Epic and Humana launch digital health insurance card checks

Humana Medicare Advantage members can soon expect their doctors to have access to their digital insurance cards, as long as their doctors use an Epic EHR, the companies have announced.

The move comes as a part of both Humana and Epic's participation in the Health Technology Ecosystem launched by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier this year.

The capabilities should make it easier for patients to check in with participating providers, because those providers should already have digital access to patients' insurance coverage details. In short, the system complies with CMS' "kill the clipboard" pledge, of which both Humana and Epic were original signatories.

The companies unveiled these capabilities last week at the CMS Connectathon in Washington, D.C., where they showed that Humana Medicare Advantage insurance coverage information could be stored and shared digitally using Epic's Payer Platform.

"We're proud to be among the first to bring these capabilities to life and demonstrate them directly to CMS," George Renaudin, president of Insurance at Humana, said in the announcement. "This is more than a technology launch -- it's a step toward a more connected, efficient healthcare system that puts people first."

More specifically, Epic's Payer Platform will be able to store digital health insurance cards for more than 800,000 Humana Medicare Advantage members, eliminating the need to manually enter card information. Additionally, the 120 healthcare organizations that have already adopted the system will be able to digitally obtain patients' Humana Medicare Advantage coverage details.

Froedtert ThedaCare is an early adopter of the capability and said it helps streamline the patient intake experience.

"These capabilities help us meet patients where they are -- by simplifying check-in, ensuring accurate information, and making their experience smoother," Imran A. Andrabi, M.D., president and CEO of Froedtert ThedaCare, said in the press release. "It's an improvement that helps patients feel supported the moment they walk in, which directly aligns with our vision of being their trusted partner in health."

According to Humana and Epic, the system enables automatic insurance verification, streamlined check-in and reduced errors and delays.

"With Coverage Finder and Digital Insurance Card Exchange, more than a million patients have experienced easier check-ins," Alan Hutchison, vice president at Epic, said in a statement. "From reducing time at the front desk by up to 50% to ensuring their coverage is accurate and up to date, this makes insurance information one less thing patients need to worry about."

Currently, 120 health systems have adopted the system, but Humana said it encourages all of its contracted providers that use Epic to do the same.

Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.