Thanks so much for being with us! We are going to introduce our panel and set the table for our conversation in just a minute. But first, let’s take a look through our plan for this session.
These three experts are going to talk with you today about how important a robust and intentional consumer identifcation and followup program has been to reaching and helping to get insure those in their community who most need that help. As you know, Enroll America has done considerable research into what works – tactically, message-wise and in terms of tools and supports for consumers and partners alike – to help bring consumers to the enrollment table. One thing we know for certain is that one conversation with a consumer isn’t enough. One way conversation won’t get the job done. We need to reach out and reach out again and again, and sometimes again, providing information, educating and encouraging – and offering help. As you can see, the most you do that – the more likely you are to successfully get a consumer enrolled.
With that, let’s hear first from Carrie Berlin our partner (and an Academy partner!) from Pittsburgh who has built a strong program from the ground up.
Good Afternoon. It is a pleasure to be here at the State of Enrollment Conference and have the opportunity to connect with all of you who are making the promise of quality affordable healthcare a reality.
As Neil mentioned I want to share the story of how our seasonal work during Open Enrollment has shaped the way our team handles consumer outreach and follow-up through community partnerships that have allowed us to increase our touchpoints with consumers, and therefore increase the likelihood of successful enrollments.
Before I begin, I would like to provide a bit of background on Cognosante’s Enrollment Assistance Program or EAP. EAP is a federal initiative through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to delivery in-person assistance during the Open Enrollment Period in major cities throughout the US. Cognosante assisters provide critical in-person enrollment assistance to consumers where they live, work and play through large-scale mobile events and weekly static locations.
In Philadelphia, our first experience with consumer follow-up came during the Second Open Enrollment when we partnered with Enroll America to reach out to consumers interested in health coverage through their Contact Card Program. We had limited investment and certainly did not have a robust follow-up program established. It was primarily difficult due to our seasonal work which limited our capacity for outreach to just a month or two prior to Open Enrollment but the results were very promising and encouraged us to place a larger focus on follow-up.
In the planning period for the Third Open Enrollment, our team knew it would be crucial to connect with consumers as much as possible in order to ensure re-enrollment and identify those who still lacked coverage. So we worked with the Enroll America team to sharpen our phone call training and supplement our Assisters’ skills with the right messaging techniques when conducting follow-up calls. We also worked in tandem with organizers at outreach events in the weeks leading to November 1st to develop contact lists that could be called during Open Enrollment, and in a way, develop a pipeline of consumers who would need assistance once the time was right.
We were strategic about the locations of our outreach efforts in order to maximize results, but more importantly we focused on community partnerships to identify and gather information on consumers who needed and wanted our assistance. By now it is well known that consumers are greatly influenced by trusted voices and organizations with roots in their communities, and it is no different when it comes to developing a contact program. For example, in our multi-partner initiative with Enroll America, local navigators, and the library system of Philadelphia, many library branches provide enrollment assistance hours throughout the city, but also provide points where consumers can securely and conveniently provide contact information so that in-person assistance staff can connect with them at a later time if assistance was not immediately available. Additionally, we used the contact program to remind consumers of key coverage deadlines and make them aware of key enrollment events or locations in their neighborhood. As an assister or navigator organization, we know it’s very important to ensure robust attendance at major events where a large portion of our resources are invested. What better way to ensure consumers are aware of your initiatives than by calling them directly days before the event?
Ultimately, the outreach and follow-up program became an essential part of our success during this past open enrollment. We noticed that by working with partner organizations to identify and follow-up with consumers we had better enrollment and re-enrollment results. Attendance at events and enrollment locations increased, and the enrollment process was significantly more simple and productive for assisters because we had more touch points with consumers in which we could educate, clarify information and prepare them for enrollment. Along the same line, consumers were having more success not just finding affordable coverage but finding the right type of coverage for their families.
Thank you.
So, through these three expert panelists, what have been the common themes in your opinion?
What have each of these programs done to successfully reach consumers (identify, gather contact information, have a plan for followup).
What have been some of the challenges they’ve had in building these programs?
What are some of your takeaways, and your questions?
Going in, we knew that consumers are more likely to enroll the more they hear from us. That one way communication or one followup call isn’t enough. We need to routinely and consistantly be in touch with consumers before – and after – enrollment.
We heard today from three experts who have built strong enrollment programs that include this best practices. Garry is in a place where he needs to go it alone – not unlike many of you in the room. Cristian has a seasonal team, which is a challenge, but knows the importance of building partnerships to gather consumer contacts so that they can follow up and help those folks to get covered – and his entire team gets involved in the process from outreach to followup. And Carrie has built a program from the ground up – including her staff – to ensure that their consumers here from them regularly, allowing them to help more consumers every single day.
In closing, we hope that this session provided you with some tips and guidance on how you can build within your program a strong followup program, including your staff, setting goals and ensuring that it is a key part of your enrollment and outreach program. Thank you for being with us!