IBM Blockchain,
visit https://www.ibm.com/blockchain/or follow us on Twitter
at @ibmblockchain.
About Sentara Healthcare
Sentara Healthcare celebrates nearly 130 years in pursuit of
its mission – we improve health every day. Named to IBM Watson
Health's 2018 "Top 15 Health Systems," Sentara is an integrated,
not-for-profit system of 12 hospitals in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, including a Level
I trauma center, the nationally-ranked Sentara Heart Hospital, two
orthopedic hospitals, accredited Sentara Cancer Network and the
Sentara Neurosciences Institute. The Sentara family also includes
four medical groups, Nightingale Regional Air Ambulance and ground
medical transport, senior care, home care and hospice, nursing
rehabilitation centers, ambulatory outpatient campuses, advanced
imaging and diagnostic centers, a clinically integrated network,
the Sentara College of Health Sciences and the Optima Health Plan
serving 450,000 members in Virginia, North
Carolina and Ohio. With
nearly 28,000 employees and ranked one of Forbes "America's
Best Employers" in 2018, Sentara is strategically focused on
clinical quality and safety, innovation and creating an
extraordinary healthcare experience for our patients and
members.
About PNC
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial
Services Group, Inc (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest
diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its
customers and communities for strong relationships and local
delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of
lending products; specialized services for corporations and
government entities, including corporate banking, real estate
finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset
management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
Contact: Leesa D'Alto, 212-671-9806, Leesa.dalto@ibm.com
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SOURCE IBM