The challenge

Unfortunately, plan portal and app utilization by members continues to be very low for health plans compared to other industries. While there are a few different causes, one of the largest challenges for plans is marketing platforms to members who will actually use them. Some plans even have several different apps and portals with unique log-ins, making it even more difficult for members to log on and use these platforms.

The organization

Horizon Healthcare Services Inc. (Horizon) is the largest health insurer in New Jersey, providing health insurance coverage to over 3.5 million people throughout New Jersey. It serves members in the commercial, individual, Medicare, and Medicaid lines of business..

The approach

Horizon realized that marketing several different apps was ineffective and led to low member utilization, so they needed to figure out how to combine all their tools and features into a single app. Once Horizon had this single self-service touchpoint for members, they then figured out which members would find the most value in the portal/app. The final step was to change marketing messaging to attract these identified members.

The result

Horizon launched its app in September of 2018 and has over 380,000 app downloads as of October 2020. Members who use the app or portals are less likely to call into Horizon’s call center, which saves Horizon $7 to $10 in administrative costs per call. Horizon has seen a 60% increase in telehealth visits in 2020 as well as a 56% increase in nurse chats.