Multi-Payer Portal Launched in N.J.

An initiative begun last October in Ohio to enable providers to access multiple health insurers through a single Web portal, using standardized transactions and processes, now is moving into New Jersey.

America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association lead the collaboration, along with state-level medical associations. In Ohio, eight insurers, covering 91% of residents with private insurance, initially joined the effort, using an electronic data interchange platform from Availity LLC, Jacksonville, Fla.-based.
 
Now, several insurers have launched a similar service in New Jersey using the Web portal of NaviNet Inc., Cambridge, Mass. The insurers—Aetna, AmeriHealth, Cigna, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Horizon NJ (Medicaid plan), and UnitedHealthcare and its Oxford Health subsidiary—represent 95% of privately insured residents in the state.

The vendor already serves 75% of providers in the state and some of the participating insurers presently support transactions through the NaviNet portal. Insurers linking to the portal because of the initiative include Horizon BCBS, Horizon NJ, UnitedHealthcare and Oxford.

All participating insurers are committed to standardizing certain processes and using the emerging CORE standardized transaction. The goal is to make using the portal and accessing insurers as easy as using an ATM card. There will be no charge to providers for use of the multi-payer portal.

This story has been reprinted with permission from Health Data Management.