Posted by
Stephanie Castro
on
10/28/2009 at 11:29 AM
The week of October 10th saw the release of the first batch of H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines. The release could have been sooner, considering that the CDC is already reporting abnormally high levels of influenza, especially H1N1, for this time of year, according to The AIS Report on Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, an independent monthly newsletter on business strategies, products and markets, mergers and alliances, and financing of BC/BS plans (not affiliated with BlueCross BlueShield Association or its member companies).
The report states that in September, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) said that all member plans will cover administration costs for H1N1 vaccine. The cost of the vaccine itself is borne by the federal government, which spent a total of $1.5 billion to pay for 251 million doses of H1N1 vaccine.
The five target groups most at risk will receive the first doses. These include pregnant women, people caring for children under six months of age, health care and emergency medical personnel, persons between six months and 24 years of age, and those between 25 and 64 years old with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
Various Blue Cross plans have acknowledged a focus on education and prevention. Plans are using their web sites to post H1N1 Advisories, which include information on benefit coverage and basic prevention methods. Some companies also distribute information via social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Other plans are using other methods such as postcard reminders, member newsletter articles, and targeted mailings. WellPoint, Inc, which controls a number of Blues Plans, also communicates about the flu and H1N1 with its brokers, consultants and employer groups.
For more information on H1N1, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm. For more information on the AIS Report, visit AIShealth.com.
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Posted by
Stephen Bruno
on
10/23/2009 at 2:11 PM
Any discussion about automation and distribution management in the insurance industry seems incomplete without mentioning producer portals. With a commission system integrated with a producer portal, carriers can be proactive with sales by organizing prospect information, the producers’ interaction with them, and the details of where the consumer is in the buying cycle.
Producers must have a working knowledge of all available products in order to remain productive. A producer portal serves as a central system where this information can be stored and distributed among the distribution channel. This knowledge dispersion adds a huge value not only to existing agents but also to the newly-recruited. New agents can become productive quickly with unfettered access to information on products, premiums and compensation models. Portal access helps producers to sell products that are right for the customer and also in line with the carrier’s business objectives.
Producer Portals help deliver a rapid return on investment through:
- Increased producer satisfaction – Provide ongoing and accurate communications to the distributions channel
- Reduced turnover in captive agents - Encourage a stable and satisfied sales force with timely and accurate payments
- Improved productivity – More time spent on business critical activities and access to information enables producers to sell the right product to the customer
- Reduced operational costs – Automate common communication to simplify agent care
- Customer Satisfaction – Automation improves turnaround time for quoting and underwriting
Additionally, integrating Producer portals to CRM solutions can further add value to organizations by automating every step in the sales process, improving the selling process for producers and giving management greater insight into the sales pipeline for better forecasting and planning.
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Posted by
Stephanie Castro
on
10/14/2009 at 2:35 PM
It’s common knowledge today that social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook are fast emerging as effective marketing tools for many business-to-consumer companies. They enable companies to reach a wider audience in a very simple way that is part of their customers’ daily lives. When it comes to customer engagement, social networking sites have provided the platform for companies to both share information and build relationships with a human face.
It is equally common knowledge that health plan carriers have generally been slow in embracing cutting-edge technology, especially web 2.0 tools, in their business processes. However, considering the continual changes in our socio-economic scenario, it stands to reason that it would behoove the insurance sector to jump on the bandwagon and begin to realize the capabilities of online customer engagement. Among the few insurers beginning to tap into the benefits of social networks is Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin.
"Social media provide a great opportunity for us to engage our members, listen to them and be more responsive," said Kate Quinn, VP of corporate marketing for Anthem's parent company, in a recent article in Insurance Networking News.
The enthusiasm to use these tools shows a considerable shift in the industry’s attitude towards modernization and communicating with the end consumer. Anthem is using both Twitter and Facebook to stay connected with their members through the exchange of real time conversations and to form a community where people can interact with both Anthem and other plan members.
"Tools such as Twitter and Facebook provide an additional means of communicating with our members and all consumers in the communities we serve in a way that's convenient and of interest for them," added Larry Schreiber, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin.
It will be interesting to watch and see which insurers will follow similar strategies in the future.
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Posted by
Joseph Westlake
on
10/7/2009 at 12:46 PM
With the buzz about health care reform having relaxed recently, we would like to share our response to an overlooked statement from America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) that was released on August 11, 2009, right in the thick of the most heated debates.
AHIP, one of the foremost organizations to ensure quality and affordable healthcare across the country, published a Statement on Health Insurance Reform that they believe will assist in achieving universal access, affordability, and cost containment in healthcare.
In summary, they propose a public-private advisory group be formed to weigh in on ways to reduce spending across the entire health care system, “change the way we pay for care” to reward for quality rather than volume, and streamline administrative processes to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
As experts on technology for the insurance industry with a special interest in health insurance, we feel that technology will play a pivotal role in executing these recommendations and objectives. Streamlining administrative processes is nearly impossible to achieve without the active involvement of Information Technology departments within organizations, whether they be hospitals or health plans.
Historically, a burden has been placed on IT managers to respond to the organization’s needs at the lowest cost possible. Often this necessitates in-house systems development and an inadequate attention to ‘best practices’ across the technology industry. Numerous problems result, including the ubiquitous administrative inefficiencies which AHIP acknowledges must be wiped out.
However, a strategic investment in the right tools and technology solutions yields not only a desirable ROI but also the more important adoption of uniform standards and quality, making improved care possible nationwide.
As AHIP states in its Comprehensive Healthcare Reform Proposal,
“Achieving the broad goals of universal access, affordability, and cost containment – in ways that are fair to all Americans – will require dedication and commitment on the part of everyone with a stake in the outcome.”
All Americans have a stake in the outcome of health care reform. Those of us at VUE Software pledge our dedication to reform by continuing to help health plan information technology programs effectively reduce wasted resources and assist health plans in providing the best possible services to all Americans.
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