New Jersey will be one of two states to test a new website giving doctors a single location to find patients’ benefit information.

In early November, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BSBSA) will sponsor state-based initiatives to assess how to best offer the nation’s physicians access to information from multiple insurers over the Internet. AHIP estimates that savings of hundreds of billions of dollars can result as “the entire health care system achieves efficiencies through similar moves to automation and consistent business practices.”

The initiative is being billed by AHIP as a one-stop area for information and service, comparable to what ATMs did for banks and customers.

AHIP spokeswoman Cynthia Depew told IFAwebnews that Ohio and New Jersey are the first sites for the online initiative. While details on the program in Ohio were announced by AHIP, Depew said project details for New Jersey, set to begin in November, have not been formally announced.

AHIP said in a statement that this “landmark initiative” addresses the need for single service in electronic transactions that physicians have advocated for and replaces a cumbersome system where their staff spend considerable time and money accessing multiple channels to get information for confirming eligibility, billing and referrals.

The initiative will begin in Ohio where eight insurers and five physician organizations are teaming up to encourage use of the Web portal. Insurers participating are Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Medical Mutual of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare and WellCare Health Plans.

“We applaud the efforts of health plans and providers to continue to work together to reduce administrative expenses in an effective manner, slowing the growth of health care costs, which could ultimately make health care coverage more affordable for Ohioans,” said Mary Jo Hudson, director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, said in a statement.

Karen Ignagni, AHIP’s president and CEO, added that the new initiative in Ohio, “demonstrates the commitment of health plans to simplify health care and the potential that exists to achieve savings through efficiencies in what we used to call ‘paperwork.’”

“We are committed to addressing the needs of practicing physicians for administrative simplicity, and in that way contributing to improvements in patients’ experience,” she said. “These are goals that should be hallmarks for a reformed health care system.”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that in Ohio the site will be available to nearly 30,000 doctors first before being offered to hospitals.

AHIP hopes to later roll out the product nationwide, according to the report.