Responsory’s Insurance Marketing team is helping several group health insurance client ramp up for 2016 and beyond with a variety of marketing strategies including direct mail, digital advertising and broker communications among others. The increase in marketing expenditures by these and other health insurance clients is consistent with the findings of a recent study released by Deft Research. Its Group Health Benefit Decision-Makers Study found that nearly 50% of employers at small to mid-sized firms are considering a carrier switch by 2017. Of those, almost a quarter reported they would be very likely to switch should their premiums increase.
Another study reports that before 2017, 27% of all employers will have moved their organization to a private exchange. This is according to data from Aite Group. For these employers, a private exchange is a defensive play. “Employers are kicking the tires due to the Cadillac tax,” said Michael Trilli, senior analyst at Aite Group.
Responsory is helping its group insurance clients capitalize on employers who are frustrated with both the method in which their employee benefits are obtained and the selection of products they can offer. Deft’s study demonstrates how this dissatisfaction will pressure the insurance industry to develop innovative network solutions and multi-year contracts.
“Many of our clients are health plan innovators,” explains Grant Johnson, CEO, Responsory. “They realize that if they don’t innovate, their employer customers and prospects will turn to Private Exchanges.”
Among Responsory’s most progressive insurance clients is Security Health Plan (SHP) serving the state of Wisconsin. Ranked among the best health insurance plans in the country for 10 consecutive years, SHP is reaching out to employers statewide via print advertising, direct mail, Smart Zones digital advertising and broker relations. Its key message is how SHP is prepared to help its small, mid- and large-sized group members better manage their costs with relevant and value-add services:
- With a broader provider network that gives employees choice of primary care and specialists.
- By giving employees and their family members access to real world medical and prescription drug prices, based on their benefits, so they can be smarter healthcare consumers, and more effective stewards of premium dollars.
- By bringing the care to employees at work. Don’t have a nurse practitioner on-site? SHP can bring one to the site with a fully equipped primary care mobile van that comes directly to the facility. At no cost.
Another innovator is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS). Responsory recently launched a multichannel marketing program to help BCBSKS reach small business owners throughout the Kansas. The carrier has a team of specialized small business representatives at-the-ready to support decision-makers and they weigh their options.
One campaign component is a multi-purpose Decision Guide. Responsory’s overall strategy for the new content piece is to walk BCBSKS’ tight-for-time, mulitasking owner prospects through the decision making process and swiftly answer their most common questions. The look, feel and messaging will put these owners at ease with the often-intimidating process of comparing plans and making the right choice for their small business. View the entire piece.
The health insurance industry is fiercely competitive and rapidly evolving. The pressure to be smarter, faster and more proactive than the next carrier is tremendous. Responsory is a partner who understands your complex industry and can skillfully navigate through all of the regulations and resulting compliance that affect how you conduct business. Contact us today to discover how we can help you.
