By listening to providers, modernizing manual processes, and embracing digital workflows, Premera Blue Cross transformed the provider experience while creating operational efficiencies across the organization.
Premera Blue Cross recognized an important connection: provider experience directly impacts member experience.
Provider satisfaction survey results showed a consistent decline, prompting the organization to take a closer look at how providers interacted with the health plan. Rather than assuming what providers wanted, the team sought direct feedback.
What they heard was clear. Providers were frustrated by manual, paper-based processes that created unnecessary administrative burden and made it harder to access information efficiently.
Providers wanted:
Premera Blue Cross responded by focusing on the improvements providers said would make the biggest impact.
Working with Availity, the organization expanded digital capabilities through a multi-payer portal, allowing providers to complete key administrative tasks through a single, connected experience.
This included:
The goal was simple: remove friction and make it easier for providers to do business with Premera.
The response from providers was immediate.
Following the introduction of digital prior authorization capabilities, adoption rapidly exceeded expectations. What began as a goal for modest utilization quickly became one of the organization’s most widely adopted digital workflows.
As providers embraced these tools, Premera was able to reduce manual administrative work, eliminate inefficient processes, and improve operational efficiency across the organization.
Today, approximately 96% of providers in Premera’s network actively use the Availity-powered platform, giving Premera ongoing visibility into provider behavior and enabling the organization to make data-driven improvements that further reduce friction and strengthen provider relationships.
More importantly, the transformation reinforced a critical lesson:
When healthcare organizations design experiences around provider needs, adoption follows and everyone benefits.