Blue Shield of California (BSC) announced this week a five-year contract with HP Enterprise Services to help the insurer to more cost-effectively bring products and services to members quicker, while helping the health plan better manage its membership and claims processing systems. Blue Shield of California told InformationWeek that it is also moving to a client-server architecture to support outreach initiatives to its members online and via mobile apps. The health plan is also exploring ways that mobile health apps can help it better engage its members to take greater responsibility for their own health care.

According to the health plan's website, a mobile-optimized version of its website as well as native apps for iOS devices and Android devices are coming soon. The mobile-optimized website, m.blueshieldca.com, appears to be available in beta mode currently. The three mobile offerings, called Blue Shield Anywhere, all include the same features. Members can use the mobile apps and site to view claim activity, plan details, temporary ID cards, provider locations, and to get quick access to Blue Shield of California's social media channels.

The HP deal is not at all unexpected: The two companies have worked together for 43 years.

HP will provide consulting services to BSC and also help it run its complex distributed systems, William Ritz, a spokesman for HP Enterprise Services, told InformationWeek.

"BSC believes a patient-centered approach builds upon industry trends in consumer-oriented services. These include social media, mobile applications, and less structured data. This new contract will organize the core underpinnings required to allow expansion of self-service to patients in a manner that best suits them," Ritz told InformationWeek.

Read the full report over at InformationWeek here.
More on Blue Shield of California's forthcoming mobile offerings here.