Healthy New Year: How Health Plans Can Turn Member Resolutions Into CMS Results
Every year, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions, with the majority focused on one specific topic. Whether it’s “I’ll stop avoiding my doctor,” “I’ll eat better,” or “I’ll finally start exercising,” research shows that 79% of these goals revolve around improving their health.
For health plans, this annual tradition is an opportunity. By encouraging better health decisions during this time of heightened motivation, you can significantly boost member engagement and, in turn, your CMS Star Ratings. Here’s how to make the most of it.
- Meet Members When They’re Open to Change
The New Year brings a unique mindset: people are ready to start fresh and open to making changes. For health plans, this is the perfect moment to reach out. So, your first step is to step on it and make swift moves.
You can harness members’ motivation and guide them toward healthier choices by timing your outreach to align with this willingness for transformation. For some, this could be a life-changing moment when they finally take action to manage their health long-term. Whether it’s encouraging preventive care or offering wellness program enrollments, striking during this window of opportunity can have lasting effects. Get the health plans’ decision-makers on board and present a clear plan for making it a success.
- Address Barriers With Behavioral Science
New Year’s resolutions are often about overcoming internal obstacles, and this is where behavioral science shines. It’s crucial to understand the psychological barriers holding members back, which may include fear of side effects, misinformation regarding a medication’s impact, or just plain procrastination. Identifying these and other factors allows health plans to create targeted interventions that resolve them.
Behavioral science-based tools can pinpoint where a member is emotionally and psychologically, identifying the hurdles that need addressing. For example, a member with diabetes might want to balance their measures but hesitate to take their medication. By addressing their specific concerns, your health plan can offer relevant information, encourage meeting with a health provider to discuss options, build trust, and empower members to succeed.
- Set the Tone for a Healthier Year
During this rare moment of openness, your health plan can encourage members to schedule the annual appointments and checkups they might otherwise avoid. From routine physicals to essential screenings like colonoscopies or mammograms, this is a prime time to turn their motivation into action. Make it extra easy for them by sending communications that guide and encourage them, and add relevant links and phone numbers to keep things extra accessible and easy to execute.
Helping members prioritize their health early in the year sets the stage for consistent engagement throughout. Position these actions as part of their commitment to a “year of health” to remind them of their resolutions and make it easier to follow through. Even if they didn’t plan to make health-related resolutions, your message can motivate them to do so.
- Tailor Communication to Their Goals
Generic messaging won’t cut it. To truly resonate, your outreach needs to be personalized and relevant to what members are currently experiencing. Use the New Year as an opportunity to craft messages that connect with members on a deeper level.
For example, a message like “We’re here to help you take the first step toward achieving your New Year’s health resolution” acknowledges their challenges. Not only that, but it offers a solution, directing them using relevant information and specific calls to action that make it simple to schedule appointments, for instance. By tailoring communication to their profiles and barriers, you can inspire members to take meaningful steps toward their goals.
- Make a Resolution for Your Health Plan
It’s not just members who should be making resolutions—health plans can, too. Commit to advancing your technology and adopting a holistic approach to member health. Tools that integrate data, behavioral insights, and personalized outreach will position your plan as a proactive partner in your members’ health journeys. This resolution to embrace smarter, more effective technology can lead to better outcomes for members and improved CMS Star Ratings for your plan.
The New Year offers health plans a golden opportunity to align with members’ natural motivation for change. By leveraging behavioral science and AI, you can turn their resolutions into measurable outcomes. This year, resolve to meet your members where they are, help them overcome barriers, and guide them toward better health. Your CMS Star Ratings will reflect the success of this approach.