SCAN Healthplan - Customer Service Department of the Year

Company: SCAN Healthplan, Long Beach, CA
Company Description: SCAN is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to keeping seniors healthy and independent. SCAN has delivered on this mission since 1977 through SCAN Health Plan, one of the largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans in the nation. SCAN also offers education programs, community funding, volunteer opportunities and other community services throughout its California service area.
Nomination Category: Customer Service Department Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Customer Service Department of the Year – Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Related Industries

Nomination Title: SCAN Healthplan

Tell the story about what this nominated department achieved since the beginning of July 2017 (up to 650 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

For the last 40 years, SCAN has remained dedicated to seniors and caregivers, which is reflected in its organization-wide focus on member and community service, as well as in its award-winning member service call center.

As of July 2017, SCAN Health Plan’s member service call center achieved a 90 percent satisfaction rate from customers and a service level of 84 percent of calls answered in 30 seconds or less. SCAN Member Service Advocates (MSAs) do not simply “represent” their members they truly “advocate” for members with a focus on their overall well-being and independence. MSAs are well-trained and highly equipped to handle a variety of call types, ranging from simple benefit questions to detailed pharmacy coverage. Not only are they knowledgeable about vital community resources and assistance with lowering medication costs, they provide the needed information with empathy, caring and genuine concern for members.

SCAN offers its members a variety of opportunities to provide feedback and recommendations to improve the service experience. In late 2017, SCAN introduced the Voice of the Customer (VOC) and Service Recovery Process, where members are given the option to complete a telephonic satisfaction survey following an interaction with an Advocate. During the survey, members can share their honest feedback about their experience, which in turn provides the SCAN management team an opportunity to identify areas of improvement.

A vital component of the VOC program involves members of the management team making direct callbacks to survey participants. While this new process helps to develop trust with members, it has also provided SCAN the opportunity to identify and implement process improvements and provide coaching and recognition to select Advocates. Members have said how much they appreciate these callbacks. Since September 2017, this program has yielded a 99.2% member satisfaction rate.

SCAN’s Member Services leadership team implemented a “ride along” program for employees, which pairs a Member Service employee with a Care Coordinator for home visits. During these visits, the Care Coordinator assesses living conditions, medication adherence, opportunities for safety improvement and overall well-being of our members. Member Service employees have an opportunity to interact with the members face-to-face and answer questions in person. Employees report that the ride along experience was insightful and provided firsthand exposure to the hearts and minds of our members, thus enabling them to better understand what it’s like to “walk in their shoes.” This has translated into a greater degree of empathy, show of understanding and concern, and improved member relations.

All SCAN employees attend Trading Ages, our signature senior sensitivity training class. During this interactive experience, attendees are provided the opportunity to see and feel what seniors experience. For example, wearing gloves simulates loss of dexterity, which impacts the ability to pick up pills, clean or cook. During another exercise, attendees wear earplugs to experience what it is like for hearing-impaired members.

The goal of this program is to develop empathy for seniors – all seniors, not just SCAN members – in order to improve the care and service they receive. That’s why we also offer the program free of charge to a variety of organizations. It’s also an integral part of our Office Staff Training, which we deliver upon request to the medical staff and physicians who interact with our members.

As an organization, SCAN is committed to providing members with personalized support, and the Member Services department is on the front-lines of all these efforts. They are the touch point for members and play a key role in establishing personal connections, which underscores SCAN’s overall mission: keeping seniors healthy and independent.