Health cost sharing groups are great alternatives to traditional insurance. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know about them, don’t know about the great features that set them apart, or are wary to try something different. To combat this, you can add valuable and unique benefits to your group. This will make you stand out, not only from other health cost sharing groups but traditional insurers too. The add-ons listed in this blog will show potential members that you can provide them with their wants and needs, and you’ll blow the competition out of the water.‍

Digital self-service tools.‍

Our world is becoming increasingly digital. Members want to see this reflected in their services more than ever. In fact, 84% of health plan members said they prefer to interact digitally with their health insurance payer. Members are looking for digital features to help them make well-informed choices. They want to be able to use digital features to do things like:

• Schedule appointments.
• Locate pharmacies.
• Refill prescriptions.
• Find a provider.

Despite this desire for digital, most health plans fall short. Nearly 40% of members believe there is room for improvement in their health plan’s digital features. This is a great opportunity for health cost sharing groups to set themselves apart and fill a need. A way to accomplish this is to partner with a digital health company, like Point Health. You can offer our app to your members to make shopping for healthcare a reality, along with all the wants mentioned above.‍

Patient advocacy services.‍

In a survey we conducted, 100% of respondents were willing to pay something extra for these five advocacy services:

• Bill negotiation.
• Surgery facility location service.
• Prescription shopper service.
• Medical record transfer service.
• Healthcare provider match/scheduling service.‍

In another survey, participants relayed that participation in a program with healthcare navigation helped them overcome communication barriers with healthcare staff by as much as 73%.

Services like the five listed above help patients navigate through the complicated world of healthcare. These services lead to better member experience, more informed decisions, and they result in lower costs for your organization. Surveys have shown that healthcare navigators can help reduce patient costs by $781.29, per patient, per quarter in the cancer department alone. Our services at Point Health can make a huge impact on your patient advocacy. Our bill negotiation services result in an average bill reduction of 44%. ‍

Cover alternative medicines.‍

Health cost sharing groups already excel at approving claims requests for alternative medicines such as chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, etc. but few people know that health cost sharing groups do so. Make sure to advertise that your plan covers all kinds of treatments and medicines. And if you don’t, consider adding that to your plan benefits. Access to Direct Primary Care is something to seriously consider offering your members too.‍

Final thoughts.‍

Digital tools, patient advocacy services, and covering alternative medicines are all cost-effective add-ons. They help make health cost sharing groups stand out from competitors and give members benefits they actually want.