The Affordable Care Act has changed things for consumers, for healthcare providers and—perhaps most of all—for insurance companies. Insurance providers now play a role that puts them front and center in the healthcare world. 

 Even before the Affordable Care Act became law, some of our clients had taken the lead in becoming more visible by opening storefronts across their service area to help customers and potential customers get the help they need by offering face-to-face interactions. 
 This is all part of a greater initiative to create more customer engagement with the brand—beyond the retail experience to rewarding customers for making better health decisions, choosing more efficient ways to spend their healthcare dollars, and helping them successfully manage their existing conditions. And in the end, it’s part of a greater shift in the market toward patient-centricity.

1. PATIENT-CENTRIC MARKETING
PROFITING IN THE AGE OF THE ACA
HAL2L.COM • SEATTLE • MUNICH • PRAGUE • SHANGHAI

2. GETTING PATIENT-CENTRIC
The Affordable Care Act has changed things for
consumers, for healthcare providers and—
perhaps most of all—for insurance companies.
Insurance providers now play a role that puts
them front and center in the healthcare world.
Even before the Affordable Care Act became law,
some of our clients had taken the lead in
becoming more visible by opening storefronts
across their service area to help customers and
potential customers get the help they need by
offering face-to-face interactions.
HackerAgency has promoted these retail outlets
across all marketing channels by employing a
“call, click or visit” call to action across all
communications. As a result, foot traffic is great
and growing at retail locations throughout the
clients’ region.
What our leading healthcare clients have learned:
1. People like to talk directly to people about the confusing
issues around health insurance.
2. People will spontaneously walk through the door when you
provide them the opportunity.
3. People do respond to invitations to seminars—or just a
conversation—when you ask them.
This is all part of a greater initiative to create more customer
engagement with the brand—beyond the retail experience to
rewarding customers for making better health decisions,
choosing more efficient ways to spend their healthcare dollars,
and helping them successfully manage their existing
conditions. And in the end, it’s part of a greater shift in the
market toward patient-centricity.
In fact, one of our clients has received nearly 340,000 total
visits since their first stores opened in 2009—including almost
106,000 in 2013 alone as people first experienced the
Affordable Care Act. To enable ongoing improvement in
marketing effectiveness, all touch points are tracked.

3. MEETING NEW DEMANDS
We remember the turmoil when the Bell
System (affectionately known as Ma Bell)
was broken into independent companies by
government mandate in the 1980s. It took
a little getting used to. And it took a lot of
work for telecomm to rebrand. Healthcare
organizations today are going through a
rebirth that’s almost as traumatic as Ma
Bell’s.
To put it mildly, things have changed:
HIPAA. The Affordable Care Act. Multiple
changes in Medicare over the past few
years.
Consumers have changed. The Internet
gives us much more access to health
information than we’ve ever had before.
Patients are changing the way they think
about health insurers. And insurers are
trying to get in front of these trends with
new branding, like:
Aetna: What’s your healthy?
Cigna: GO YOU
UnitedHealthcare: Health in numbers
None of these brands talk about protection
or coverage or “peace of mind” anymore.
It’s all about your good health.
But health insurers need to go much
deeper than taglines. As other industries
and markerters take a customer-centric
approach, healthcare marketers need to
be patient-centric.

4. PATIENT-CENTRIC ROI
As we’ve said, the move toward patient-centricity runs deeper than taglines. It’s about
delivering the value, insight and help that patients want—today and tomorrow. Here are a few
ways our clients are doing it:
HELPFUL TOOLS: People are looking everywhere for ideas and tools to become healthier.
Just look at the Quantified Life trend—where people employ tech to track everything from
REM sleep cycles to heartbeats, daily steps to blood oxygen levels. Shouldn’t a healthcare
marketer provide some of these tools? And wouldn’t that make them stand out from the
crowd?
RETAIL PRESENCE: Yes, people shop for health insurance online. But being available at the
local mall where questions can be answered face-to-face is more patient-centric.
MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE: When a prospect reaches out to you, do you capture their
identity and get permission to mail or email them? We live in a multi-channel, multi-touch
world. The way to be top-of-mind is to carefully consider your strategy for contacts.
The patient-centric approach is the foundation for success in healthcare
marketing as the laws and culture change. So let’s take it all to the next
level.

5. YOUR NEXT STEP
At HackerAgency, we are obsessed with results. We’re a global direct
marketing agency with expertise across all media channels and a focus on
the metrics that matter. Our success generating ROI for our clients makes us
the leader in the world of CRM. From Leads to Loyalty, no agency on earth
develops and deploys data-driven strategies and creative that engages and
compels customers to take action the way HackerAgency does. We don’t
just move the needle—we bury it.
If you’d like assistance in planning and executing your marketing,
contact Kristin Flor at 206.805.1500 or kflor@HAL2L.com.