Humana (HUM), MultiPlan, Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH) Optum and UnitedHealthcare announced that they are launching a pilot program applying blockchain technology to improve data quality and reduce administrative costs associated with changes to health care provider demographic data, a critical, complex and difficult issue facing organizations across the health care system. The companies will explore how the technology could help ensure the most current health care provider information is available in health plan provider directories. Providing consumers looking for care with accurate information when they need it is essential to a high-functioning overall health care system. The pilot will examine how sharing data across health care organizations on blockchain technology can improve data accuracy, streamline administration and improve access to care. The pilot will also address the high cost of health care provider data management, testing the premise that administrative costs and data quality can be improved by sharing provider data inputs and changes made by different parties across a blockchain, potentially reducing operational costs while improving data quality.