Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic Announce New Five-Year Relationship

EAGAN, Minn. and ROCHESTER, Minn., June 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) and Mayo Clinic have announced a new agreement that will keep all Mayo locations across Minnesota in the Blue Cross provider network through 2023.

This five-year agreement demonstrates the level of commitment both organizations have to the members and patients they serve together. The agreement, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2019, is structured to offer comprehensive clinical strategies that support the health of the population in southern Minnesota and maintain ongoing support of complex specialty care provided by Mayo Clinic. By ensuring access to Mayo Clinic's clinical and diagnostic expertise for patients with complex medical conditions and needs, this agreement will help Blue Cross members with commercial or government coverage reduce avoidable costs caused by misdiagnoses or unnecessary treatment plans.

Under this agreement, Blue Cross and Mayo Clinic will establish a collaborative governance structure to ensure that the latest advancements in medical technology and procedures have a path to market through health plan coverage options. Advancements in organ transplants, radiation therapies and genomics are examples of areas that the organizations are committed to supporting through a collaborative guided-care approach, ensuring individuals who would benefit from complex care receive a seamless experience navigating to Mayo Clinic to receive care.

"This five-year agreement combines and complements our respective strengths," said Garrett Black, senior vice president of health services and enterprise solutions at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. "Blue Cross has unique expertise in improving quality outcomes and addressing the cost of care for our members with highly complex health issues that require extensive medical services and support. Mayo is a global leader in models of care that provide these types of highly specialized, innovative and integrated services. By working together, we can collaborate on the most effective ways to utilize emerging and breakthrough technologies in ways that are sustainable."

"Mayo's openness and willingness to be part of the solution to address rising health care costs is to be commended," said Black. "Our new agreement was designed with the goal of launching a new kind of long-term strategic relationship that can bring long-term pricing predictability and stability to the market while fostering continued innovation in the way care is accessed, paid for and delivered." 

"This collaborative relationship provides opportunities to care for and manage patients in a more comprehensive manner with better outcomes through jointly developed innovative programs and care models," said Dennis Dahlen, chief financial officer at Mayo Clinic. "The member and patient experience has been front and center in our discussions with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Our formal governance structure will advance both organizations' capabilities to positively affect the health and wellness of consumers in our marketplace, and provide long-term rewards for consumers." 

Guided-care approaches will enable Blue Cross members to access high-value care in a cost-effective manner. For example, a guided-care approach will identify members in need of Mayo Clinic care through Blue Cross' High Complexity Case Unit and Mayo Clinic's Complex Care Program. This collaboration enables members to address their complex clinical needs, reducing the total cost of care by placing the patient on the right treatment plan as quickly as possible.

Network design and provider participation can vary by health plan. Before obtaining services, Blue Cross members should call the number on the back of their Blue Cross membership card to verify whether Mayo locations are within their health plan network.

About Blue Cross:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com), with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today as a health company: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, taxable organization. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago.

About Mayo Clinic:
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota