5 questions with Dr. DiFranco Dr. Duane DiFranco, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s vice president of Medicare star ratings and clinical performance, leads the company’s Opioid Task Force and efforts to improve our Medicare star ratings and HEDIS® scores. We talked with him recently about these topics and other issues related to clinical performance. Read more.
Value Partnerships
More than 4,700 physicians earn PCMH designation in program’s 11th year As you may have read in the November Record, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan announced that it has designated 4,704 physicians in 1,738 primary care practices statewide as patient-centered medical homes. Read more.
Value Partnerships Annual Report posted online The 2018 Value Partnerships Annual Report has been posted online on the Value Partnerships Overview page at bcbsm.com/providers. Read more.
Michigan-OPEN and MSQC team up for success in general surgery A statewide effort to combat the opioid epidemic resulted in surgeons cutting opioid prescription size by nearly a third without increasing patients’ pain or decreasing their satisfaction. Read more.
MBSC shows benefits of bariatric surgery go beyond weight loss Obesity affects nearly 1 in every 3 Michiganders and increases the risk for serious health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Read more.
A message from Emily Santer, manager, Value Partnerships I’d like to offer personal testimony about our CQIs I’ve long admired our Collaborative Quality Initiatives, but never imagined I would personally benefit from their work. Read more.
Mind-body connection
Guest column from Kenneth L. Salzman, Ph.D., licensed psychologist Pairing psychotherapy with medications can reduce symptoms of bipolar disorder Research into the treatment of bipolar disorder indicates that medication alone doesn’t produce the best outcomes for patients. Read more.
Health and wellness
Blue Cross Coordinated Care to launch in 2020 Next year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network will launch a new approach to care management called Blue Cross® Coordinated Care. Read more.
Tobacco Coaching program available to all PPO members starting Jan. 1, 2020 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Tobacco Coaching program, powered by WebMD®, will be available to all Blue Cross PPO members beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Read more.
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