As part of our commitment to achieving health equity and better outcomes for every person we serve, Independence Blue Cross and Independence Administrators (collectively, Independence) have made certain self-reported member demographics available to providers through the Provider Engagement, Analytics & Reporting (PEAR) portal.
Providers can now view member language, race, and ethnicity information, as reported by the member, through the Eligibility & Benefits transaction in PEAR Practice Management (PEAR PM).
Once on PEAR PM's Eligibility & Benefits Details screen, providers can simply hover over the Member Identity Profile button to display the member's preferred language and self-reported race and ethnicity details. "Unknown" will display if the detail has not been confirmed by the member.
How member demographics benefit providers
This demographic information can assist providers in delivering more equitable, whole-person care by helping them understand a patient's cultural identity and linguistic needs. It can also support providers in identifying social determinants of health, like the potential impact discrimination and/or communication barriers may have had on their patients' health, and noticing disparities among their panel's health outcomes so they can begin addressing them.
How provider demographics benefit patients
As part of the credentialing/recredentialing process, Independence is collecting provider demographics through an 8-question survey. In addition to the provider language information we already receive, we are now requesting providers to share their race and ethnicity.
The data collected from this survey will help us better serve your patients, our members. Your language fluency information will continue to be shared in our Provider Directory, along with assistive aides and affirming care information. Provider race and ethnicity data will be shared with our Member Services team and added to the Provider Directory to assist members who are looking for concordance in finding a provider with whom they identify.
- During the survey, providers can opt out of sharing their race and ethnicity information.
- After each race and ethnicity question, there is an additional question that asks the provider for permission to share their information. If the provider selects “no," their race and ethnicity will not be shared with Member Services or added to the Provider Directory.
Demographic information submitted by members and providers will not be used for any purposes except as described here. For questions or concerns about demographic data, please email qualitymanagement@ibx.com.