For many industries today, educating customers is a burning need. Healthcare is a key case in point. Following the passage of the landmark Affordable Care Act in 2010, healthcare firms spent a great deal of time and effort educating themselves on the new regulation and its impact on their business (well, when they weren’t spending a great deal of time and money trying to get it repealed.) Now as new products are being launched and key ACA provisions are coming online, companies are turning their attention to educating customers.
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, for example, has launched healthcareandreform.com to help consumers and businesses get prepared for the 2014 reform provisions. Features of the site include information, tools and resources on a wide spectrum of topics related to the law: information about essential health benefits; who is required to have health insurance; important benefits and protections like subsidies for individual insurance and tax credits for businesses.
Regence’ site features resources for consumers about how the new law may affect them, including new costs, fees and financial assistance options that are tailored at the local level. There are also a variety of tools for individuals such as the “Individual subsidy calculator” and the “Requirement to buy calculator” which help to put real numbers around regulatory guidelines.
On the business side there are tools and guides such as:
- Tax credit calculator
- Employer tax penalty flowchart
- Requirement to buy flowchart
- 2013 compliance checklist
These tools not only provide a valuable public service, but position Regence as a valued partner in their community – increasing their likelihood of winning business. Almost any business can find examples where educating customers will pay off. Are you looking for those opportunities for your company? You should be.
Infographic from Regence BCBS of Oregon
Elizabeth Gooding is the editor of the Insight Forums blog and president of Gooding Communications Group www.GoodComm.net
