Riding Health Reform's Wave
Joseph S. Smith, SVP, CIO, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Since receiving Elite 8 honors in 2011, Joseph Smith, CIO and SVP of private programs at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has had to deal with some new challenges. "Complexities have risen significantly with the entire healthcare industry transformation to new business models under the Accountable Care Act [ACA]," Smith points out. "New competitive players, new business structures, new sales channels require new integration to [IRS, SSA, DHS and U.S. Treasury systems]."
In fact, Smith says, "Staying ahead of the plethora of federal regulations drowning the entire healthcare industry" has been his team's major area of focus in 2012. And that focus has paid off. To date, Smith says, the team is still way ahead of many of the regulatory requirements and on target for meeting others.
The ACA is driving a business model transformation, Smith adds, and this will remain one of his top priorities for 2013. Other top priorities, he reveals, will include business diversification to unregulated markets and segments, as well as developing alliances in traditional markets and new related markets, to enable risk sharing and shared capital investment directed at delivering innovative new capabilities for the healthcare and insurance industries.
[CIO Joseph Smith Provides Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield with IT Blueprint]
