The Healthcare Kit: Your Prescription for a Better Brand

As a health insurance provider, you are a very important part of millions of lives.  Those lives are of your members, and they are counting on you to be there when they need you most.  Much like a marriage, your members need you in “both sickness and in health.” Whether they are going through a series of medical treatments or just trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle at the local gym, they rely on you for affordable healthcare that will keep them alive and well.

Since you play such an important role in your members’ lives, it’s imperative that they feel as equally important when interacting with your brand.  Outstanding customer service will always deliver a “feel good” experience, but there are other ways to make your members feel special and elevate your brand.

Set the Stage with a Healthcare Kit.

Depending upon the avenue the member took to purchase one of your health plans, your first interaction with them could occur through an email, an SMS message or, more likely, through postal mail. This first “touch” that you make with a new (or re-newing) member sets the stage for your future relationship, and also instantly creates a positive or negative impression about your brand.  A physical healthcare kit, one which includes all the info a new member would need, speaks volumes above a more impersonal email, which might get overlooked, accidentally deleted or relegated to the SPAM folder.  Here are a few things to consider in regards to a new member kit:

• Providing members with all their new plan information, (including collateral, forms and benefit perks) in one smartly designed package, will allow them to easily file it away to reference at a later date, making it less likely to get lost or “deleted.”  Even if you provide a website that hosts this information, most people will remember where they filed their healthcare information, but won’t quickly recall your website URL.
• Include high-quality member ID cards that serve as an extension of your brand. You can add one card per package, or many, depending upon whether it is a single-person plan or coverage for an entire family.  A CR80 card, which is the same size and thickness as your basic credit card, works best as it is durable and will serve as a great representation for your brand.
• Consider adding a gift, such as a fitness tracker, gift card or a healthy cookbook.  With today’s packaging options, it is easy to add a variety of items to your kit, while keeping your piece on budget.  A small gift can go a long way towards elevating your brand above your competition in today’s healthcare marketplace.
• And speaking of packaging, to really make your brand stand out, consider using custom packaging that makes your members feel as though they just joined an elite program.  A self-sealed box or unique-sized envelope can elevate your presentation just enough to make a great first impression.  You might also want to consider a premium packaging choice for those members on the higher tiers of your plan.

Our world is full of digital, intangible information.  Most of it is quickly forgotten once it leaves the screen of our device, which is why it is so important to continue to send your members a physical healthcare kit. The look and feel of a brochure, or folder, or collateral piece will remain with someone much longer than an email that is only seen, not felt. Give members both a physical and digital option so that they can select the best option for them, or to have as a back-up.

As health insurers, you are in the center of an evolving marketplace full of challenges and obstacles.  It now requires more effort to maintain a positive brand image and differentiate yourself from the competition. Providing members with the tools and information they need, and remaining transparent, are two powerful ways to present your brand as one that cares.