In a recent survey from EnlivenHealth®, we discovered that 73% of pharmacists regularly communicate with patients about their Medicare Part D plan options. During Medicare Open Enrollment, many pharmacists help their patients choose a Part D plan that will both save them money on prescriptions and ensure they can continue to use their trusted pharmacy.
However, given how overworked many pharmacists are, it’s important to have the tools and technologies that streamline the process of comparing Part D plans with patients. A plan finder platform, like Medicare Match from EnlivenHealth, allows you to efficiently support patients in choosing the Medicare plan that best meets their financial and healthcare needs.
Finding the right plan finder platform
Not all plan comparison solutions are created alike, and some fall short in important ways. The most well-known option, Medicare.gov, offers very little assistance when choosing a Medicare plan tailored to the patient’s needs. While nearly all compare the effect on patient costs, very few show the potential effect on your pharmacy. Many solutions don’t allow you to compare Original Medicare plans with Medicare Advantage plans, failing to provide the full picture. And other solutions only show plans from one insurance provider, typically a sponsor or partner of the software vendor.
The best plan comparison solution shows in real time which plan would benefit both your patients and the pharmacy. You can use the tool to help lower patients’ prescription costs while allowing them to keep their preferred pharmacy. Losing your patients to another pharmacy not only means that you lose a patient, but it can also have a negative effect on their health outcomes.
When evaluating plan comparison platforms, look for a solution that offers these key capabilities:
- Insightful analysis and reporting to identify patients who stand to benefit the most, optimize campaign effectiveness, and maximize pharmacy revenue
- Targeted messaging that communicates with patients whose plan changes take them out of network and provides plan options and savings opportunities
- Campaign messaging, which allows the pharmacy to initiate a personalized campaign via mobile app, voice, or SMS text to alert patients to a Medicare opportunity
- A patient-focused plan finder portal that empowers patients to find the perfect plan on their own or from home with the pharmacist on the phone
With these capabilities at your fingertips, the right platform will allow you to expand your service offerings and attract high-value Medicare patients, ensure plan options meet the specific needs of the patient and pharmacy, and require minimal involvement from staff.
How to use plan comparison software
When incorporating plan comparison software into your pharmacy workflows, there are several steps you can take to make sure it provides the information and flexibility you and your patients need.
- Step 1: Treat plan comparison as you would a clinical encounter. Schedule dedicated time with the patient to review their plan options. Devote at least 15 minutes to allow enough time to answer questions.
- Step 2: Develop a list of goals for the session based on what you know about the patient, their adherence, their tolerance for out-of-pocket costs, and other factors. In advance, eliminate all plans that don’t meet these goals to reduce the number of plans to review.
- Step 3: Create a process for when patients need or want to look over their plan options from home. A patient-facing portal allows pharmacists to review plan comparisons over the phone while the patient follows along on their home computer.
- Step 4: Ensure pharmacy efficiency by running automated messaging campaigns from within Medicare Match. Text messages can alert Medicare-eligible patients that it’s time to enroll or review their plan options, and an integrated appointment-based system can help them easily schedule an appointment with the pharmacist without calling in.
Plan comparison platforms can provide powerful benefits to you and your patients. Make sure the solution you choose is a true win-win for patients and the pharmacy’s bottom line.
To learn more about the survey, download the complete survey report. To learn more about Medicare Match, visit here.