West Virginia’s health care system could save over $1.1 billion by going digital and centralizing patient care, according to a first-of-its-kind report presented to lawmakers Monday.
Those savings would be seen not just by government agencies, but by private insurers and policyholders, who could benefit directly in the form of lower premiums.
The report should lend urgency to some initiatives that have already begun, like electronic medical records and prescriptions, according to the groups behind its creation.
“It really is remarkable to consider the savings available from options that are, basically, low-hanging fruit,” said Perry Bryant, executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care.
Lawmakers with a joint interim committee that oversees health care policy responded Monday with cautious praise for the report.
“I think it’s very positive, and certainly provocative,” said House Health and Human Resources Chairman Don Perdue, D-Wayne. “It’s gratifying to see that once again, West Virginia is ahead of the game.”
The estimates in the report, prepared by CCRC Actuaries for the West Virginia Health Care Authority, used insurance claims data from more than 800,000 West Virginia residents, including people in public plans like Medicaid and private plans like Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Both the volume and the range of information make the report’s estimates uniquely valuable, Bryant said.
“I don’t know of any other state where private insurers have voluntarily pooled their data,” he said.
