Google Cloud, health insurer Highmark Health and League, a platform that helps healthcare organizations and consumer health companies build digital tools, announced a partnership to build a digital health platform for Highmark members. 

The My Highmark member portal provides the insurer's members with what the companies call a "digital front door," where they can navigate their care, pay bills, evaluate costs, and receive virtual healthcare, including virtual urgent care.

Members will have access to digital offerings focused on chronic conditions and virtual multi-specialty practices, including primary care, behavioral health, pediatrics and women's health. Third-party programs and some employer-sponsored benefit programs will also be accessible. 

Highmark has 6.8 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and New York. Select members will have access to the platform beginning January 2023. 

THE LARGER TREND

In 2020, Highmark Health and Google announced a six-year collaboration to develop the Living Health Dynamic Platform, which aimed to make the healthcare experience less fragmented for patients and lessen the administrative burden on providers. 

Subsequently, the organizations announced that Verily and its Onduo chronic care subsidiary would join the partnership. Together, the companies would develop and build clinical validation for digital health tools focused on patient engagement. 

Earlier this year, League and Google Cloud announced their own strategic partnership. Under the arrangement, League will leverage Google Cloud's Healthcare API to create a healthcare consumer experience platform.  

In October, STAT reported that Pa.-based Highmark would cover select prescription digital therapeutics cleared by the FDA.