Jeffrey Kluever

Little did we know when we gathered together on January 28, 2020 at the Fiserv Forum for our annual meeting that it would be one of the last times our organization would conduct an in-person meeting during the year. While 2020 looked and felt very different – and 2021 is starting with the same look and feel – the work of our organization continued, albeit mostly virtually.

Despite 2020’s considerable challenges, the year was highlighted by many notable accomplishments for our organization. Among them were the following:

• Identification and selection of Centivo as a new BHCG best in class strategic partner for network development and claims administration for our high-performance health plan solution
• Sponsorship of several webinars to help member employers and other stakeholders across Wisconsin address issues related to COVID-19
• Continuation of our Delivering Value Series (DVS) symposiums to address critical health care and benefit issues
• Continued advancement in the use of data to direct our efforts to create additional value in health care delivery through the promotion and co-sponsorship of the RAND 3.0 study in the State
• Continued demonstration of responsible corporate citizenship through our support of the Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers with a contribution of more than $30,000 from the proceeds of our third annual golf outing. BHCG also served as the presenting sponsor at the organization’s virtual annual celebrity roast in November
• Development of a deferred care communications campaign with the goals of educating employees and their dependents on the importance of not deferring care and helping members feel comfortable seeking out necessary care, despite the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 is shaping up to be another year of significant initiatives designed to continue our mission of leveraging member employer purchasing power and knowledge to lead change and increase health care value through innovative shared strategies.

Some key initiatives for 2021 include:

• Partnering with Centivo to complete the development of a high-performance health plan solution, including broad and narrow health care provider networks in eastern Wisconsin with a national network solution for availability January 1, 2022. This will offer self-funded employers a way to deliver high quality, affordable health care to employees and their families by directing patients to high value providers and encouraging coordinated care through the use of primary care physicians.
• Completing the second iteration of the Physician Value Study, in collaboration with GNS Healthcare and the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO), to evaluate primary care physician and select specialist performance throughout the state. The first study found significant opportunity available to reduce costs by raising the performance of physicians or directing patients to high-performing physicians. Results of the second study will be made public in the second quarter of the year.
• Promoting participation in the next iteration of the RAND’s Hospital Price Transparency Study, RAND 4.0, to all self-funded employers and health plans in the state. We are urging employers and health plans to submit their data for RAND 4.0 to improve health care quality and cost transparency and thus improve health care value in our state. Enrollment for RAND 4.0 is now open.
• Planning is underway for year three of our well-received Delivering Value Series (DVS) symposiums, designed for employers, their advisors, providers and other health care and benefits stakeholders to gain in-depth knowledge about the value of BHCG membership and innovative employer solutions in BHCG’s portfolio.
• Encouraging employers in Wisconsin and nationwide to take advantage of our partnerships with our best in class strategic partners. These strategic solutions have been selected because they align with our mission of improving quality and cost efficiency of health care for our member employers, their employees and the community.

I encourage all employers to join our efforts to help make Wisconsin a great place to do business with affordable, high quality health care.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at 262-875-3312 x1 or jkluever@BHCGWI.org if you have questions or would like to learn more about BHCG.