Health insurers are facing great pressure to modernize the way they do business. With the advent of COVID-19 and social distancing, the need to do business remotely requires a new set of competencies centered around improving their digital competency. Fortunately, the changes that can make the most difference are ones that are easy to implement. They’re centered around simple and convenient methods to securely exchange documents and messages between your employees and their customers and partners. Competency in this area of digital communications is the expected baseline of customers and partners going forward.
In remote and stay at home environments, traditional methods such as fax, postal mail and mail rooms are either not available, or are inefficient and impractical, putting a company’s revenue and profitability at risk. Wherever there were personal touch points in the past, companies will need a corresponding digital strategy. As insurers’ staff shift to working remotely, more aspects of their workflow with customers and partners must be digital. Tools like fax and paper forms are just not as practical in a typical home office – whereas convenient secure methods for digital collaboration and document exchange would be. Those companies that embrace new digital ways of doing business will succeed. A recent study from Salesforce says about 20% of consumers use portals to communicate with insurers. We believe all aspects of digital business will go up. Consumers expect organizations to provide them with a modern experience to handle not only routine transactions, but also those that have exceptions. Offering secure document and message exchange, especially if it is integrated into the customer portal or mobile app, provides the simplicity to delight while simultaneously getting work done. A solution that integrates into the systems already used by employees, such as Outlook, or contact center and helpdesk ticketing systems, provides a simple, seamless experience that increases productivity.
When handling health-related data, there has always been the need to protect PHI. Secure communication is an integral part of how insurers interact with their members and is an essential element for a great customer experience. The need for solutions that not only meet compliance requirements, but which are also easy to implement and use, is critically important. Data security and regulatory compliance shouldn’t get in the way of a great digital experience for employees, customers, and partners. By succeeding in these areas, you will have a significant competitive advantage over those organizations that treat today’s environment as business as usual.
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