Dive Brief:
- Salesforce on Thursday announced a new set of software tools to give payers a more personalized overview of their members.
- The so-called Health Cloud for Payers integrates health records, claims data, benefits, authorizations and customer interaction tools in a single dashboard.
- Salesforce’s customers already include industry giants Aetna, Anthem, Cigna and Humana, CNBC reported. The product should be widely available starting in October.
Dive Insight:
Patients want the same consumer-oriented experience they get from the best retailers. According Salesforce, 80% of consumers believe how a company engages with them is as important as its products and services.
"Payers around the world are no longer just competing against one another, they're being compared to any company providing a convenient user experience that builds loyalty," said Joshua Newman, Chief Medical Officer of Salesforce, said in a statement.
Customer engagement can make a difference for payers, too. One of the measures CMS uses to rate Medicare Advantage plans is customer satisfaction.
Implementation of the Affordable Care Act saw a number of insurers go after the newly created market. Oscar Health, in particular, banked on user design and tech-enabled tools to help members wade through benefits.
At the same time, deductibles have been rising, causing enrollees to take on a greater share of healthcare costs. This has created some churn in the insurance industry leading payers to compete more for members. Customer engagement and ease of product use can help with keeping members engaged and enrolled.
Salesforce said its new program will work to ease workflows as well as help speed requests for tasks like prior authorizations, admissions and appeals.
The new tools are also aimed at allowing payers to create personalized and interactive digital experiences for their members. For example, members could receive care alerts on their mobile device and connect with a doctor or nurse or view their insurance plans online.