An App of Your Own

Apps and online portals for accessing insurance are convenient for everyone, including employers, employees and advisors. But while automating manual tasks can save time and labour, how do you personalize that experience and offer real-life interaction where necessary so as not to risk dehumanizing the whole transaction without the personal touch?

One challenge is that some employers have a central portal or intranet where they host their essential information such as benefit booklets, stand-alone programs, and company information. “It’s a lot of navigating,” says Marni Hefner, a Business Development Executive at IDC. “Every employer has different needs, and it’s important to meet them digitally where they’re at.”

IDC understands that there are challenges in getting there, and there are individuals working on solutions but, '“ultimately, the employee experience is what's going to attract [talent] to an employer,” says Hefner. “And it's going to help with retention.”

New, tech-enabled products are also providing customers with greater transparency, access and convenience. GreenShield, for example, is developing a new product that integrates provider applications including health, telemedicine and digital pharmacy with insurance to provide greater access and convenience to customers. “It's not about just technology integration, but how does that series of integrations help improve a plan member or a user's day-to-day life?” says Steve Luu, Vice President of Product Management, Health Services at GreenShield. “How do we make recommendations and insights that are particular to you? How do we drive the next best action or engagement or experience for you, without crossing any boundaries?” 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also revolutionizing insurance. For one, AI can automate. manual, repetitive tasks like filing submissions and claims, and analyze large data sets from touch points like digital records and satellite images to generate valuable insights that can help personalize pricing and coverage for customers. “In terms of the scale and the evolution of where the product is now that will have AI is around generative recommendations,” says Luu. “So how can we generate based off of actions, and where and who and what we know of the individual in terms of potential avenues to help improve their health is how we're looking at things.” 

This creates opportunities for both plan sponsors and employees. AI can help generate insights to confirm someone’s health standard and recommend a type of therapy or assessment. It can also examine aggregate information about a population of employees to identify trends, driving down costs and helping inform recommendations for the right services so that, Luu says, “plan sponsors are making the right choices in what they're adding to their suite of well-being product and the services they offer their employees.”

Luu, however, is quick to note that users must consent to opting in (or out) for transparency and trust. “It's really important for us to deliver the right messaging,” he says. “But we'll always look at from a product standpoint, how do we deliver those experiences without crossing any lines?”

Hefner notes that IDC’s active benefits approach ensures a personalized, “humanizing experience” for customers using these digital platforms. “Are we being adaptable and communicative? Are we being tactical, innovative, versatile and effective?” she says. “If that software is built with those strategies put in place, then every single person who engages in it is going to have their own experience.” Without those checks in place, you risk alienating people that may not be adept at using modern technology. “Technology has to [work] with all people,” says Hefner. “And not everybody is in tune with it, and that can be dehumanizing.”

A recent success story exemplifies the benefits of this approach. IDC WIN helped an organization implement a mental health strategy with the goal of getting their employees, affordable, quick access to care and to provide long-term solutions for their employees and their families, effectively and efficiently. “Making sure getting aligned with the right practitioner is a humanizing experience,” says Hefner. “Getting an employee or their family the help and support that they need at in the time that they need it [in order to get the care they need] is what its’ about.”

Ultimately, technology can improve the whole insurance experience — from employers, to providers to employees and plan members. And with greater access to these tools and an understanding how to leverage AI-driven insights, providers can ensure that the customer experience remains at the core.