WHITE PAPER
How Technology-enabled Screening Programs Can Help Health Plans Reach Diverse Member Populations
Start with Health
One of the most basic ways health plans can use technologies to increase member engagement and quality ratings is by encouraging members to participate in regular health screenings for key risk areas. The most effective screening programs will test for risks related to chronic conditions that are (or could eventually become) significant contributors to plan losses in terms of expenses related to disease management, reimbursement rates and quality measures.
Identify and Engage At-Risk Populations
Care gaps occur most frequently in populations that are geographically, culturally and economically isolated. These members are also unlikely to have an assigned primary care physician, so closing gaps is often up to the health plan. Focusing engagement strategies on these populations may be the most difficult, but can also have the most significant impact on population health improvement and care gap closure.
Screenings Contribute to Health Plans’ Long-Term Goals
Cost is an important consideration for any quality improvement program, care gap closure strategy or engagement plan. A program that targets your most significant care gaps for key measures can help to manage costs, both by reducing expenditure on the front end and enabling health plans to achieve higher quality scores, reimbursements and the ability to lift premiums on the back end. Most importantly, a comprehensive approach to both member engagement and care gap closure helps health plans focus on prevention.