How can care management programs broaden their outreach to members?

Virtual care support is not the only avenue for greater engagement that can impact a broad range of members. Care management teams can help plans boost their satisfaction scores by helping members maximize the limited time they have with providers, time that may change as virtual-first plans become more commonplace. Augmenting health education with digital tools is a strong place to look for opportunities.

Care managers can engage with members pre- and post-visits to begin this process. They can answer questions ahead of an upcoming appointment to help members prepare for an appointment and understand what materials or information they might need to bring. This can be especially important for members in rural settings who may have to travel more than 50 miles for an in-person appointment.

After the visit, there are additional opportunities, according to a 2022 survey:

• Nearly half of the respondents said they did not get all their questions answered during their provider encounter.
• 80% often or sometimes had follow-up questions.
• 80% said that if they were to receive patient education, they would be more satisfied with their care.

Digital member education offers care managers a way to follow up with members conveniently and in an accessible, personalized way that can help relieve provider burden of phone calls and subsequent appointments.

With digital leaflets and videos, members can learn at their own pace and on their time. Materials can also be targeted to higher-risk members to ensure key information about conditions and wellness is reaching those who are most isolated from care or those exhibiting other risk factors.

Member engagement materials with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion also help care managers reach a broader group and make care more accessible for all members and patients. That means sharing member-facing content that:

• Speaks the language the members use at home.
• Varies the visual representation of patients and clinicians.
• Employs voice-over artists from different cultures to reflect different experiences.
• Uses gender-neutral terminology and images.
• Accounts for wide variety of socio-economic realities in content.
• Offers greater technical accessibility.

More inclusive content helps to better resonate with members, increases engagement, and assists health plans in meeting the benchmarks related to the CMS Health Equity Index.

Spreading the word about care management resources

Perhaps one of care management’s greatest challenges to expanding outreach is getting the word out about their own programs and value.

Unfortunately, much of care management is outbound calling and trying to engage members in an era when fewer and fewer people answer their phones. Everyone is inundated with emails and texts. How can health plans make members aware of the available services?

The answer may lie in personalized, targeted outreach that ties into existing interactions. If a member is seeking information about their condition or coverage with their payer, that is when care management can refer members to targeted resources and programs that the members may not be aware of. Teams need to get creative about how to weave their outreach into existing communications to help people when they’re most likely to take action — e.g., a new diagnosis, a life event for the family, a change in employer or health plan. That’s what makes it even more important to have systems that are talking to each other to help overcome some of those barriers.

Whitepaper: Opportunities for care management to expand healthcare education

With rising member expectations and needs, payers and care management teams that want to broaden their reach and impact must step up their education efforts and become more equal partners in health. 

Learn more in the whitepaper “Filling the healthcare education gap: A care management opportunity.”