There?s an App for That: Health Plans See Limitless Potential in Mobile Smart Devices

For health insurers, the soaring popularity of mobile smartphones and tablet devices has created a new platform to connect with members, physicians and brokers. But while the technology offers almost limitless potential, health insurers are in the early stages of understanding how to tap it.

More than 82 million people in the U.S. own a smartphone, according to second-quarter data released Aug. 30 by comScore, Inc., which tracks digital-based trends. Google’s Android phone has 42% of the market, and Apple’s iPhone has 27%.

Karl Ulfers, vice president of consumer solutions at OptumHealth, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, predicts mobile devices will become a “critical channel” for health plans to interact with members. Within the next two years, they “will become the most important engagement tool we have.”

David Passavant, director of health engagement design at UPMC Health Plan in western Pennsylvania, agrees and says, “the single most powerful attribute of the mobile platform is that people always have it with them.” Michele Stankowski, director of application development at Health Net, Inc., says mobile smart devices could replace desktop computers within the next decade, and says it will be critical for health plans to “stay ahead of the curve technologically.”

‘We’re Smarter Now’

There are important parallels between the growth of mobile smart devices and the early days of the Internet, and Passavant says health plans need to learn from mistakes made then. While early dial-up connections limited what could be done with websites, it took at least a decade for websites to mature and be useful on a wide scale. The biggest problem was that health insurers, along with many other industries, didn’t understand the potential of the online universe. Too much emphasis was placed on getting a website up and running rather than developing a site that would be useful to users. “The mistake…was failing to understand people’s needs and motivations. We’re smarter now. We have a deeper understanding of how to use technology to connect with people, be it elegant interfaces, personalization, humor or gaming,” he explains. “By understanding human- centered design,…you can build technology that optimizes the user experience, not just the amount or type of information displayed.”

At the very least, Passavant says every health plan should allow members to use mobile devices to (1) access a personal health record (PHR) or view claims information, (2) locate network providers and pharmacies using the device’s internal global positioning system, and (3) access a virtual identification card. UPMC Health Plan, he says, is gearing up to launch an app in the first quarter of 2012 that will incorporate those features. From there, he says, the company will examine how mobile devices can be used to engage members. “The plans that innovate and win in this space will borrow the best ideas from other industries — such as travel, banking, retail and gaming — and engage members in ways that web sites never could.”

Two months ago, Health Net released a mobile app aimed at its broker community and internal sales team. When meeting with clients, they traditionally have relied on a paper “plan wheel” that allowed them to show various plan design configurations and prices. But along with being expensive to produce, that tool became outdated as soon as new benefit designs were launched, Stankowski says. “Sometimes, almost as soon as they got distributed, they were out of date.” The mobile version of the plan wheel is easy to update and can be used to create a sales presentation through an iPad. And it gives the salesperson or broker the ability to create a library of plans that sell most often, she says. Another app, to be deployed in 2012, will give brokers a dashboard view of their book of business. It will mimic the functionality now available on the company’s website.

Insurers Have Growing App-etite

When it comes to diagnosing, treating and monitoring patients, the potential of smart devices is almost limitless. Special blood pressure cuffs and scales, for example, can be plugged directly into a smart device and the data can be sent to a physician.

Health care is one of the key growth areas for smartphones because the devices offer the ability to communicate more effectively with patients, exchange data, push out alerts and help ensure that eligibility and other information is accurate and current, says Thomas Harpointner, CEO of digital marketing firm AIS Media, Inc. There are now about 6,000 mobile medical applications.

According to Harpointner, smartphone adoption among physicians has outpaced that of the general U.S. adult population. And a whopping 95% of physicians use their smartphones to download medical data. Moreover, the devices could allow physicians to conduct e-health visits.

OptumHealth’s CareTracker app, for example, offers cloud-based health IT systems that physicians can use to access patient medical records and manage schedules. It also has billing and other administrative functions.

The popularity of social media sites could be combined with apps to promote health. OptumHealth’s OptumizeMe app, which has been available to members and non-members for the past year, gives users the ability to compete with friends and colleagues in health-focused challenges. And participants can earn electronic “reward badges” for reaching their goals. The app has been promoted in fitness magazines and has had thousands of downloads, says Ulfers. Users, he says, seem to like the social component of the app that allows them to share results with friends and invite people to join. “We found they weren’t just using apps for themselves, they were communicating socially…and building out social circles.” Optum is planning to launch a 2.0 version of the app early next year that will let members interact with peers and a health coach via the application. The coach, for example, will be able to recommend challenges or nutrition programs and then track the results.

More Apps Are Targeting Health

Here’s a rundown of some health plans that are using, and intend to use, smart devices to connect with members:

• Humana Inc.: The MyHumana Mobile app lets members access their ID cards, search and compare drug prices, locate providers and pharmacies, and track claims and health account balances. The company also has a fitness app (HumanaFit) that lets members track their workouts, monitor their heart rate and share results with friends through social networks. For 2012, Humana’s innovation arm will be testing health management features that might be useful to members who have a chronic condition, says Julie Kling, mobile executive business lead. The first version will likely be aimed at diabetes because that condition requires frequent monitoring, she explains. An app, for example, might let a member monitor blood sugar, blood pressure or pulse rate and then transmit that information to a physician or care manager. “We are pushing the limit.”


• Highmark Inc.: The Pennsylvania Blues plan operator launched its health and wellness Health@Hand iPhone app in 2010. Along with using the device’s internal GPS to locate providers and pharmacies, the feature helps members search for information about illnesses, symptoms and medical conditions. A health and wellness section of the app offers coaching tips and information about health and wellness programs available to Highmark members. Early next year, the company will launch a mobile version of its member websites, says spokesperson Kristin Ash.


• Cigna Corp.: It’s been a year since the health plan operator launched Cigna Mobile, which lets members use mobile devices (in Spanish and English) to locate network providers, facilities and pharmacies. It also lets customers review covered drugs, search for generic equivalents and compare prices. While the company doesn’t have any mobile apps yet, it does provide a mobile environment that can be accessed by smart devices, says spokesperson Joe Mondy. Users also can track claims, annual deductibles and health account balances.


• Health Net: The California-based health plan operator launched Health Net Mobile about a year ago. The most popular feature lets members access their identification card and eligibility information, which can be photocopied at the doctor’s office, says Stankowski. “People will forget to bring their insurance card, but they never run out of the house without their smartphone,” she says. While a prototype is being developed that will allow the image to be digitally scanned, few doctors’ offices are now equipped with scanners. Late last month, Health Net’s Federal Services division launched a mobile app for active duty and retired military members covered by its TRICARE business. That app, which allows members to search for providers and access answers to frequently asked questions, was developed shortly after the Dept. of Defense renewed its contract with Health Net. The health plan operator also is looking into integrating a member’s personal health record into Health Net Mobile through its partnership with WebMD.


• CDPHP:The health plan operator’s Find-A-Doc Mobile app, which was launched in March, has had more than 21,636 downloads and hits to the mobile Web version. It lets members look up detailed data about network providers and supplies driving directions. To boost adoption, CDPHP has promoted it into member communications, on its website, and in print media with a QR code that leads to the Web jump page. It also has been advertised on digital billboards, according to the company. Future upgrades will allow members to view, fax, or email their insurance ID card to a provider’s office.