Independence Health, Comcast to Partner on Healthcare Technology Platform
Independence Health Group, parent of Independence Blue Cross, and Comcast announced a partnership to launch a patient-centered technology and communications platform that seeks to improve the overall efficiency and experience of the care delivery process between providers and patients.
Comcast is a global media and technology company and Independence Health is one of the nation’s largest Blue Cross health insurers. The partnership has grown out of the organizations’ work together on healthcare initiatives in the Philadelphia area, where both companies are based.
The goal of the new, Internet-based platform is to provide a patient with access to content and information related to their particular health care journey, at home or on-the-go. Comcast and Independence plan to make the new platform accessible nationally, across multiple distribution channels and devices.
"Rapid technological advances in recent years have changed the expectations consumers have about accessing and using goods and services. Health care is no exception. Through this collaboration, we will explore how we can best use technology to enhance how consumers access and use health care services, which we know at times can be frustrating," Daniel J. Hilferty, Independence president and CEO, said in a statement. "There is no better place than Philadelphia – a global center for health care innovation – to launch this partnership. And we believe that we have found the ideal partner in Comcast, which is a global media and technology leader."
Independence is expanding on its commitment to invest in standalone businesses focused on health care innovation. The company's collaboration with Comcast unlocks substantial technology, communications, and media capabilities and Independence plans to leverage that expertise to better serve patients, the company said in a press release.
"Comcast's unique experience in technology and content can be an enabler for disruptive, personalized, and media-rich innovations in health care," Sam Schwartz, chief business development officer, Comcast, said in a statement. "Independence is a company steeped in innovation and completely committed to the consumer experience. We're excited about this new partnership and the opportunity to work together using technology to help improve the effectiveness and efficiency of patient communications and education."
Independence has a long history of tackling health care issues through partnerships and investments in scalable, high-impact health care innovations, including funding health care digital initiatives such as Achieve Well-being consumer empowerment solutions; developing value-based care models; and fostering public-private collaborations that improve quality of care, lower costs, and promote health care innovation in the Greater Philadelphia region. Independence is a founding member or sponsor of health care innovation resources in Philadelphia, including Independence Blue Cross Center for Health Care Innovation; Dreamit Health; HealthShare Exchange; and the Health Care Innovation Collaborative.
Comcast, one of the founding members of The Health Care Innovation Collaborative in Philadelphia, has initiated partnerships within the healthcare industry. Most recently, Comcast collaborated on a medically-approved Healthy Aging Series with UC Davis.
