- BCBSNC expanding on-site model to interact directly with patients at WakeMed.
- BCBSNC customer service professional will be on-site Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm.
- Patient-care staff will also benefit by having on-site access to a BCBSNC customer service professional.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is expanding its on-site relationship with WakeMed Health & Hospitals. Beginning Oct. 20, at the WakeMed Raleigh Campus on New Bern Avenue, a dedicated customer service professional will be onsite from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to work with patients and case managers to assist BCBSNC customers with claims and benefits. This marks the first time BCBSNC has placed a customer service professional in a hospital to assist customers while they are in the hospital.
“Our customers who are being treated at WakeMed will immediately see the benefits of this service,” said Ian Gordon, senior vice president and chief operations officer at BCBSNC. “Being in the hospital can be an emotional time for patients and their families. Having someone who understands their benefits and can work with patients and WakeMed staff to make the registration and discharge processes seamless is an invaluable service that BCBSNC is proud to offer.”
In previous implementations of the “on-site service model” BCBSNC professionals worked only in billing departments, where, side-by-side with staff in those organizations, they addressed questions and claims inquiries more rapidly and efficiently.
“Anytime we are able to improve the service a patient receives, it is positive,” said Becky Andrews, vice president of finance at WakeMed. “We believe it will be helpful for our BCBSNC patients to have direct, in person contact with a representative who can help them understand their benefits.”
BCBSNC implemented the on-site service model as the first of its kind in 2009 at WakeMed Raleigh Campus and has also expanded to multiple other locations. Within a year of implementing this model at WakeMed, more than half of all BCBSNC claims inquiries were resolved on the first day they were received, a 23 percent improvement from the previous year. The system also allows for further innovation, as many of the complex and secondary paper claims have been replaced by faster, more efficient electronic claims.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.7 million members, including approximately 900,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 77 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.
About WakeMed Health & Hospitals:
WakeMed Health & Hospitals is a private, not-for-profit health care organization based in Raleigh, N.C. The 870-bed system comprises a network of health care facilities throughout Wake and Johnston Counties. Centers of excellence include cardiac and vascular care, women’s and children’s services, physical rehab, emergency and trauma, orthopedics, neurosciences, home care and numerous wellness and community outreach programs. WakeMed’s team of 7,700 employees, 1,000 volunteers, more than 1,000 affiliated physicians, and 150 physicians employed by WakeMed Physician Practices serve the residents of North Carolina using the most advanced technologies to ensure the finest in health care. For more information, visit wakemed.org.
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