ANOC, or annual notice of change, is a traditional time for Medicare Advantage members to evaluate health plan coverage, giving them reason to switch plans at an alarming rate. Welltok, the consumer activation company, has been helping Medicare Advantage plans keep members happy despite plan coverage changes with targeted, post-ANOC campaigns that address member hassles and reinforce plan value—boosting retention rates by up to 2.5% (tens of thousands of members) for a national plan.
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ANOC is how members find out about benefit changes starting January 1, which presents a real risk right before the annual enrollment period (AEP). And with Medicare Advantage plans receiving nearly $12,000 in annual payments per member, year-over-year retention is a key financial driver for these health plans. To help mitigate member distress, for one client, Welltok conducted five types of calls immediately following the plan’s standard ANOC communications. On behalf of the plan, Welltok conducted personalized outreach to over 99,000 members about changes related to dental, newly introduced deductibles, and hearing and vision coverage. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and significantly more members were reached than a call center staff could have dialed on their own.
“ANOC can be a stressful time for members, which is why it is important to ensure they feel supported and are reminded of plan value,” says April Gill, chief strategy officer at Welltok. “Helping members understand what is changing and what alternatives are available to them under their current plan makes them feel cared for, appreciated, and eliminates reasons for them to disenroll.”
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Welltok can predict with up to 90% accuracy who is a real flight risk due to ANOC changes. It also helps plans reach a higher percentage of members by using effective digital channels such as automated voice (IVR) calls, text messages and emails. To keep cost down, seamless “engage and transfer” calls to high-touch customer support are initiated only when needed to keep members happy and informed. Welltok’s campaign messages are also personalized to members based on their severity of change, and they can even incorporate important details like the name of a specific prescription medication that will no longer be covered.
“Healthcare consumerism is real – and members are not afraid to shop around, especially if they are unhappy about a benefit change like a long-time physician moving out of network or a medication going off formulary,” adds Gill. “Welltok’s SmartReach solution makes it possible for plans to create a personal, positive member experience at scale, and engage with members this fall – before it is too late.”
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