The two sides are embroiled in a contract dispute that could result in as many as 300,000 patients losing access to their doctors by July.

In health care, that same shift is helping address some of the most pressing concerns for families: lowering costs of care and improving the consumer experience in a system that can often feel complicated and disconnected.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ("Blue Cross") today announced that the use of its new online preapproval tool has doubled in the past year, saving clinicians time and reducing administrative work.