Healthcare Benefits Communications Channels Can Directly Influence Behavior & Program Effectiveness, According to Pitney Bowe...
April 06 2010 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Sending communications on healthcare benefits through the mail
is an important channel in engaging members as they make benefits
decisions and as program managers seek to influence member
behavior, according to a study on Healthcare Benefit Communications
Preferences by Pitney Bowes Management Services, Inc. (PBMS), a
wholly owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI).
The survey noted that, as healthcare benefit costs continue to
escalate, both payers and benefits administrators look for ways to
reduce the costs of managing benefits programs, such as
communicating through email and secure web sites. Hard-copy mail
however– not e-mail or secure web sites – is the preferred channel
of communication for receiving healthcare benefit communications,
including Explanation of Benefits (EOBs), Program Change
Notifications, Enrollment/Decision Guides, and Welcome Kits, among
others.
Andy Roussel, director, Strategic Marketing, PBMS commented
that, to the extent existing communications vehicles can be used to
influence member choice, then the ability of recipients to share
them with family members has impact beyond the perceived savings of
migrating to digital forms. He warns that, “As payers and program
administrators consider using electronic forms of communications
for influencing member behavior, a lack of portability may impact
the effectiveness of this messaging.”
Roussel added that “this may be significant, as member choice in
how they and their family use benefits may directly impact the cost
of those benefits to both the member and the payer. Plan sponsor
and administrator guidance on member choice needs to be in the form
most easily used by recipients if it’s to be effective in guiding
members on such issues as when to use a primary care physician or
Urgent Care Center vs. an ER.”
Click here to access an executive summary of the research
results or visit our website www.pbmanagementservices.com.
Pitney Bowes Management Services designs, implements and
operates global solutions that provide enterprise clients with
customer communication, mail and document lifecycle services that
help in creating more effective, efficient and compliant business
processes and operations.
About Pitney Bowes
Celebrating its 90th year of innovation, Pitney Bowes provides
software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital
communications channels. Long known for making its customers more
productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies
grow their business. Pitney Bowes is a $5.6 billion company and
employs 33,000 worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new
opportunity™.
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