Blog

Across the U.S., approximately one in five adults—or about 60 million people—experience mental illness. Nearly 8% of U.S. adults experience substance use disorder in combination with mental illness. Adequately addressing behavioral health is critical to delivering high-quality, whole person care. Integrating behavioral health into primary care and other medical settings is a powerful lever to improve access to timely and effective care...

As I look back on 2023, one of the things I’m most proud of is our work to accelerate the power of primary care, and what this means for the future of health care in California. Primary care is among the most important contributors to our health,...

After 24 months of living through a pandemic, the link between our mental and physical health is clearer than ever. What began as a virus of the respiratory system soon caused overwhelming disruption in the structures that ground us – our work, education, social and family connections...

The landscape of digital health innovation is rapidly evolving, shaped by the interplay of policy, co-opetition, and community. Insights from this year’s Rock Health Summit highlighted the growing importance of these initiatives in advancing digital health...

That’s a wrap! Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation enacting the final budget agreement for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Unlike prior fiscal years where California benefited from a budget surplus, the State saw a significant deficit and weakening state revenues...

Nearly a year ago, the Blue Shield of California Industry Initiatives team published a Health Affairs article focused on the role of data sharing for LGBTQ+ communities. One year later, our support and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community is unwavering; ...

Health care has increasingly become more expensive for Californians. Personal health care spending has nearly tripled in California since 2000, outpacing economic indicators like median wage and median household income. A majority of Californians (57%)...

Improving health and social service delivery in California is a collaborative effort. That’s why the Blue Shield of California Industry Initiatives team was proud to present on multiple panels during ViVE. ViVE is the annual digital event focused on the business of transformation in healthcare, bringing together 7,000+ C-suite executives, senior...

As 2023 comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the last two years spent as part of Industry Initiatives at Blue Shield of California, and what brought me here in the first place. Throughout my career, I’ve worked to build collaboration to drive...