The Health Plan
The Client
The Health Plan is a customer-focused health maintenance organization that offers a variety of health insurance options in specific markets of the United States ranging from employer insurance plans to Medicare, Medicaid, self-funded insurance, and more.
The Challenge
The Health Plan's mobile member app was outdated and did not serve the needs of members resulting in a high volume of customer complaints. The entire app needed to be assessed and redesigned to better serve the needs of target users, comply with federal regulations regarding security and accessibility, and reduce call volume on customer support staff.
My Roles
- Product Design
- UX Architecture
- UX Research
- Competitor Analysis
- UX Audit
- Heuristic Analysis
- Copywriting
Research & Planning
A thorough UX audit was done of the existing app that included:
- Heuristic analysis
- Competitor analysis
- Assessment of Analytics Data/Usage
The following areas of focus were given extra attention in these audits:
- Provider Search — this functionality had previously been loaded to the app from a webview, and had a number of issues ranging from responsive behavior to various usability concerns
- Most Common Uses — the tasks most frequently performed by healthcare consumers (such as reviewing claims, finding information about ID cards, prescription management, availability of contact/help options, etc.)
- Navigation & Wayfinding — the old app had very poor primary navigation and information architecture
Based on the outcome of this research, the client approved a full redesign. This included integration of enhanced Provider Search functionality as well as other functions that had previously been missing from the app.
Designing the Solution
Every aspect of the health insurance member app was re-imagined in order to better serve the needs of users in their day-to-day process of utilizing health insurance. The starting point was information architecture.
Information Architecture
Based on analytics data and user feedback, information architecture was tailored to better serve the needs of users in their day-to-day process of utilizing health insurance. Most common tasks include finding a doctor or healthcare facility, reviewing claims, getting copies of ID cards, and viewing copays and deductibles. These functions were highlighted in an information architecture that provided much more logical hierarchy and grouping for users.
UX/UI Design
Wireframing focused on ease of use, clarity of what to do next, and user guidance to easily find the information they need in each given moment:
- Optimally useful Home screen with 1-click access to a variety of functions for multiple types of coverage (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy)
- Innovative "Find a Doc" process was created that received rave reviews from the client, including a very flexible search paradigm with useful filtering and the ability to switch between map vs list views
- Easy ability to search/filter/view claims
- Simple access to find copays/deductibles/ID cards and other coverage details for all family members on each insurance plan
- Enhanced contact/help functionality
- Very user-friendly introduction when first accessing the app
- Integration of multi-factor authentication
The client loved the design, referring to it as "vast improvement", and expressed a feeling of excitement for their insurance members to have it as a resource.
Outcome/Conclusions
This was a very satisfying project in its process,delivery, and outcome. A thorough audit of the legacy product (including competitor analysis, analytics analysis, and user feedback) facilitated design of an industry-leading mobile app that rivals top competitors in the market.
On a personal note, I found this project uniquely fulfilling because as a healthcare consumer, I got to design the insurance member app that I would love to have as a resource! Sadly my current insurance provider has no such design initiative. However, I feel satisfaction in knowing how well this app will help members of The Health Plan to manage their healthcare needs.
