Blue crossroads: Insurance in the 21st century

The medical director of the national Blues organization sees opportunities ahead as well as challenges.

By Robert Kazel, AMNews staff. Sept. 20, 2004.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield family of 41 health plans is facing a future of difficult choices.

These include how to color the Blues system uniquely when competitive necessities are erasing many of the old, familiar differences between Blues and their rivals. Moreover, Blues face the challenge of building or restoring goodwill with doctors, some of whom have grown dismayed with the continuing market clout of many Blues plans.

Coordinating outreach to doctors nationally since 1999, Allan M. Korn, MD, serves as the Chicago-based BlueCross BlueShield Assn.'s medical director. Dr. Korn, 60, an internist in Evansville, Ind., until the mid-1980s, went on to various positions including health care consultant and medical director of BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois. He has spoken out frequently on promoting evidence-based medicine, reducing medical errors and adapting new technology to improve outcomes.

An AMA member since his years in practice, Dr. Korn says he misses contact with patients but adds that being the top doctor for the Blues system provides him with "a rush all of its own."

American Medical News interviewed Dr. Korn at his Chicago office.

Question: Seventy-five years ago, the Blues system was just beginning as a prepaid plan in which doctors had a lot of input into the organization and, to some extent, control over it. To what extent today do you think doctors outside the system have influence over the Blue Cross system?