Satisfaction Among Medicare Advantage Members is on the Rise, but will that Trend Continue?

A deeper look at the 2022 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study reveals that satisfaction is on the rise among members. Although huge strides have been made by Plan Providers, there are concerns raised by enrollees coupled with continual disruptors to the healthcare landscape, which could ultimately cause these satisfaction scores to plummet in the following years.

What has changed?

The Covid-19 pandemic forced providers to change and ultimately improve the customer experience. This alteration in strategy led to an overall satisfaction increase of 3pts. from 2021. Despite this success, there is still work to be done with multiple factors, such as customer service, seeing little to no improvement since 2018.

Poor customer service performance has turned members into detractors as they report experiencing hold times 3x times longer than promoters. They have also expressed their increasing frustration and dissatisfaction with having to repeat the same information multiple times and calling back repeatedly to resolve an issue.

Which disruptors should health plans watch out for?

As Health Plan Providers continue to readjust offerings to accommodate member needs, they need to keep in mind disruptors to the healthcare industry which could decrease satisfaction rates over time. Changes in government policies, economic outlook, additional COVID-19 variants, and new entrants will continue to shake up the market. To counteract these external issues, health plan providers will need to utilize additional tools such as service personalization and mobile apps along with carefully incorporating feedback and consumer data to create a satisfying experience. Relying on and prioritizing digitalization features can limit customer service concerns from members, and ensure requests are quickly resolved.

What steps can health plans take?

Clear communication is an essential component to keeping members satisfied, even while disruptors continue to transform the healthcare landscape. The largest impact on Communication Satisfaction occurred when members received clear and essential information about their plans including:

• Health Education Information
• Preventative Service Reminders
• General Coverage & Information about Benefits

These constant reminders and increased transparency from providers are great ways to increase member engagement and create a feeling of trust in members.

To learn more about the tools, tips, and tricks to providing a satisfying experience, contact us about study subscription details.