Pacific Blue Cross in Vancouver, British Columbia, is measuring the value of a system that lets dentists submit claims electronically without human intervention. Last year, 52% of dental claims were submitted electronically, a 3% increase from 2004. Knowing that, CIO Catherine Boivie can make a business case to expand the e-claims system by comparing the costs for a system upgrade with the personnel costs for handling claims manually. Such exercises are helpful as Pacific Blue Cross reallocates IT dollars toward innovative projects versus support functions. This year, 66% of the health insurer's IT spending goes toward new initiatives, up from 52% last year.