Priority Health expands innovative partnership with Epic to remain at forefront of simplifying patient experience

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — September 18, 2024) Priority Health, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan serving more than 1.3 million members, is building on its investment with Epic’s Payer Platform to utilize technology that is driving the future of health care.

The integrated technology platform unlocks greater capabilities for streamlining operations, driving further integration with care delivery systems resulting in better care, better experience and lower overall costs of care for members and patients.

Priority Health began its partnership with Epic, the most widely used and comprehensive health record system, in January 2022, as the first health plan in Michigan to implement Epic’s Payer Platform, which allows for real-time exchange of patient health information at the point of care between Priority Health and providers.

Now, Priority Health is taking the next step by implementing a new suite of solutions through Epic that go even further to reduce complexities for providers and members, increase the accuracy of information and speed up several processes.

Praveen Thadani, president/CEO of Priority Health, said Epic’s suite of health plan applications creates an even more unique opportunity to streamline the care and coverage model to simplify operations, allow for greater transparency and reduce costs, all while keeping members and patients at the forefront.

“Priority Health’s deep commitment to making health simple and exceptional for our members has been one of our strongest differentiators for decades,” said Thadani. “This technology platform will enhance our capability to understand the full 360-degree view of our members and patients to offer better care and a more simplified experience.”

Epic’s health plan suite centers around Tapestry, Epic’s core health plan platform, with technologies that provide the highest level of solutions for call center operations; care management; utilization management; claims processing; enrollments; member, provider and agent portals; artificial intelligence and much more. It also allows interconnectivity between health systems that are running Epic, which includes Corewell Health, and many other leading providers across geographies Priority Health serves, as well as better experiences and service even with systems that do not use Epic.

Improving outcomes with provider-payer collaboration

Priority Health is part of the Corewell Health system, which provides care and coverage and continues to expand in new markets, strengthening partnerships with providers across an expanding footprint.

Epic allows for real-time, bi-directional exchange of health information at the point of care. The comprehensive view of patients from both the provider and payer side of their health history allows health care providers to anticipate their needs better and keep them healthier. Information about care management is easily exchanged, so both the provider and payer stay on the same page.

“Using a truly integrated platform—not only within the health plan, but also between the health plan and care delivery—unlocks exciting opportunities to improve health care,” said Jim McDermott, vice president of research and development at Epic. “We can help patients get more accurate estimates for services, automate the prior authorization process, and make care coordination much more effective. It’s exciting to support Priority Health as they raise the standard for the patient and member experiences.”

Jeff Smith, vice president of strategic transformation and program delivery at Priority Health, said, “This new suite of solutions helps us truly embrace what it means to be more integrated with many providers, in addition to the technology that allows us to tap into the innovation we know exists, like enabling a claimless experience for our members on a fully integrated platform.”

About Priority Health:

With over 30 years in business, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in Michigan, offering an extensive portfolio of health benefits options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Serving more than 1.3 million members each year and offering a broad network of primary care physicians in Michigan, Priority Health continues to be recognized as a leader for quality, customer service, transparency and product innovation. Learn more about affordable, quality health coverage options from Priority Health.