Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and Benefitfocus, a healthcare and benefits technology provider, are partnering to build a personalized, private insurance exchange for Blue KC’s large group clients. Benefitfocus is designed to provide Blue KC with a retail platform that supports defined contribution as well as different health plan options, allowing employer groups and their employees to shop for benefits in a marketplace setting.
Benefitfocus says the platform’s shopping workflow integrates with Blue KC’s existing online enrollment and billing solutions, also provided by Benefitfocus. Employers are able to create a pre-filtered, micro marketplace that allows employees to only see the plans for which they are eligible. A personal shopping cart displays employer allocated funds and tracks the employee’s out-of-pocket costs.
Employers can provide their employees with core Blue KC medical coverage as well as dental, vision and life insurance, according to Benefitfocus. Accessible on any web-enabled device, the exchange features interactive, multimedia tools that educate consumers. Decision-support tools, questionnaires, informative videos and animation are available to shoppers during the process. Integrated claims information, along with the ability to personalize expected plan usage and estimate costs, creates more cost transparency for shoppers, which is designed to help them make informed decisions.
