Digital Member Experience Services May Boost Plan Satisfaction

Payers that offer consistent digital member experience services across multiple channels are more likely to see steady benefits and have high member satisfaction, according to a new study.

A member experience platform, Zipari, conducted the study with help from the market research company Ipsos. The partners distributed an online survey to 3,000 health plan members ages 26 and older and 400 payer representatives across all 50 states.

The survey asked members and payers about their member experience options and history.

More than four out of ten members (43 percent) reported that they preferred the call center as the primary channel for communicating about their health plan. However, 42 percent of respondents preferred digital self-service channels such as patient portals and applications.

“While the call center remains a core pillar driving member engagement, digital member portals and apps are a critical and complementary channel for payers to engage with members and maintain customer satisfaction,” Mark Nathan, chief executive officer of Zipari, stated in the press release.

“This creates a huge opportunity for payers. When members can accomplish basic tasks on their own with digital solutions, it creates less pressure on the call center, reduces hold times, and sets up opportunities for what health insurance leaders identified as a key competency: more time and empathy for members who are calling because of stressful health or financial challenges.”

The survey asked members what plan offerings would increase their health plan engagement and 71 percent responded that shorter call center hold times would improve their plan engagement. More than half of the members (65 percent) reported that they want service representatives to have their information available right away when calling, the study noted.

Digital member experience platforms may provide an alternative way for members to receive fast and efficient health plan services.

The majority of payers (93 percent) that implemented digital member experience services saw significant increases in enrollment. Nearly three out of four payers that invested in digital platforms reported a decrease in membership turnover, suggesting that members benefit from digital member experience.

Nathan interpreted the data as demonstrating high consumer demand for personalization and digital engagement options. The call centers provide a human connection that consumers still desire, but digital options enable 24/7 self-service when necessary.

Payers and members experienced personalized outreach differently.

Almost three-quarters of payer participants reported that they reached out frequently to members, but only 24 percent of members felt that this was true. Over half of the participants (63 percent) reported that personalized outreach and recommendations would increase their member engagement.

Digital platforms can assist with member outreach and improve overall communication, according to researchers. Payers that offer member experience options across all channels, including call centers and self-service models, have a better chance of satisfying their members.

Payers like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) have worked to increase member engagement. Blue KC partnered with a member engagement company to provide an incentives and rewards program for Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees. The program leveraged digital outreach in the form of text messages, emails, and a mobile application.

Payers can improve consumer satisfaction by partnering with their members as well, a JD Power survey found. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) included non-benefit-related approaches to boost member engagement including outreach to vulnerable populations and education campaigns to increase telehealth awareness.

Partnering with technology vendors may also be beneficial to payers when it comes to improving member satisfaction with their ability to centralize patient data from different departments.

The omnichannel approach has many benefits, including the ability to emphasize direct member engagement, offer a more holistic approach to receiving members’ feedback, and enable telehealth integration.