Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida launched its new mobile web site less than four weeks ago, but early tracking reveals “encouraging” usage for both members and nonmembers.
BCBSF expects to see firmer trends by the end of the third quarter 2010, but Adriana Murillo, director of strategic development, said BCBSF is “happy” with early usage data and the “excellent” feedback being given by consumers, providers and agents.
Members are logging on and using the site mostly to find physicians, get directions and deploy the pharma shopping tool. Nonmembers are accessing the site to shop for insurance.
“There is a clear need in the market around accessing information with no log-in,” Murillo said. “This is the primary driver for engaging nonmembers.”
Offering value to nonmembers will encourage them to return to the site, she said. One such service is packaging and delivering weather-related data, such as pollen count, as a health alert for those who suffer from allergies. Another service, which will be launched at a later date, is defining insurance terminology such as co-insurance.
BCBSF conducted quantitative and qualitative studies to understand the usage of mobile devices for healthcare-related activities in Florida. Studies revealed that more than 60 percent of members and prospects use text messaging on an ongoing basis and mobile devices for e-mail. “One third of members and prospects use mobile web sites and applications,” Murillo said.
The studies also showed that mobile services appeal to all age sectors, particularly Gen-X’ers, families with children and early Baby Boomers, she said. “Mobile devices are perfect for these groups to help them manage multi-tasks,” she said.
The mobile web site, which is available via any smart phone, is part of a broader strategy to offer consumers their channel of choice to engage with BCBSF, Murillo said. In the next six months, BCBSF will make applications available for download on any mobile device, fine tune shopping tools and broaden text-messaging capabilities to help members manage health conditions and save money.
IDC Health Insights conducted a survey in 2009 on consumer interest in using mobile technology to access general health information. More than 83 percent of respondents subscribe to a mobile phone service, with nearly 30 percent having smart phones.
Nearly 32 percent of respondents expressed interest or were extremely interested in using a mobile phone to look up general health information, said Lynne Dunbrack, program director for IDC Health Insights. Of these respondents, approximately 25 percent are willing to pay for this service if the price was reasonable.
Consumers are already online, but mobile devices enable them to get information faster, with greater ease and convenience, she said. Providing mobile services to members is an emerging trend, but it should be one channel in a multi-channel approach to reach out to all consumers, Dunbrack said.
