Leadership in
health equity

Pioneering equity-based contracts
with physicians and hospitals

We believe your health shouldn’t depend on the color of your skin or the neighborhood you live in. As part of our commitment to ensure high-quality, affordable care for all our members, we entered into new payment contracts that reward clinicians for addressing racial and ethnic inequities in care. Steward Health Care Network, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Mass General Brigham and Boston Accountable Care Organization — health systems that provide care to nearly 500,000 Blue Cross members — are first to sign on to the new contracts.

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"I’m proud of Blue Cross for taking a bold step in this direction."

- Dr. Thea James

Vice president of mission and associate chief medical officer at Boston Medical Center,
among the first to sign an equity-based payment contract with Blue Cross

Supporting our partners

We are providing $25 million to support physicians and hospitals in their efforts to address racial and ethnic disparities. With funding distributed through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, we are supporting initiatives at Massachusetts’ 12 largest health systems, including efforts to reduce disparities in hypertension and diabetes care, accelerate equity in cancer screening, and expand staff training. The health systems also receive our landmark health equity data. The systems participate in our pioneering Alternative Quality Contract, which bases payment on quality of care, health outcomes, the patient experience, and total cost of care.

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"We believe everyone — regardless of race, age, sexual orientation or gender identity — deserves access to high-quality health care."

- Dr. Joseph Weinstein

Cardiologist and chief physician executive at Steward Health Care Network,
which is partnering with Blue Cross to address health inequities