Your Health History on the Web: Dangerous or Helpful?

Posted in Health Insurance

February 23rd, 2010

Technology has made some impressive changes over the years – as we thought it would. Now, we see more programs and applications available that make our lives more convenient than ever. But do we want them all?

This question has recently surfaced with the new technology presented from Google and IBM that allows us to manage online health records from home. The new technology opens up a format that allows patients to communicate health information into an electronic medical record kept by health care providers and primary-care physicians.

However, one has to wonder how health insurance companies view this new technology that, in some instances, deletes their role as the middle man between patients and physicians. Will this next step in technology actually improve health-record system? How will insurance companies impact and be impacted by it?

The Basics of the Software

While the software, which has yet to be named, is still in its beginning phases, the idea is relatively concrete. With consumers’ permission, the software, developed by IBM, will shift data into a personal health record in Google Health.

If you’re not familiar with Google Health, it is a service that helps consumers manage and store their health information online. Between the different software being created and Google Health, patients will be able to transfer daily health status information, which could essentially help health care providers monitor chronic diseases.

The idea of creating public health records that would be easier to manage was initiated by President Barack Obama’s stimulus package. His hope is that this type of system will provide a needed push to modernize health care.

Are There Benefits in the New Software?

There are said to be a lot of potential benefits to the ability of patients to exchange information with physicians. For instance, patients could:

• Relay daily information, like blood pressure details, to their physicians – something that is normally not learned until checkup time.
• Diabetes patients could upload blood sugar information and send this information to their doctors to help them better manage the disease.

In order to ensure that as much information as possible is tapped, IBM designed the software to use computer standards agreed to by the Continua Health Alliance. This alliance is a large consortium of technology companies and medical device makers.

The New Software and Health Insurance Companies

Now that we know that the technology is cool and unique, it’s time to explore the relationship between it and health insurance companies. The software offered via IBM will allow for transmission to Google Health. Now the question is what is its relationship with insurance companies?

We are accustomed to being able to purchase online health insurance, but will insurance companies be able to access our information online – and will be able to submit claims through the new software?

The answer to the first question is that you are the only person who controls access to your health information using Google Health. If you decide to allow others, including employers or insurers to access your files, you will also have the ability to revoke access at any time.

To answer the second question, it looks as though you won’t be able to submit claims anytime soon. To date, only Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and APWU Health Plan (a PPO for Postal and Federal employees and retirees) have created relationships with Google Health. If you are connected with these health plans, you can directly upload medical records into the program.

Some speculate that more insurers haven’t jumped on board because they have more medical data stored about you than anyone – including your physician – and if they open up their files, they may suddenly be subject to scrutiny on bills from companies.

However, there is another issue that some critics have brought up that actually puts the patient at risk more than the insurer. If insurance companies do begin to infiltrate the system and take a good look at patient records – more than they’ve ever had access to – they may begin making rate or health insurance denial decisions based on what they see. As you may know, it doesn’t take much to deny a health insurance case.

As for now, the bulk of Google Health lies in the patient’s hands. You don’t have to allow anyone access to your files if you don’t want. You could simply keep the information for your eyes only. However, if you want to pull your physicians, insurers and others into the equation, it’s good to make sure that you’re prepared for any “Big Brother” repercussions this could bring about down the line.

With the online software revolution being so new, you have to decide if being a guinea pig and moving to online health records is truly worth it.