As the Medicare Advantage (MA) market continues to expand and become more competitive, patient experience and satisfaction are of utmost importance. Health plans want to make sure they are addressing the needs and desires of today’s MA members.
Refusing to be left behind in our high-tech world, more and more of today’s MA members have readily adapted to the latest technology. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones have changed the way they communicate with others and interact with companies. Seniors are actively engaged in online activities, whether it is social media (85%), online shopping (82%), or video chats with family and friends (64%). So, when it comes to choosing an MA plan, members want a simple, seamless experience with easy-to-use self-service functionality that they have come to expect.
In “How tech-enabled consumers are reordering the healthcare landscape,” McKinsey & Company asserts that healthcare consumers, who have become very familiar and comfortable with self-service tools in their banking, retail and transportation transactions, are now drawn to simple, quick solutions in many facets of their lives.
A Harvard Business Review study indicated that 81% of customers across all industries prefer a self-service option. They want to perform basic tasks, such as checking on enrollment status, easily and self-sufficiently. While seniors continue to use the telephone to contact customer service representatives (CSR) there continues to be a shift into online, self-service technologies. Today, most customer service interactions occur only after there was an attempt to obtain information or resolve a concern through these self-service solutions.
To remain competitive, most service-based companies, including health plans, have continued to invest in better self-service technologies to accommodate this shift. Specifically, these investments include providing an integrated customer experience interface (CEI), which includes technologies like click-to-chat, in combination with advanced interactive voice response (IVR) capabilities.
These technologies serve two distinct advantages. First, they can provide an immediate level of service while lowering operational costs. Second, they augment the traditional customer service models, enabling improved member satisfaction. The latter directly results from customers wanting to discuss questions or issues during the use of these self-service tools without having to be “disconnected” from the self-service experience. If that experience is positive, the adoption of these technologies becomes far more successful.
Consolidate Steps through Customer Experience Automation
A fully integrated CEI, as provided within Miramar, Convey Health Solution’s proprietary, purpose-built Medicare platform, optimizes members’ overall customer service experience regardless of their needs. Miramar is designed to offer ease of access to specific information through a combination of self-service and operational technologies that focus on member experience. When members need additional assistance, Miramar allows customer service representatives to navigate through tasks with efficiency by eliminating the need to wade through multiple systems. Highlighted action items and alerts, custom scripting, and enhanced workflows and smart wizards reduce call handle times.
Automation is essential in order to reduce or consolidate steps within administrative workflows. While the healthcare industry is behind in adopting these technologies, the 2020 CAQH INDEX® calls for healthcare leaders to focus on reducing administrative burden and driving further automation, which it estimates could save as much as $16.3 billion annually.
Self-service Functionality Centers on Efficiency & Empowerment
In keeping with its drive to improve health plan operations and elevate member engagement, Convey leveraged its proprietary Miramar technology to deliver an integrated, multi-channel CEI that automates and integrates each member’s touch point and optimizes responsiveness.
The genuine power of Miramar is in the efficiencies it brings to member interactions, and its ability to empower both the member and the CSR. Fully integrated customer-facing dashboards, intuitive self-service portals, mobile applications, and advanced telephony technologies enable members who wish to handle basic tasks on their own. Convey has designed these technologies based on member behaviors and how they have engaged with these solutions. We address major dissatisfiers, such as getting lost in a complicated or confusing interactive voice response menu or having to repeat information multiple times to customer service representatives, through a combination of automated technology, improved processes, and skilled teams. Miramar delivers a personalized, contextual member experience.
When a member starts an interaction through click-to-chat and then switches to phone, CSRs have access to pre-populated data. Rather than having to repeat questions that may be off-putting, the CSR can establish a positive rapport with the member early in the call by confirming the information that the member has already provided. We guide customer service representatives through relevant information based on prompts in the conversation. Script automation, real-time member status, updates, and alerts come together to ensure consistency and compliance.
By consolidating steps and streamlining processes, Miramar provides members with an easy and well-informed experience each time they interact with their health plan. With greater efficiencies for customer service representatives, call times and call center costs are also significantly reduced.
