Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan got only a portion of the insurance reforms it sought in the Michigan legislature, at least in part because of opposition from its competitor health plans. But the changes will have effects on Michigan's healthcare market going forward.
One of the Blues' major initiatives was to reform regulation of individual health plans, reasoning that with so many auto industry workers and retirees losing group coverage, the market for those plans is likely to grow exponentially.
Health Alliance Plans is seeing dramatic results in a back pain disease management program initiated with Henry Ford Medical Center and Chrysler.
Primary Care Case Management is emerging as a potential cost-saver for chronically ill members, with two Michigan plans exploring the idea.