Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Data Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Data Science

Advisor/Mentor

Dr. Karl D. Schubert

Committee Member

Dr. Aaron Novotny

Second Committee Member

Lee Schoultz

Abstract

An important part of the healthcare insurance system is the relationship between the cost, quality, and accessibility of care their customers receive. Beyond that is the relationship between pharmaceutical benefit managers, insurance companies, and state governments.   This thesis, Healthcare Economics Through a Data Science Lens at Blue Cross Blue Shield, explores how data science techniques can be applied within a healthcare insurance setting to analyze patient access and support economic decision-making in the context of Arkansas’s policy on pharmaceutical benefit managers. Drawing on internship-based experience, this study examines pharmaceutical claims data to identify patterns related to access, utilization, and potential system inefficacy.

Using exploratory data analytics, geostatistical modeling, and visualization techniques, this research found that Arkansas Act 624 would impact customers' ability to access to their medication and increase travel times significantly for the two at-risk cities in Arkansas.  In addition to the work on healthcare accessibility for Arkansans, this study analyzes various dashboarding techniques for communicating to technical and non-technical stakeholders and the effectiveness of those techniques based on experiences at Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Overall, the findings suggested that Blue Cross Blue Shield needed to proactively inform its customers about the potential impact on pharmaceutical access. Additionally, the findings suggested that different dashboarding techniques are best implemented based on audience preferences and project context.

Keywords

Economics; Data Science

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Available for download on Saturday, May 08, 2027

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