Why “Payvider” Isn’t Enough Anymore: AZ Blue Introduces Coverage with Care Built In

The term payvider—a blend of payer and provider—emerged in the 1990s with a promise: align incentives, reduce duplication, and deliver better value in healthcare. Organizations like Kaiser Permanente and Intermountain Health showed us what’s possible when care and coverage work together. In many ways, it was a good start, but it often falls short in delivering a truly seamless, human-centered healthcare experience.

AZ Blue is raising the bar for the next generation of payviders. Why? Because despite decades of effort, stubborn problems remain. Patients still bounce from doctor to doctor, undergo duplicate tests, and wait far too long for answers. Providers are overwhelmed. Costs continue to rise. And the experience—especially during moments of fear or crisis, feel anything but human.

We’re stepping up to transition from payers of claims to partners in care. We’re challenging the industry to move beyond the old payvider model. We’re introducing Carevider.

Our model builds on the promise of the original payvider concept but takes it to a whole new level – one that’s far more human. We’re building a future where insurance doesn’t just pay for care; we help deliver it, guide it, and personalize it.

Coverage with Care Built In

That future starts with Prosano Health Plans by AZ Blue.

Prosano is more than a health plan. It’s the culmination of years of listening and learning. We heard directly from nearly 1,000 patients, providers, and partners through surveys, focus groups, and conversations across the state.

Here’s what we heard time and again:

• Patients want primary care that feels personal, not rushed.
• They want doctors who listen, explain, and coordinate with each other.
• They want help navigating a system that feels confusing and impersonal.
• Providers want the same thing patients do—more time with people and less time on paperwork and confusion.

When you take a step back, what patients and providers both want is simple: a human healthcare experience. As a traditional payer, we couldn’t deliver that alone. So we built a solution that could.

Coverage and care working as a team

Prosano Health Plans by AZ Blue give you exclusive access to Prosano Health Care Centers, with 10 locations across Maricopa County and Tucson. It’s a new kind of healthcare experience where coverage and care work as a team, so they work better for you.

With Prosano Health Care Centers, you can expect longer appointments when you need more time, same-day care when you need it fast, and doctors who take the time to get to know you. And what’s more? The integration of coverage and care removes the complexity from the system, with our dedicated guides helping members coordinate care and specialist visits, and understand their benefits and costs—no surprises, no jargon.

It’s primary care that delivers more, and “more” is working. Prosano members have 37% fewer emergency room visits, are admitted to the hospital 7% less often, and have 32% lower overall medical costs compared to our non-Prosano commercial members.* And we’re seeing these trends continue in 2025. These aren’t just numbers—they represent lives made healthier and simpler by care that finally feels connected.

Prosano is the beginning of a new healthcare system—one that makes everything more personal, affordable, and convenient. Group Prosano Health plans are available now, with expanded offerings coming in 2026.

Expect more from your health plan, and get it.

Prosano is one of our answers to better, more personalized care. But AZ Blue is connecting coverage and care for all of our members, regardless of plan type. AZ Blue’s expert clinicians:

• Fill in gaps with a personal touch: We reach out, we listen, we care. Some of our proactive member outreach includes: Members who have been recently diagnosed with a condition like diabetes, members who have a recorded suicide attempt, and moms with pregnancies that have been identified as high-risk. We make sure our members have the resources and support they need, and know what benefits are available to them.
• Step up when care can’t wait: When a member faces a health scare or life-changing diagnosis like cancer, they shouldn’t have to navigate the system alone. That’s why we created our Clinical Rapid Response Team, a group of expert clinicians that members can reach out to directly to expedite testing, fast-track authorizations, speed up appointment timelines, and connect them to the right specialists. It’s like having a clinical friend on the inside.

The integration of health insurance and health services represents a forward-thinking approach to healthcare. Prosano is the proof point that when coverage and care work as one, people can be healthier, medical costs can be lower, and the system works the way it should—around the people it serves. This is more than a shift – it's a promise. We are committed to supporting providers in our expansive network and delivering the best possible care for our members.

Pam Kehaly, CEO

*2024 Prosano outcomes vs. risk-adjusted non-Prosano cohort