The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated consumerism in every area, and healthcare is no exception. Savvy health plan members have become more aware of their choices. Whether it’s a telehealth versus in-office visit, at-home lab work or making an appointment by text, they want seamless, satisfying experiences around the clock.
Not only are members behaving in new ways, but health plan leaders are as well. They are beginning to see their market in the same customer-centric, retail-oriented way that banking, telecommunications and retailers see theirs: a place where customer care along every point of the consumer experience matters. By re-envisioning this experience, the health plan industry can see increased cost savings, efficiencies and outcomes.
A Connected Journey
Let’s think of the healthcare consumer experience as a journey of connections. Those connections are a series of “touchpoint” interactions between payers and members all along the customer life cycle.
As you can see HERE, touchpoints are actually interconnected parts of a whole Connected Consumer Journey. When expertly handled, they become seamless – and that significantly influences the customer’s experience and perception of the health plan.
Removing Barriers
Traditionally, healthcare organizations have siloed their touchpoints, outsourcing as much as 30% to multiple suppliers. This approach doesn’t work anymore; it is expensive, difficult to manage and creates barriers to seamless care. More healthcare organizations are responding by seeking consolidation strategies that reduce internal costs, internal infrastructure IT costs, and vendor management challenges.
The siloed approach no longer serves the needs of modern health plan members, either. Members should not have to spend 30 minutes on the phone and endure multiple departmental transfers just to get a question answered. Barriers create dissatisfied customers. According to research on consumer experiences from J.D. Power, insurers rank as the lowest of all industries in customer engagement. In fact, of the 35,000 members surveyed, nearly 64% said they did not feel that health plans acted in their best interest. Only one-quarter of members viewed their health plan as a trusted partner in their health and wellness.
At Carenet Health, we believe the answer to these challenges is simple – consider the Connected Consumer Journey wholistically, rather than its pieces. As the single-solution partner of choice, Carenet is able to seamlessly help organizations embrace the whole consumer experience by bringing together data, technology, talented team members and unique engagement models for each touchpoint. And because of our clinical capital and deep consumer engagement expertise, we can manage both clinical and non-clinical touchpoints with equal ability—something most outsourcing partners cannot offer.
Wholistic Partnering
What might a wholistic response look like? Consider member Rosie Smith, who recently enrolled with a new health plan. During the plan’s onboarding phase, Rosie received a welcome call from a highly trained Carenet customer service advocate. During the call, the advocate helped Rosie print a member identification card and find an in-network physician close to home. The advocate also made sure Rosie knew how to access her plan’s 24-7 virtual care clinic. That information proved invaluable when Rosie tripped on her stairs over the long holiday weekend and her injured ankle quickly started to swell. Rosie wondered whether she should go to the emergency room, but then remembered her plan’s virtual care team. After a virtual care visit, it was determined that Rosie had several abrasions and a bad sprain but could safely self-treat at home.
In our scenario, Rosie had a seamless and efficient member experience. One care advocate was able to help her with several tasks, and she was able to receive prompt care from her plan’s virtual care resource. Rosie felt supported by her health plan and enrolled again at the end of her plan year. The health plan benefited by retaining a satisfied, loyal customer while avoiding a costly emergency department visit.
With our reputation for award-winning service, these are the kinds of experiences Carenet Health provides for our clients. As the nation’s leading provider in healthcare-only resources, we are uniquely positioned to partner with health plans to support their Connected Consumer Journey. These connections have the power to improve care, outcomes, costs — and lives.
Is your organization ready to embrace a customer-centric, wholistic plan? If you are ready for a partner that can seamlessly assist you at every touchpoint while maximizing revenues, increasing efficiencies and helping your members make better healthcare decisions, contact Carenet today. Find us online, email us at marketing@carenethealthcare.com, or call 800.809.7000.
Additional Resources
Want to learn more? We have additional resources that you and your team may find useful as well.
https://carenethealthcare.com/healthcare-customer-service-are-you-focusing-on-the-wrong-journey/
ABOUT CARENET HEALTH- Carenet Health is the nation’s premier healthcare clinical and consumer engagement partner—providing 24/7 telehealth, engagement, clinical support and advocacy solutions on behalf of 250+ health plans, providers, health systems and Fortune 500 companies. More than 65 million healthcare consumers have access to our teams of engagement specialists, care coordinators, RNs and other licensed healthcare professionals each year.
