Your members can check claims, review benefits, access ID cards, and find providers online. Yet your customer service team may still be answering questions about claim status, deductibles, and replacement ID cards every day.
If the tools are already available, why are members still picking up the phone?
For TPAs and health plans, member self-service offers an opportunity to improve the member experience while reducing routine administrative work. But making digital tools available is only the first step. Members need to know what’s available, trust the information they find, and have a reason to keep using it.
In our previous article, 5 Essential Member Portal Features That Make Self-Service Actually Work, we explored the capabilities that matter most. Now, let’s look at how organizations can help members get more value from those tools.
Give Members a Reason to Use Self-Service
A portal link in an enrollment packet doesn’t necessarily tell members what they can accomplish online.
Instead of simply encouraging registration, show members how self-service can help with everyday needs, such as checking a claim, reviewing deductible balances, or accessing an ID card.
VBAGateway helps organizations take that communication further. Personalized portal experiences, secure messaging, and optional email and text notifications give TPAs and health plans ways to share relevant information and direct members to their secure portal when action is needed.
The more opportunities members have to discover and use these tools, the more familiar self-service can become.
Make the Information Worth Coming Back For
Members need confidence that the information they’re accessing is accurate and up to date. If they check a claim online but still need to call to confirm its status, the portal hasn’t fully answered their question.
That’s where connected technology makes a difference.
VBAGateway offers real-time connectivity with VBASoftware, giving members access to current claims, eligibility, and benefits information.
And with VBAMobile, members have the same functionality available through VBAGateway on their mobile devices. Whether they’re reviewing an EOB, checking their deductible, or pulling up a digital ID card, they can access the information they need without waiting until they’re at a computer.
Making reliable information available across the web and mobile gives members more opportunities to handle routine questions themselves.
Use Member Activity to Find Opportunities
Getting members registered is important, but registrations alone don’t tell you whether self-service is making a difference.
What questions are members still calling about? Which requests could they handle online? Are there opportunities to improve communications or help members discover tools they may not know exist?
VBA’s portal and reporting capabilities can help organizations better understand digital engagement, while feedback from your customer service teams can highlight where members continue to need assistance.
These insights can guide member education and help organizations make better use of their existing technology.
Give Members More Answers. Give Your Team More Time.
A successful member portal does more than provide information. It helps members find answers, manage their benefits, and stay connected with their health plan without relying on customer service for every question.
With VBAGateway and VBAMobile, VBA helps TPAs, health plans, and ASO organizations bring real-time information, personalized communication, and consistent web and mobile functionality together. The result is a more convenient member experience and an opportunity to reduce repetitive administrative work, giving service teams more time to focus on complex member needs.
Is your digital member experience working as hard as it could?
Explore VBAGateway and VBAMobile to discover how VBA can help you make member self-service more accessible, effective, and valuable for your organization, or schedule a demo to get a more tailored experience.