AI, cancer care and sensory deprivation solutions are changing healthcare

BENEFITS ENGAGEMENT: Fifty-three percent of employees don't think they're getting the most out of their healthcare plan options, according to a recent survey from the The Harris Poll , and another 54% don't fully understand what their current health insurance offers. To help decode this process, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota launched an AI tool, Blue Care Advisor.

The platform uses AI to manage the entirety of an employee's health journey, including filing claims, navigating benefits, understanding deductibles, finding health and wellness programs and engaging with customer service. The program also ranks over 140 clinical conditions by need and identifies personalized follow-up steps based on a member's individual health goals, their health assessment and claims data.?

Here's why AI is making healthcare easier to navigate: Blue Cross Blue Shield launches AI tool to help people navigate their healthcare plans

MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS: As depression and anxiety rates increase in the U.S., it may be time for employers to familiarize themselves more with mental health care. Reduced environmental stimulation therapy, or REST, where a patient is placed in an environment where external stimuli are minimized, is an emerging trend; the most famous form of this therapy is sensory deprivation tanks, which involve placing a patient in a dark, soundproof tub filled with a foot or less of salt water.?

"When an individual is in this type of an environment, free of typical distractions, they can truly focus on their breath, heartbeat, their own bodily sensations and even meditation," says Chris Pagnani, MD , medical director of Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates . "I have had patients state that this type of therapy has been extremely helpful for their stress levels by providing them regular, uninterrupted sessions of complete inner focus and mindfulness."

Could this treatment be for you? Why mental health coverage should include sensory deprivation therapy

CANCER CARE: Healthcare navigation and care coordination platform Quantum Health is supporting their three million members with their new Premier Oncology solution. The platform allows members to access all of their employer healthcare offerings in one place, easing the patient experience and potentially lowering costs associated with unnecessary benefit utilization.?

"When you think about your typical oncology journey, you're going to tap into 20 or 30 different benefits," says Dan Shur, Quantum Health's chief product officer. "Other solutions manage pieces of the journey; we can use our expertise to help people knit this all together in a curated pathway and make things work behind the scenes."?

Check out the details on the new platform: Cancer care, all in one place: Quantum Health offers new oncology benefits