Driving Healthcare IT Modernization: A Solix Case Study on Claims System Retirement

 The healthcare industry is under immense pressure to deliver cost-efficient, compliant, and data-driven services. Yet, many organizations continue to struggle with outdated legacy applications, particularly mainframe claims systems that consume vast amounts of IT budget while offering limited agility. In this blog, we explore a real-world Solix case study where a leading U.S. health plan partnered with Solix to execute a large-scale claims system retirement project. The result? Significant healthcare IT cost savings, improved compliance, and streamlined data accessibility.

Why Mainframe Claims Systems Are a Burden

Mainframe claims platforms were once the backbone of healthcare IT. They processed millions of claims efficiently, ensuring accuracy and reliability. But today, these systems present several challenges:

  1. High Maintenance Costs – Legacy infrastructure, licensing fees, and specialized IT staff create recurring expenses.

  2. Inflexibility – Adapting to modern digital health demands, such as cloud integration or AI-based analytics, is nearly impossible.

  3. Compliance Risks – With evolving regulations like HIPAA, storing decades of sensitive patient claims on outdated systems introduces data governance concerns.

  4. Operational Bottlenecks – Business users require fast, easy access to historical data for audits and patient services, but legacy systems often slow this down.

These obstacles highlight why healthcare providers are turning to application retirement and enterprise archiving for healthcare solutions.

The Solix Case Study: Retiring Complex Claims Systems

A Fortune 20 health plan faced the monumental challenge of shutting down two massive claims mainframes while ensuring continued access to over 212 TB of structured and unstructured data. The organization partnered with Solix to implement the Solix Application Retirement Solution, a robust platform designed for HIPAA-compliant data retirement.

Project Scope

  • Two legacy mainframe claims systems slated for retirement.

  • 212 TB of historical data spanning DB2, IMS, VSAM, flat files, and tape archives.

  • Over 800 active business users requiring uninterrupted access.

  • A mandate to ensure regulatory compliance throughout the process.

Solix Application Retirement Solution in Action

1. Data Extraction and Transformation

Solix extracted historical claims data across multiple formats and transformed it into standardized, accessible formats. EBCDIC to ASCII conversions and complex hierarchical file restructuring were completed without data loss.

2. HIPAA-Compliant Data Archiving

All sensitive claims data was migrated into the Solix Common Data Platform (CDP), ensuring HIPAA compliance, secure retention, and auditable access controls.

3. Business Continuity

Solix deployed an enterprise archiving for healthcare solution that provided seamless data access for more than 800 business users. Data was indexed and searchable, making retrieval faster and easier than on the original systems.

4. Parallel Workstreams and Timely Execution

Multiple project workstreams were executed in parallel, enabling the project to be completed four weeks ahead of schedule—a critical win in enterprise modernization initiatives.

Business Outcomes

The Solix case study underscores why Solix is a leader in application retirement and claims system modernization. The project delivered measurable business outcomes:

  • Cost Savings: Multi-million-dollar reductions in IT expenditure by eliminating hardware, licenses, and maintenance costs.

  • Faster ROI: With early project completion, the health plan realized savings ahead of projections.

  • Improved Data Access: Business users reported that accessing claims data from the Solix archive was more intuitive and efficient than legacy mainframes.

  • Regulatory Readiness: HIPAA compliance was maintained throughout, ensuring zero disruption to audit or compliance processes.

Strategic Importance for Healthcare Providers

1. Healthcare IT Cost Savings

Budgetary pressures continue to plague healthcare providers. By retiring redundant systems, organizations can redirect millions toward digital innovation, patient services, and advanced analytics.

2. Mainframe Claims Modernization

This project demonstrates how claims system retirement can be a stepping stone toward mainframe modernization. Instead of struggling with outdated infrastructure, providers can embrace cloud-native, AI-ready platforms.

3. Enterprise Archiving for Healthcare

Archiving is not just about cost savings—it’s about making historical data work for the organization. From patient history to legal audits, accessible archives strengthen both clinical and operational processes.

4. HIPAA-Compliant Data Retirement

With data breaches at record highs, healthcare CIOs and compliance officers prioritize security. Solix ensures that retirement projects adhere strictly to HIPAA, reducing regulatory risk.

Lessons for CIOs and IT Leaders

This Solix case study offers several strategic lessons:

  • Don’t Delay Retirement Projects: The longer legacy systems remain active, the higher the operational risk and cost.

  • Choose Scalable Solutions: Healthcare data volumes grow exponentially; platforms like Solix CDP are designed to scale.

  • Balance Cost with Compliance: Cutting costs must never compromise HIPAA compliance. Solix ensures both.

  • Focus on User Experience: Ensuring data access is faster and easier post-retirement boosts adoption and business confidence.

The Bigger Picture: Healthcare Digital Transformation

Application retirement is just the beginning. With modernized data foundations, healthcare organizations can:

  • Leverage AI and Analytics – Unlock insights from decades of historical claims data.

  • Enable Cloud Migration – Free resources to adopt hybrid or multi-cloud strategies.

  • Drive Patient-Centric Innovation – Redirect IT budgets to technologies that enhance patient engagement and outcomes.

By solving the legacy claims challenge, providers accelerate their journey toward digital healthcare ecosystems.

Conclusion

The leading health plan’s journey illustrates how Solix application retirement solutions enable healthcare providers to achieve mainframe claims modernization, reduce costs, and maintain compliance—all while making data more accessible than ever.

This Solix case study proves that retiring outdated systems is not just an IT project—it’s a strategic initiative that drives operational efficiency, regulatory readiness, and long-term healthcare transformation.

For organizations facing similar challenges, claims system retirement with Solix offers a blueprint for success: compliant, cost-effective, and future-ready.

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