Bringing Improved Healthcare Access and Quality to an Urban Native American Population

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BlueCross BlueShield of Montana

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) formed a partnership with the Helena Indian Alliance to increase the local Native American community's access to healthcare services. The Alliance operates a clinic for low-income Native Americans, particularly those without health insurance coverage, BCBSMT not only helped improve the community's access to care, but also the quality of care.

Program Elements

• BCBSMT worked with the Helena Indian Alliance to identify the most pressing needs facing Helena's Native American community.
  
  
• Stagnant funding and lack of support were a challenge for the clinic, espe­cially technical support and expert advice to improve the health needs of the local Native American community, which faces a significant burden of obesity, diabetes, and mental illness at rates much higher than those of the general population.
  
  
• BCBSMT worked with the clinic to identify investments that would most improve the quality of care and minimize costs to maximize the clinic's impact in the community. BCBSMT covered the costs of doubling the staff psychologist's hours at the clinic.
  
  
• BCBSMT agreed to pay for IT upgrades, including a high-speed Internet connection and electronic claims submission.
  
  
• The Plan also helped solicit support from others in the community.
  
  
• Pharmaceutical companies provided drug samples to the clinic and a mail-order pharmacy donated baby aspirin and vitamins. BCBSMT continues working to acquire antibiotics and influenza vaccine.

Program Results

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana expects to expand its partnership with the clinic in the future by working with a third-party disease manage­ment provider to serve the clinic's diabetic patients. These patients will benefit from the mailing of educational materials, periodic telephone contact, and remote weight and blood glucose monitoring.

Contact

Linda McGillen, Director of Corporate Communications, 406-444-8931, l.mcgillen@bcbsmt.com