Medicaid Mobile Engagement Solution Wins Third Modern Healthcare Award for Relay

Each year, Modern Healthcare and Ad Age honor a handful of healthcare companies for “delivering high quality, affordable and accessible healthcare, promoting the health of individual patients, groups and communities, and helping organizations thrive and grow in today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment.”

We’re so proud to announce that, together with our partner BlueCare Tennessee, we received an award for “Digital Campaign of the Year” in Modern Healthcare’s Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards.

At Relay, delivering high-quality, accessible healthcare solutions is in our DNA. Our technology makes it possible for companies like BlueCare to more effectively support, educate and engage its members at scale, but in a way that feels personal and one-to-one. In BlueCare’s case, accessibility trumps all else, because its Medicaid population is often dealing with limited access to things like housing, transportation, healthy food options and medical care.

Ineffective communication channels and low digital adoption was preventing BlueCare from achieving meaningful engagement during critical moments in the member journey. The largest portions of BlueCare’s member population are children under 21, expecting mothers, parents or caretakers of minors, and women who need treatment for breast or cervical cancer. Those groups require regular check-ups, screenings and tests — but with only a small percentage of members using the BlueCare portal, downloading apps or opening emails, tests and doctor visits are often forgotten or missed, and members risk losing control of their health and becoming sicker.

Realizing that nearly 73% of its member population has a mobile number, BlueCare began working with Relay to address its communication challenges. Our secure, HIPAA-compliant Customer Feed is activated in a simple text message, allowing members to be fully engaged with BlueCare from the convenience of their mobile phone.

With the goal of connecting as many members as possible, BlueCare setup multiple avenues for members to opt in to mobile communications: they can call an 800 number listed on a sticker on the front of their ID card, send a text to a special code, or be invited by a member services agent during a call.

Once a member opts in, BlueCare uses the Relay platform to deliver targeted, member-specific experiences. For example, expecting mothers receive a series of messages pertaining to healthy eating habits, what to expect during prenatal checkups, suggestions for staying active, and even incentives for completing necessary checkups. The messages are appropriately spaced out throughout the woman’s pregnancy, so the expecting mother feels cared for and supported by BlueCare every step of the way. Plus, BlueCare can track activity and engagement with each message to monitor progress and proactively address any gaps in care.

In less than one year, BlueCare has established digital connections on the Relay platform with more than 60% of its members. Mobile reminders have been 50% more effective in closing care gaps, compared to other traditional channels like outbound calls and mailers. Plus, once a digital connection is created, BlueCare has a persistent, reliable communication source that feels personal and relevant to every member.

Additionally, BlueCare is making an impact in guiding members through the redetermination, or renewal process. Each year, members must re-enroll in Medicaid to continue receiving care. Previously, costly outbound calls were only reaching 12% of BlueCare’s member population, of which only 33% confirmed receipt of their mailed redetermination packet. Now, BlueCare is leveraging mobile messaging to deliver timely notifications and reminders about re-enrollment right to members’ smartphones. This new outreach method is yielding nearly double the engagement with 22% of members opening the Relay message within hours of receipt. Many of these members had previously been in BlueCare’s “hardest-to-reach” segment.

From guiding expecting mothers through critical stages of their pregnancy to proactively engaging members before the re-enrollment period, BlueCare is pioneering a completely new way to engage Medicaid members.

Relay also received this award in 2018 with Maxor Specialty Pharmacy, and in 2014 with Independence Blue Cross.

If you want to learn more about Relay’s Medicaid mobile engagement solution, get in touch with our sales team.