Member Health Plan Satisfaction Plateaus while Competition Intensifies in Digital Innovation

The healthcare industry has been faced with numerous challenges over the past few years. Although several changes have been implemented to meet up with member demand, results of the 2022 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Study reveal satisfaction has slowed and is starting to see a downward trend.

When analyzing the study results, we found four major trends impacting consumer engagement and experience. One unexpected factor challenging payers and providers is staffing difficulties impacted by The Great Resignation. Employee attrition is taking a toll on customer service performance as members report experiencing longer wait times, and it does not take long for patience to run out.

Why does this matter?

We know that engagement can have a positive impact on both satisfaction and member health. When service channels are not meeting member expectations, it can cause the engagement gap to grow. 

What can you do?

The following steps can help address customer service challenges that are impacting satisfaction:

• Evaluate staffing models to identify service gaps to improve the immediacy of responding to member questions and resolving problems.
• Provide a “call back” option early in the call if a member is waiting to speak to a customer service representative.