The Challenge
A Fortune 500 healthcare company in the U.S. offers managed healthcare services for Medicare and Medicaid patients through multiple state insurance marketplaces or exchanges. With the goal of providing access to affordable quality care, this company has served millions of plan members across the nation through locally operated health plans in over 10 states.
Plan members were using a homegrown mobile app to give them easy, anytime access to details of their plan, pending claims, and other plan-related information. However, it had an unappealing user interface and ran on an older legacy web services system that could not support the high request/response rate that today’s mobile app users expect. As a result, members were giving the app bad reviews for usability, and especially for the very slow response time to searches and queries.
This poor user experience not only affected the plan members, but the negative reviews also put the company at risk of attracting fewer new members, as well as potentially losing members to other marketplace plans. In addition, as the company sought new marketplace contracts with additional states, the lack of a modern technology stack to support a more robust mobile app reduced their chances of winning new business. To address these issues, the healthcare plan provider engaged Zyter.
The Approach
Zyter developed a new mobile app that runs on a modern technology stack featuring an enhanced user interface with a modern design and improved, simplified navigation. Zyter also built in many other rich features and functions to make the member experience more personal, engaging, and meaningful. For example, the enhanced home screen greets members with customized content based on their health plan, conditions, gender, and other personal preferences. A “favorites” list enables them to list and bookmark contact information for their preferred physicians for quick reference.
The Zyter mobile app also helps plan members save time as they take care of both their healthcare needs and interaction with the plan provider. The smart search functionality enables members to easily find nearby pharmacies and urgent care facilities, as well as links to urgent care providers offering virtual appointment options. They also have simplified access to their updated medication list and a symptom checker that provides recommendations for care.
Members also save time by uploading supporting documentation within the mobile app using their mobile device camera instead of faxing or mailing them to the healthcare company. Members can also use the app to estimate the costs of certain procedures and doctor visits based on historic claim information.
The secure, HIPAA-compliant Zyter mobile app offers two-factor user authentication using text or email, plus secure messaging/push notifications to send health and account-related messages to members. Bill payments are also secure and easy with the ability to scan checks, pay with a credit card, or through Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Designed for all future needs, the Zyter mobile app enables the company’s marketplace plan members easily shop for and upgrade to a new plan. Additional user enhancements are already in progress to make the member experience even more satisfying.
The Results
The company’s plan members have given the new Zyter Member Engagement mobile app excellent reviews for usability, an appealing interface, and robust functionality. Most of all, members are very satisfied with the response time as they easily navigate the system and quickly get the information they need. Approximately 35,000 unique active members are using the Zyter mobile app monthly to help manage their health and healthcare plan more efficiently.
Beyond improving member engagement, the healthcare company itself was ranked first in technology excellence for the Zyter mobile app during a recent bid for a new state Medicaid contract – which they won. The company expects this competitive technology advantage – and the positive feedback from plan members – to help them expand their business to additional states.
Benefits include:
- Enhanced and improved member engagement and experience
- Increased mobile app performance
- Improved user ratings and reviews
- Higher user adoption
- Ability to add future enhancements, such as Internet of Things (IoT) integrations
After the success of Zyter’s solution for member engagement, the company engaged Zyter to build a similar mobile app for internal employees. In addition to providing the convenience of accessing HR information such as available vacation days, the Zyter app includes a COVID-19 self-screening health feature that employees fill out and submit before they come to the office. This is just another way that Zyter continues to respond to the changing healthcare needs of healthcare plan providers and members.