Microsoft Unveils Cloud-Based Platform For Health Insurance Exchanges

With states mandated to operate interoperable health insurance portals by 2014, Microsoft has rolled out the infrastructure for its state HIX (health insurance exchange) platform, the company announced on Feb. 8.

While an HIE (health information exchange) allows health care providers to exchange EHRs (electronic medical records), an HIX is an online market for purchasing health insurance plans, notes Dave Meyers, chief technology strategist for Microsoft's U.S. public sector health care and social services group.

"It's less about pushing clinical records around and more about offering a marketplace to purchase health insurance," Meyers told eWEEK.

Components of the HIX platform include interoperable exchanges, as well as applications for enrollment, eligibility, business intelligence and case coordination, Microsoft reports. The HIX will also reduce the cost of delivering health care and boost care quality and efficiency.

Among the partners the software giant will work with on HIX is Extend Health, which operates a large private Medicare insurance exchange. Extend Health will contribute plan-comparison tools as well as enrollment and call center functionality, Microsoft reports.