Anne Jessup: Actively Engaging Consumers in Coverage Re-Enrollment

It is important for consumers to be actively engaged in re-enrolling for health insurance rather than relying on auto-renewal, explained Anne Jessup, senior director of digital channels at Florida Blue.

Transcript (modified)

What is the importance of consumers actively engaging in re-enrolling rather than relying on the auto-renewal function?

I think plans change each year. There are a couple factors; there’s subsidy eligibility which can change each year. So being actively engaged, to truly understand what benefits are available to them, making sure that they’re getting all the monies that can be afforded to them through the federal assistance program, as well as understanding the benefits and how the networks may have changed within their plan.

I think we see there’s a huge opportunity with that membership and as part of that renewal process to really engage as many of them actively as we can. Downstream it helps ensure that they really did get the coverage that they needed and, more importantly, that the network that they’re part of and ensuring that the doctors they’re used to seeing are actually covered in their new plan going into that new year.

How does Florida Blue educate patients on the importance of actively engaging in re-enrolling?

We have a number of opportunities that we leverage. Obviously as part of the sales process we consider education a key factor. You have to make sure that when a person signs up for the plan it truly is the plan that meets their needs and has the right benefits for them.

There’s an onus on our agent community as well as when people come into our retail centers to ensure that that consumer truly understands all of the benefits, particularly when you’re talking about the network and ensuring that their doctor is there. After the sale is complete there’s just as much opportunity to continue that education.

We have outreach programs that both happen digitally as well as telephonically. We try to learn as much about our member as we can, and then engage them in a way that makes sense, that is timely, and that really provides the message offering the most value to them.