Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Unveils State-of-the-Art Claims Processing Capability.Business Editors/Medical Writers JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2000 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is Florida's largest health insurance provider and plan administrator. The company is a member of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The nonprofit, Jacksonville-based Blue Cross and its subsidiaries serve more than 8. (BCBSF BCBSF Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida ) recently unveiled enhancements to its Virtual Office technology, which positions BCBSF as the first health plan in the country to offer on-line, real-time claims processing. "This new capability allows doctors and hospitals to completely process a claim on the date of service," said Patrick J. Haley, BCBSF vice president, Virtual Office Implementation. "Providers can use other timesaving features of Virtual Office to verify patient eligibility and authorizations online, collect patient co-payments and receive funds electronically in their bank accounts on the next scheduled payment date." Barbara Benevento, BCBSF senior vice president, Health Business Operations, said, "Virtual Office has been an ambitious undertaking that exemplifies how BCBSF will do business in the future. It also reflects our commitment to building more collaborative provider relationships by reducing their administrative burden, streamlining processes and providing instant online access to patient information." According to Haley, providers in Palm Beach County were given access to same-day electronic claims processing electronic claims processing Electronic billing The electronic–ie, by modem–submission of a bill to third-party payers, for physician services rendered capabilities in early September. "Virtual Office already reaches more than 7,000 providers and 140 hospitals. It has successfully handled over 1.5 million transactions to date, and will be available statewide in the next nine months," he added. Virtual Office enhancements are receiving positive reviews from providers. Sintra Boltuch, office manager for Dr. Robert Boltuch in West Palm Beach, said, "The electronic billing is great, and the process time for being paid is much faster. We completely processed our first claim in 25 seconds." BCBSF teamed with California-based Health Systems Design (Nasdaq:HSD HSD Human Services Department HSD High Speed Data HSD Hillsboro School District (Hillsboro, OR) HSD Hybrid Synergy Drive (Toyota/Lexus) HSD High School Diploma HSD Historical Society of Delaware ) to develop the new technology. BCBSF selected HSD based on the functionality of its DIAMOND 950 C/S See client/server. software. Arthur M. Southam, MD, HSD president and chief executive officer, said, "We appreciate that BCBSF made DIAMOND 950 C/S an integral part of Virtual Office. The successful integration of DIAMOND with Virtual Office reflects our ability to meet the information systems and operational requirements of large and complex health plans, and to adapt to the requirements of Internet-based business." As Florida's largest health care coverage company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is dedicated to providing caring solutions and affordable choices to more than 2.7 million customers. The company's comprehensive product and service offerings include individual and group health insurance, life insurance, workers' compensation workers' compensation, payment by employers for some part of the cost of injuries, or in some cases of occupational diseases, received by employees in the course of their work. , dental and vision care and electronic business solutions. BCBSF is a licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
Health Systems Design, headquartered in Oakland, California, is a leading vendor of information systems solutions for organizations that administer health benefits. The company's DIAMOND software manages large and complex databases and the high volume, complex transactions associated with the administration of health benefits and provider payments. HSD's software and services enable its clients to control costs and to improve the services provided to their members. The company's 119 clients include health insurers, health maintenance organizations (HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, ), preferred provider organizations (PPO PPO abbr. preferred provider organization PPO Managed care Preferred provider organization, see there Infectious disease Pleuropneumonia-like organism, see there ) and health care provider organizations. Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. Statement for HSD: The statements contained in this release that are not historical fact are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties are described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
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