Health insurers know why customer experience is critical — CX leaders grow revenue faster than laggards, can charge more for their products, and have a higher brand preference. But based on Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) data, the how continues to be a challenge. Health insurers’ average CX Index score once again remained flat in 2018, with only four brands seeing a statistically significant change in score: one improving and three declining. Healthcare as an industry is evolving, and health insurers remain eager and invested to drive customer engagement and loyalty. To drive this relationship that traditionally has not existed in the industry — and engage customers to advocate for and stay with the brand — health insurers must make their members feel appreciated, confident, and grateful. Our research shows that health insurers must:

  • Continue to invest in customer service. Despite customer service being the highest-performing driver category for health insurers, only 56% report experiencing good customer service — down one point from 2017. Customers are still being challenged to get the help they need when, where, and how they want it. They also struggle to make sense of the information they are provided. Customer service teams must be equipped to deliver experiences that resonate with the customer. 
  • Balance digital investments with the human element. Health insurers continue to invest in digital transformation, but website and mobile app drivers have relatively little influence on a brand’s overall CX Index score. And yet with 56% of customers reporting a good experience with their insurer’s website and mobile app, the industry ties for its best performance in the least important category. Healthcare — and health insurance — can be highly emotional, so it requires health insurers to find ways to balance human and digital interactions in a way that better resonates with the customer.
  • Learn from the best of the best, not the OK or the poor. It is normal to look to your industry leaders for inspiration, but given the industry performance when it comes to CX, health insurance CX pros must look outside of health insurance. Healthcare has new disruptors entering the market regularly that can help fill experiential gaps in health insurance CX. Health insurance CX pros can also take cues from CX Index leaders in other regulated industries such as banking.

Read the entire report here: “The US Health Insurers Customer Experience Index, 2018