Since 2020, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new challenges for pharmacies looking to help patients during the Medicare Open Enrollment period. A new consumer survey from Deft Research found that only 9% of Medicare beneficiaries plan to meet with a broker in person in 2020, with the majority opting to get advice over the phone. With many patients wary of in-person meetings, how can pharmacists still ensure their patients have the tools and resources they need to consider their options?
Navigate, FDS Amplicare’s new online enrollment portal, is designed to help pharmacists remotely collaborate with patients on plan comparisons and enrollment. The portal creates a safe digital environment for patients to compare plans in-network with their home pharmacy from the comfort — and safety — of their homes. In addition to running plan comparisons on their own, patients will also be able to access plan comparisons generated in the pharmacy’s FDS Amplicare account and contact the pharmacy for over-the-phone consultations. A CMS-approved Help Center is also readily available with resources explaining various aspects of Medicare enrollment.
Using the Navigate Portal
To optimize the use of the Navigate portal during the busy Medicare Open Enrollment Period, there are a few options depending on the needs of the pharmacy and patients. If you serve a large Medicare population, for instance, you may consider printing a handout from FDS Amplicare to mail to patients or including in bag stuffers. The handout contains the Enroll ID needed to access the portal as well as instructions on how to do so. This year, you can also activate an automated text campaign to patients with pre-populated messages informing them of their eligibility and a pre-authenticated link to Navigate. This is a great option for reaching multiple patients, particularly those who are more likely to prefer to compare plans on their own, knowing that they always have the option to contact you for guidance once they access the portal. Enrollments are facilitated by a partnership with pharmacy-friendly broker HPOne.
In addition to engaging with your patients via low-touch marketing campaigns, you should take a more high-touch engagement approach for your high-value patient population. Using FDS Amplicare’s various Open Enrollment reports, you can identify patients based on certain criteria (win-win opportunities, plans going non-preferred next year, etc.) and implement high-touch outreach efforts. In these cases, you could pre-run a plan comparison for the patient in FDS Amplicare and save it. Then, call the patient with instructions on how to access the portal and consult with them over the phone. Once they log in to Navigate, they will be automatically directed to the comparison that you saved for them, streamlining the consultation and improving the overall experience for the patient.
With Medicare Open Enrollment fast approaching, empowering patients to make the best decision for their health is paramount. For many patients, the weeks between October 15 and December 7 are the only opportunity during the year to switch plans. FDS Amplicare and Navigate position you to help patients ensure their medications, physicians, and pharmacy are covered in the new year while adhering to necessary social distancing measures.
More Best Practices
Check out our on-demand webinar to learn more about how to reach patients remotely this Medicare Open Enrollment.
To learn more about Navigate and how FDS Amplicare can help you have a successful Medicare Open Enrollment, reach out to us to schedule a consultation.
