Healthy results

Stay healthy and save

A leading health services innovation company is focused on making healthcare work better for everyone. They partner with various stakeholders – from healthcare providers to insurers to employers – to improve patient health while also reducing the total cost of care.

When the company asked if we could help cut healthcare expense and improve healthcare decisions within a specific population of consumers, we assured them this kind of behavior change is right up our alley.

The company had two key goals:

1. Motivate this group of healthcare consumers to start calling a new support line with their healthcare and health insurance questions, big or small.
2. Dissuade these customers from using the ER for non-emergency needs.

We implemented a three-part strategy, each of which would leverage the three things these consumers care about most: saving time, saving money, and staying healthy.

Hello answers, calm, and clarity

Our first step was to welcome this audience to a more convenient, more personalized, less costly way to care for their health. We spread the message through direct mail pieces to introduce this “one-stop shop” call line and provide greater detail. We also sent an email to reinforce our clear and upbeat message: “Good-bye stress and confusion. Hello answers, calm, and clarity.”

Next, we sent out a mailing that clearly illustrated the out-of-pocket costs for a range of care options—from a $1700 ER visit, to a $190 urgent care visit, to a $5 online care service. We empowered these consumers with the information they needed to understand their choices, control their costs and take charge of their health.

Finally, we sent an ongoing series of targeted emails, each highlighting a chronic health condition to an audience that could potentially relate—for example, an email about how to manage diabetes to a segment of this audience at risk for that disease. Each email included recommended actions and care strategies for that condition.

Drive smart healthcare decisions

Almost immediately, the company saw results. People started using the call line and costly visits to the ER started dropping. Within the first year, they identified $1.8 million in confirmed savings from this campaign.

Even better, these consumers started taking charge of their health in measurable ways. In the world of healthcare, it’s called a “care gap” when there’s an action a person should take to stay healthy (like getting a vaccination, an age-based screening, or a medication) but they haven’t taken that action. Through this campaign, they measured 1,300 care gaps that were closed, which ultimately leads to healthier patients and fewer healthcare costs.

The result was win/win/win: Consumers saved money and improved their health, the employer who insures these consumers reduced health insurance costs, and this company delivered measurable results.