Independence Blue Cross is helping to improve recovery outcomes for its Medicare Advantage members after they leave the hospital and reduce costs with its Post-Acute Care Program.

The program combines predictive analytics, proactive case management, and a focus on home-based recovery to ensure members receive the right care at the right time after a stay at the hospital. Since its launch in July 2022, it has helped to improve CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems) survey scores — a tool used to measure members’ experiences with healthcare services and strengthen healthcare in the U.S. It has also delivered $13 million in cost savings and earned the prestigious North Star Award from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) for its measurable impact.

“We are proud of this program and how it drives forward IBX’s mission of focusing on members’ whole health,” said Kortney Cruz, IBX’s Senior Vice President of Government Markets. “Through the program, we can proactively engage with members and offer them personalized services. This kind of support is what people need when they leave the hospital. The fact that we are able to provide it to our members at home, where they are the most comfortable and outcomes are better, is a huge win.”

IBX created the Post-Acute Care Program to meet the growing need for convenient, accessible healthcare — a demand driven by the rise of the aging population. The IBX program is successfully addressing that need. It has already helped improve the healthcare experiences and recovery outcomes for IBX Medicare Advantage members. This month, the program also earned BCBSA’s North Star Award, which honors initiatives that achieve meaningful and measurable impacts for members and strengthen the Blue Cross Blue Shield brand. This is the second consecutive year that BCBSA recognized IBX with the award.

Some specific results IBX is seeing from its Post-Acute Care Program include:

• Improved member satisfaction. Members have reported significant improvements in satisfaction as evidenced by CAHPS survey scores since the program started. Those improvements include higher ratings for health plan satisfaction, customer service, and overall care experience.
• Increased engagement. The program has expanded onsite skilled nursing facility (SNF) interactions, clinical rounding, and caregiver resources. These engagements have helped IBX achieve a 300 percent increase in self-referrals to Carallel (a caregiving support organization) and a 56 percent rise in case management referrals, which help patients navigate their care.
• Cost savings. In 2019 alone, post-acute care costs for IBX Medicare Advantage members totaled $65.3 million. Since launching the Post-Acute Care Program, IBX has seen $13 million in cost savings. The cost savings were driven by a number of factors, such as proactively engaging members early, offering help in the form of outreach and support from qualified nurses, fewer hospital readmissions, and more.

“We see the real impact of this program when we talk to our members,” said Diana Lehman, IBX’s Vice President of Case and Condition Management. “For example, I recently heard about an onsite nurse who helped one of our members adjust their pain management medication. That simple adjustment allowed the member to fully participate in physical therapy and successfully return home. In another instance, an IBX case manager coordinated with a member’s care team to address mobility issues, nutrition, and follow-up care, resulting in better health and quality of life.”

IBX is committed to expanding the impact of its Post-Acute Care Program to more members. To do that, IBX plans to refine predictive analytics, deepen partnerships with care providers, and enhance resources for caregivers and families.

Learn more about Independence Blue Cross and how it strives for the health and wellness of its members by giving them the resources they need to live every day better.