Company: Humana, Inc., Louisville, KY
Company Description: Humana Inc., is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 10.2 million medical members, 7.1 million specialty members. Humana is a full-service benefits and well-being solutions company, offering health, pharmacy and supplemental benefits for employer groups, government programs and individ
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications Department of the Year
 Nomination Title: Effective, efficient, personalized communications, reporting and translation
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated department since January 1 2022, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated department: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
Humana’s Marketing, Regulatory and Operational Communications (MROC) empowers consumers through creative, innovative, communications. MROC utilizes process, data, business intelligence and technology to increase communication effectiveness and efficiencies. MROC produced 682,093,005 communications January through November 2023 via Explanation of Benefits (EOBs), emails, letters, campaigns, texts and voice-activated technology calls. EOBs are core communications, but we produce many more: billing and commission statements, letters, Annual Notice of Change/Evidence of Coverage, drug lists, checks and more. SmartSummary is Humana’s version of the government-mandated EOB, which consolidates messages that would otherwise mail separately into one communication.
In addition to creating millions of regulatory communications, MROC translates many of these and drives sales growth through mail and email campaigns. We make it easy for prospective members to access tools while shopping to identify the best plan. Our campaigns solicit a response to enroll in a Humana plan, while nurturing streamlined production processes and relationships. MROC’s campaign marketing team also encourages members to engage in special programs to fully utilize benefits. One example is sending targeted communications to diabetic members to enroll in diabetic programs.
These best-in-class communications require a data and reporting team to track communications sent, who receives which, and delivery method.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the department's achievements since the beginning of 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
MROC sends more than 227 million EOBs annually. This year SmartSummary communication consolidation resulted in $20 million cost avoidance.
Our data was managed via 30 manual methods maintained through spreadsheets and mainframe processes, producing tons of data loaded to a shared drive, utilizing too much space. This data dump was then manipulated to produce the metrics needed. In 2023 we rebuilt the manual mainframe processes to be automated.
MROC translates 4,000 documents annually and saved $899,000 by translating two of our largest communications only upon request. We transferred Health Services Operations translations to certified bilingual associates, saving MROC $400,000. We increased the percentage of communications sent in members’ preferred languages, now translating 100% of communications the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) deems vital into Spanish and the top 85% in volume into Chinese and Korean. We also addressed marketing communications, enacting a policy requiring Spanish translation for all Medicare documents.
The alternate format team produced more than 2.7 million communications in other formats, including Braille, large print, accessible PDF, DAISY and read-over-the-phone.
Humana’s Major Annual Communications (MAC) season begins in May when CMS releases the model guidelines for information to be included. MAC documents must be created prior to the Annual Enrollment Period, triggering tight turnarounds. MAC included significant changes this year:
- Redesign of Summary of Benefits breaking out all services independently, requiring new roadmaps and new, separate build pages
- Benefits At a Glance prescription page redesign and the addition of CarePlus plans
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other communications departments in your industry and/or to the depatrment's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
More than $20 million in cost avoidance from communications consolidation demonstrates our business partners aren’t spending money on communications sent through SmartSummary, and the print shop doesn’t mail separate communications, reducing enterprise budget. Reduced mailings improve member experience. Instead of mass-mailing, we identify which members need communications and create personalized summaries.
Our team automated a process from 30 manual ones. Now an automated mainframe schedule runs reports as part of the communications’ data cycles instead of requiring someone to send data to shared drives. We receive one smaller file using 1 MB of space instead of 100 MB. This frees resources and time for other projects saving $50,000 annually.
In 2022, we translated two of our largest communications “just in case.” The majority weren’t used. In 2023, we only translated upon request and saved $899,000. We made all CMS-required communications available in Spanish, improving member experience. We also ensured Medicare marketing communications are translated and established adherence parameters. We put a reminder in our workflow management system that Spanish translation is required. We retrieve system data to monitor adherence.
Members requiring braille or large print previously called to request it, prompting a manual process. Humana added an alternate-format question to enrollment forms. This information feeds into preference systems and automated IT infrastructures, allowing alternate formats to fulfill via an automatic process.
MAC documents must reach members by Sept. 30 or Humana’s Star ratings are negatively impacted. MROC worked furiously to meet deadlines to keep Star ratings intact.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 71 words used.
The CMS EOB instructions attachment is the government’s model of requirements for an EOB. You’ll notice the drastically different look and feel between this and SmartSummary. We took all the required information from the model and designed it in an easy-to-read format, highlighting what is most important to members. You’ll also find the message database used for consolidating communications into SmartSummary as well as sample MAC documents and a translation piece.
| Attachments/Videos/Links: |
|---|
|
