Medical Marketers Make the Most of Small Windows

Curious about the best way to handle the complicated framework of marketing periods for health plans? As it turns out, Windsor Health Group came up with an intriguing loophole. This DMNews article does a great job of spelling out the details, but the whole process can be summed up in a few steps.

Windsor began their strategy by sending out copies of the most recent SSA Medicare guide to 200,000 of their best prospects:

"We wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of new regulations," says John Sowell, VP of marketing at Windsor Health Plan, Inc. "Because there were many changes with Medicare, the election period and new published social security guide, we wanted to make sure all eligibles in our service area were fully aware of the changes that were coming their way."

This allowed Windsor to make initial contact with prospects without violating compliance regulations that prevent benefit-oriented marketing before October 1.

Once that deadline arrived, Windsor sent out 400,000 packages detailing their Medicare Advantage health plan. Half went to the previously-contacted high level prospects, and half went to the second tier of potentials. This plan garnered a 1.64% response rate, and 20,000 direct mail leads. Continuing competition in the health care industry will likely provoke more creative techniques, but Windsor should be commended for taking advantage of every possible edge they had.

For other creative methods for marketing healthcare, click here.

2012 Medicare Marketing Guidelines

CMS has now finalized the Medicare Marketing Guidelines for 2012. There have been quite a few significant changes this year.

Among the most important of these changes is section 40.15, Providing Materials in Different Media Types. This guideline effectively states that standard HIPAA compliance is required for all distributed materials, whether or not those materials include paper hard-copy. This is likely as close as we are going to get to official social media marketing guidelines for some time.

We also have a major change in section 90.8 - Template Materials-Standard and Static. The regulation now states that any templates must be populated with variable data and submitted to HPMS for approval before use.

There are numerous other edits across the board, but these are two of the most important. If you have the time, we recommend reading through the document yourself.

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Pam Argeris is a thought leader in the Healthcare Industry and possesses extensive, hands-on experience with CMS compliance, and multiple regulatory bodies such as NCQA, JACHO, and DOI. In her role at Merrill Corp., Pam focuses on developing solutions for compliance and quality assurance, delivered in a cost effective manner to improve beneficiary and prospect communications. You can contact Pam at Pamela.Argeris@merrillcorp.com.

HIPAA Regulations and New Technology: May 2011

We have received a lot of feedback on our post about HIPAA and new technology, and because of that, we will continue to share news on this very important issue that will play a major role in how the industry evolves.

It is well documented how doctors and other medical practitioners have been slow to adopt social media, and there is next to no following available for those that do. A recent poll revealed that only 11% of those interviewed would participate in social network interaction with their doctor if it was offered. Unlike the compliance issues that are holding health plans back, the only thing keeping physicians out of social media is a lack of interest. Many argue, however, that a lack of interest does not create a lack of responsibility. More and more patients are turning to social networks for advice on medical treatment, pharmaceuticals, and diagnoses. As a result, it is the responsibility of medical professionals to ensure that the information they find is accurate and up to date.

Obviously, some restraint is necessary. Doctors are just as required to follow HIPAA policies online as they are in any public setting. There should be no harm, however, in presenting generalized and accurate medical information, as long as the required compliance issues are handled responsibly.

HIPAA regulations also come into play with mobile technologies. Thousands of companies, in and out of the medical industry, are turning to mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers to simplify the logistics of their operations. New advances in mobile tech have lowered the cost and time-consumption of training programs, and eased the transition of work materials from one workplace to the next.

The problem with this ease of access is just that; the access. In the wrong hands, a major company’s mobile technology could provide private data on hundreds, if not thousands, of clients and customers. Mobile devices need to be very well secured in order to meet HIPAA standards. This required level of compliance does not seem to be affecting the devices’ popularity, however.

So how do you take advantage of social networks and mobile technology without worrying about misinformation and HIPAA involvement? By creating your own network, of course. OrthoMind, by orthopedic surgeon Jon Hyman, MD, is a social network open only to other orthopedic surgeons. The exclusive community allows for the simple exchange of thoughts, practices, and techniques without the added downsides of outside influence. Because the network is not marketing toward any consumers, or sharing patient-doctor conversations, there is also no worry of HIPAA reprisal.

Networks like OrthoMind are extremely important for physicians, who may find themselves bombarded when patients that believe they are informed show up with armfuls of inaccurate medical advice. While it is superficially wonderful that patients are being empowered by social media to research things on their own, a doctor needs to be just as informed in order to be capable of separating the good advice from the bad.

New Eating Disorders Await DSM Classification

A new study on eating habits has identified two new eating disorders, Adult Selective Eating and Orthorexia.

The first disorder, Adult Selective Eating (ASE) is an adult picky eater that limits their diet to a very narrow range of foods. This is a phenomenon that has been known about for some time, but has only recently been considered a specific disorder. People suffering from this disorder have been featured on the TLC show ‘Freaky Eaters.’ The show features one of the most common forms of ASE treatment, “learning assertiveness skills andsystematically trying new foods.”

The second disorder, Orthorexia, is an obsession with healthy eating. An extreme form of anorexia, orthorexia also stems from a need for control. Sufferers take healthy eating far beyond its intention, refusing to eat little more than small portions of fruits or vegetables. Like Selective Eating Disorder, orthorexia appears to add a twist to obsessive compulsive behavior.

To date, neither disorder has been added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) presented by the American Psychiatric Associations. Once a disorder is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual they are typically covered by health insurance, but until that occurs, neither disorder is qualified to receive insurance coverage. Though considered the end-all guide for mental disorders, some controversy has surrounded the book, as some psychologists refute the idea that all mental disease sufferers can be simply categorized.

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Pam Argeris is a thought leader in the Healthcare Industry and possesses extensive, hands-on experience with CMS compliance, and multiple regulatory bodies such as NCQA, JACHO, and DOI. In her role at Merrill Corp., Pam focuses on developing solutions for compliance and quality assurance, delivered in a cost effective manner to improve beneficiary and prospect communications. You can contact Pam at Pamela.Argeris@merrillcorp.com.