The deal will allow Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to import its claims data into Google's personal health record tool.
The Massachusetts insurance company is the first insurer to sign on to the personal health records (PHR) program, which it says will help patients manage their medical care. The program is set to kick off beginning this fall.
The arrangement would allow insurance members to gain online access to information on their health records, including medications, diagnoses and office visits if they open a Google Health account. The insurance company has assured its patients that the information stored on Google Health will not be shared or sold without patient consent.
Google Health's partners include Cleveland Clinic, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Walgreens, CVS Caremark and Longs Drugs, which are integrating their data with the online storage tool.
