BCBSA is aiming to reduce racial disparities in maternal health by 50% in the next 5 years. Here's how

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has launched a national strategy to address racial health disparities, starting with maternal health.

The organization, which represents 35 Blues plans across the country, is aiming to reduce racial disparities in maternal health by 50% over the next five years as the first target in its National Health Equity Strategy.

BCBSA is also planning to target behavioral health later this year, and then diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. All four health issues disproportionately impact communities of color.

Maureen Sullivan, BCBSA's chief strategy and innovation officer, told Fierce Healthcare that the industry has long been aware of racial health disparities, but "what was missing was a goal, a bold goal."

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"It's been building," she said. "I think what’s different is recognition that we need to be bold to create the change that’s long overdue in healthcare."

The strategy is built on harnessing data analytics to measure and track disparities and taking programs that work for individual Blues plans and bringing them to scale, BCBSA said. A national advisory panel made up of doctors, public health experts and community leaders will oversee the effort and provide feedback.

Board members include Tracey D. Brown, CEO of the American Diabetes Association; Marshall Chin, M.D., Richard Parrillo Family Professor of Healthcare Ethics at the University of Chicago; Gilbert Darrington, CEO of Health Services, Incorporated; Adaeze Enekwechi, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University; Maria S. Gomez, R.N., President and CEO of Mary’s Center; Rachel R. Hardeman, Ph.D., Tenured Associate Professor in the Division of Health Policy & Management at the University of Minnesota; Stacey D. Stewart, President and CEO of March of Dimes; Richard Taylor, CEO of ImbuTec and Kevin Washington, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA.

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Sullivan said that maternal health made for a logical starting point as there's a clear need and a number of programs already deployed by BCBSA's member plans to target it. BCBSA and the advisory board are looking to gather additional data on those programs and the partnerships that have proven most effective and then growing their reach.

Sullivan said that the local focus of Blues plans, and their community ties, position them well to address the specific needs of members in different regions.

She said that the community-based approach is part of what drew some of the board members, who were hopeful that targeted solutions can get at the challenge of poor maternal outcomes.

"We're in every zip code and we can reach the local communities," she said.