Why Consumers are Switching Providers and Payers – Solutions to Ease Turnover per Loren McCaghy
Loren McCaghy, director of consulting, health and consumer engagement and product insight at Accenture, shared the results found from his organization's latest report on how many consumers are switching their healthcare providers and insurance payers. In the interview, he touched on some of the main drivers to consumers leaving and solutions on how payer and provider groups can turn things around.
In this interview, Loren McCaghy, director of consulting, health and consumer engagement and product insight at Accenture, discussed the organization’s latest report on consumer dissatisfaction leading to changes in healthcare providers and insurance payers.
The report is based on two surveys conducted in 2023: one on consumers' experiences with payers, involving around 10,000 participants, and another on patient experiences with providers, involving over 1,000 participants.
These surveys examined various consumer journeys to understand factors affecting satisfaction and switching behaviors.
McCaghy shared that 18% of patients switched providers due to negative experiences, while 10% switched payers. Interestingly, these switching rates have returned to pre-COVID levels, highlighting a shift from the pandemic period.
The primary reasons for switching were not clinical experiences but issues with basic interactions, such as difficulties with front desk staff, lack of online appointment options and overall ease of navigation.
These factors had a more significant impact on switching than clinical care quality, especially among younger consumers.
To reduce patient turnover and enhance trust, McCaghy stressed the need for healthcare providers and payers to improve the foundational experience.
This experience involves understanding the characteristics of consumers through comprehensive data.
McCaghy suggested providers and payers should develop a connected journey that engages patients proactively and balances human and digital interactions based on individual preferences.
This “life-centric” approach, he says, requires moving away from a one-size-fits-all model to create personalized experiences that resonate with where patients are in their healthcare journey.
Chris Evanguelidi of Redpoint Global Talks Effective Patient-Engagement Strategies
May 21st 2021Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, speaks with Chris Evanguelidi, head of healthcare at Redpoint Global, for this week's episode of "Tuning In to the C-Suite" podcast. In this conversation, the two discussed the best practices for closing the healthcare experience gap and devising an effective patient engagement strategy through a more patient-centric health system.
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