Reclaiming the Benefits of Health Insurance
Improving Highmark Health’s Benefits & Coverage Experience
Background
Highmark Health, a prominent healthcare company based in Pennsylvania, approached my consulting firm to produce a massive overhaul of their entire website and mobile app, with the broad goals of improving the user experience and increasing revenue, and microgoals within each section of their experience.
My team was tasked with redesigning the Benefits & Coverage section of Highmark’s user experience. Users expressed frustration over information overload, unclear language regarding payment and what exactly Highmark covered, and challenges accessing their benefits booklet. Legal constraints also posed a challenge in incorporating required language without overwhelming or confusing users.
Objectives:
Reduce any “content noise” on the Benefits & Coverage page to reduce cognitive overload.
Improve clarity around payment, specifically claims, and precisely how much of a procedure’s cost that Highmark will cover.
Communicate temporary lack of complete information regarding coverage while assuring users of coverage status.
Provide sufficient warning and context for link-out experiences.
Ensure compliance with legal requirements.
Approach & Deliverables
Simplifying Content
I conducted a content audit to identify essential information and find methodical ways of grouping content.
I flagged redundant or excessive information (how much does one really need to know about a drug formulary?) to later delete or revise.
On the other hand, I flagged information that users deemed important, based on their existing feedback from the call center, including the definition of a covered service.
My team collaborated with legal and compliance teams to ensure required language was present.
We utilized hidden affordances to hide nitty gritty benefits information that is often irrelevant, unless users are looking for a specific benefit.
Adopted plain language to replace medical terminology for better user understanding.
“Covered services refer to routine medical procedures (routine doctors’ visits, vaccines), not in-network vs. out-of-network.”
Communication of Incomplete Information
I created a dedicated section to inform users about the temporary unavailability of their benefits booklet.
We assured users that they were actively covered by Highmark, and that this information delay is normal and temporary.
“Don’t worry! You’re still covered. Your benefits booklet should be available within 3 months from the beginning of your coverage period.”
We included contact information for Highmark’s call center so users could reach out for specific questions.
Improve Clarity About Payment
This step was crucial, since payment processes most often cause the most anxiety of any part of a user experience.
The researcher on our team and I audited qualitative data from Highmark’s call center and contact form submissions to fully understand user’s frustration with payment.
Introduced tooltips for each benefit to provide concise explanations:
“Highmark will cover 50% of this procedure’s cost” rather than “partially-covered”.
Utilized clear and user-friendly language to describe claims status.
Link-Out Experience
We worked toward a seamless transition with clear call-to-action buttons, improving the overall link-out experience.
We provided a brief description of the destination of each link-out, to set user expectations.
Results
User feedback indicated a significant improvement in the ease of navigating the Benefits & Coverage page.
Some users self-reported finding information more quickly compared to the previous design.
Positive feedback on the use of tooltips and simplified language for billing-related terms.
Users felt adequately prepared for the link-out experience.
Users expressed appreciation for the transparent communication regarding benefits booklet availability, though some noted that the benefits booklet wasn’t their main priority when visiting the Benefits & Coverage page.
Conclusion
The implementation of plain language, improved descriptions of payment processes, and transparent communication led to a more streamlined experience. Highmark now provides an improved journey for users, balancing legal requirements with clear, accessible information that ultimately leads to patients who feel ownership over their health.