Blue Cross Personal Medicine, Michigan’s first precision medicine program, introduced

Blue Care Network is launching a precision medicine program, Blue Cross Personalized Medicine℠, that uses pharmacogenomics, or genetic testing, to personalize medication treatments more effectively. The idea is to give health care providers information that allows them to tailor the medication regimen of patients to their specific needs, based on review of their prescribed medications for various diagnoses.

A pilot program is underway for select members through the end of this year, with a comprehensive program launch scheduled for January 2023 for eligible BCN members. It will be provided at no additional cost to members or employer group customers.

“Our first priority with the Blue Cross Personalized Medicine program is to ensure that a physician is able to provide the right medication, at the right dose, as early in the process as possible,” said Dr. Scott Betzelos, vice president of HMO strategy and affordability at BCN. “This is a real opportunity to address health care on a person-by-person basis that is tailored to each member’s individual needs. Working closely with our members and their physicians, we are now able to cut out the guesswork and make informed decisions that lead to sustainable treatment options and better patient outcomes.”

In addition to providing more personalized, clinically effective health care solutions, this program will also significantly decrease the risk of adverse drug reactions for patients. Adverse drug reactions are the fourth leading cause of death, are estimated to cost $136 billion annually and account for up to 7% of all hospital admissions and up to 20% of readmissions.**

About pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenomics is a subgroup of precision medicine that uses an individual’s genetic makeup to guide medication treatment options, rather than using a “one-drug-fits-all” approach with therapies used to treat an entire population. BCN has contracted with OneOme, an independent precision medicine company, to facilitate the new program.

OneOme will provide testing through its evidence-based RightMed^® Test, which analyzes 27 genes that may affect how a patient would respond to certain medications to reduce treatment trial and error. Providers can use test results to help evaluate medications across multiple specialties, including behavioral health, oncology, pain management and cardiology, among others. Any recommendations for medication or regimen changes are optional and are to be determined and agreed upon by the pharmacist, patient and his or her prescribing physician.

In a Mayo Clinic study, 90% of patients were found to have genetic variants that could affect their responsiveness to a medication. A separate Mayo Clinic study showed that pharmacogenomics helps improve a patient confidence with their drug regimens, contributing to improved medication adherence.

For more information

To learn more about Blue Cross Personalized Medicine, testing or pharmacogenomics, visit oneome.com/bluecarenetwork-pgx*** or call OneOme at 1-844-663-6635 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.

We’ll also be providing additional information about this program in the future.

**Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics at Georgetown University and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Search at the Food and Drug Administration.

***Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network don’t own or control this website.