It’s always interesting to see what health insurance companies are doing to enhance engagement with members. Recently, a new initiative from BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York got our attention. Throughout the month of February, the health insurer is mailing out blue boxes to 220,000 member households that contain, according to Buffalo Business First, “two-for-one discount cards from City Dining Cards: one with 50 discounts for healthy meals at area restaurants and a second deck with 50 discounts for healthy lifestyle activities,” such as kayak rentals, ice skating sessions and cooking classes. The total value of the discounts, according to the BBF article, is more than $1,000.
[Image source: Buffalo Business First]
The idea itself isn’t new since many health insurers offer similar discounts. What is distinctive is the packaging and merchandising of the program, which does a nice job of making the company’s tagline – “Healthy changes everything” – both actionable and accessible. The neat blue boxes also have the potential to serve as a retention tool for existing members…. and a recruitment tool for prospective members. This assumes, of course, that BCBSWNY’s discounts are meaningful and valuable to those who receive them.
With more and more consumers shopping for health insurance each year, and as the number of plans with deductibles continues to increase, payers will need to work harder than ever when it comes to retention and acquisition strategies. As such, we think we’re going to see more and more efforts like this one from BCBSWNY.