Ask a person who their role models are and you’ll learn a lot about their character. You will also learn how successful they are likely to be.
In September I wrote this column about Connecticut’s health insurance marketplace (Access Health CT) and how it was attempting to communicate the details of the Affordable Care Act to its residents. I don’t live in Connecticut, but I chose to feature Access Health CT for one reason—I believed it had the best chance of success because it chose to model a company that has become a gold standard in the area of customer service—the Apple Store. “It’s a new law and we have an obligation to explain it,” Access Health CT chief executive Kevin Counihan, told me in September.
Connecticut opened actual Apple-inspired “storefronts” where residents could walk in and speak to people who are trained to explain the enrollment options. The storefronts have friendly employees who greet people at the door, clearly explain their health care choices in plain English, and make sure the consumer walks out of the store having made the choice that best fits their needs—much like the goals of the Apple Store.
The model worked. The Department of Health and Human Services recently released this scorecard showing how federal and state exchanges are performing in terms of achieving their enrollment targets (the administration hopes 7 million people sign up by the March 31st deadline). There are huge disparities between states, with some, like Massachusetts, having met only 5% of its target. In this list Connecticut isn’t just ahead of every other state; it’s in its own league entirely. The administration’s survey shows Connecticut at 238% of its target for enrollments in the first four months. “Let’s put this way,” Counihan told me in a phone conversation when the survey was released, “The HHS set a target for enrollment that each state was expected to achieve by the March 31st deadline. We met our goal in December.”
Connecticut is exceeding everyone’s expectations primarily because it is succeeding at simplifying the process and making it understandable to the average consumer. Let’s face it; Obamacare is complex. According to a Wall Street Journal report in October, “the complexities of ObamaCare make it less likely to achieve its goals.” A survey in December showed that a majority of Americans didn’t understand the new health care law. According to Counihan Access Health CT has attempted to reduce the complexity by doing the following:
Create Apple Store inspired storefronts. Exchange directors in other states thought the idea of creating retail-like stores was a “nice idea,” but ultimately dismissed the notion. Counihan tells me that the stores are now enrolling 300 to 400 people per day, which, considering the size of the state is a significant number.
Explain the new law early and often. Beginning as early as last summer, more than three hundred “assisters” blanketed the state at state fairs, concerts, and events, providing residents with information. Counihan himself attended a Lil’ Wayne concert that Access Health CT was helping to sponsor; a point that President Obama brought up as an example during a conference call with exchange leaders.
Using real people for television and radio campaign. No actors were used in the “user friendly” health care ads that blanketed the state. The ads show real people with real problems finding real solutions to their health care needs. For example in one television ad, Dan Albertson, a 27-year-old personal trainer, talks about losing a job and no longer being able to afford insurance. “It’s ironic because I encourage people to take care of their bodies and I can’t do it myself,” he admits.
Simplify the process and reduce the clutter. According to Counihan, the state had fourteen calls to make before it could verify a person’s income, eligibility, etc. “We found ways to reduce those calls to seven and today we’ve reduced it to two calls,” Counihan told me. Counihan’s goal from day one was to reduce complexity and clutter, making it easier for people to make decisions and to be served efficiently.
In the latest survey of those who have enrolled in Connecticut’s health care exchange, Counihan tells me that 72% are “extremely likely” or “likely” to recommend the exchange to a friend or family member. To put that number in perspective, companies in a variety of industries ask a similar question (called the Net Promoter Score) to measure customer satisfaction. Very few companies record scores as high as 70%. The average retail store is about 57%, many hotel chains score about 60%, while airlines are even lower. Seventy-two percent satisfaction is something to brag about.
The lesson? Leaders who are in charge of delivering new and potentially confusing information should strive to keep both the process and the communication as simple as possible. “Most people want a good deal and they want to understand the benefits of a product or program,” says Counihan.
I concluded my original article in September with this observation: “After spending one year researching every nuance of the Apple Retail model and speaking to former Apple Store executives, I’m convinced that Counihan has chosen an ideal model to emulate.” Who are your role models?