2022 Blue Premier Results: Good News Never Gets Old

This is Blue Cross NC 's fourth year of reporting results from our Blue Premier value-based care payment model, and once again the news is great.

There’s old wisdom that goes something like this: “If it happens once, it’s an accident. Twice and it’s a coincidence. Three times and it’s a trend.” What can you say about something that repeats four times? ?I’d call that a sustainable success for our Blue Premier providers and Blue Cross NC members. We designed the program to achieve savings through better outcomes, and we are thrilled with the steady drumbeat of positive outcomes it has generated.

Now that we’re in year four of reporting stellar news, it’s clear that the success of Blue Premier is much more than a trend: It’s a clearly established pathway toward health care that is more affordable, higher quality and better for all.

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Modernizing Care, Saving Lives, Lowering Costs

Through Blue Premier, Blue Cross NC is helping modernize health care by rewarding quality.

Hospital and doctor payments are based on health outcomes rather than solely on the number of procedures or tests performed. The logic is simple: Better, more coordinated care will result in fewer unplanned hospital admissions and unnecessary Emergency Department visits. Greater focus on preventative care will save lives and ultimately make health care more affordable … for everyone.

Blue Premier’s scope is vast: 12 major hospitals and health systems and more than 800 independent primary care practices across the state participate in the program, making up nearly 70% of Blue Cross NC’s total medical expense, excluding prescription drugs. This program is helping to create a system where high-quality care is affordable for all North Carolinians.

Blue Cross NC data show our Blue Premier program has delivered lower costs and higher quality consistently every year since its inception in 2019. Last year, the program’s cost savings reached nearly $164 million. After three years of consistently lowering costs, Blue Premier has achieved a total savings of nearly $650 million since the payment model launched.?

From any perspective, these savings are excellent news, for sure. But the improvements we’re seeing in health outcomes add up to something even more important in my book:

·??????An 18% reduction in unplanned hospital readmissions among adult members seeking care at a Blue Premier facility, compared to 2021

·??????A 15% increase in the percentage of members with appropriate blood pressure control in 2022, compared with 2021

·??????Approximately 10,000 more colorectal screenings than in 2021

Blue Premier isn't just saving money. It's saving lives.