A dedicated marketplace for Senior Medical Insurance Plans in the USA

Senior citizens in the focus

For many seniors in the USA, choosing a medical insurance plan within the Medicare system is a challenge: they have to face a multi-stage process which requires checking dozens of complicated offers, analysing the conditions of each plan, filling in long forms and frequent phone conversations with consultants. Without a proper tool, this process may be burdensome and time-consuming. The Attain Health platform was created as a response to these difficulties – it is a solution which radically facilitates the choice of health insurance, providing seniors with a fast, intuitive tool to compare the available options, which is adapted to their needs.

The Attain Health project evolved from the prior version of the platform, Hella+Health, developed for Audomo. Even then, this digital tool transformed the ways in which seniors could compare insurance plans and purchase them online. When Hella+Health was taken over by one of the biggest medical companies in the USA, it was time to continue and improve support for seniors – for the project titled Attain Health by CVS Health.

CVS Health is one of the leaders of the American health and pharmaceutical market and it manages a network of more than 7,800 pharmacies and out-patient clinics. For years, this company has been setting standards in healthcare and in 2014, it ranked 35th in the Fortune Global 500 rating and 12th in the Fortune 500 rating of the biggest companies in the USA. With innovative solutions and nationwide availability, CVS supports millions of Americans by providing comprehensive and convenient healthcare at the highest level.

Secure marketplace servicing all types of insurances in the USA

Attain Health operates as a marketplace, collecting offers by different providers of health insurance on a single platform. Thus, seniors in the USA may compare the Medicare plans offered by different companies in one place, which eliminates the need to analyse many sites and makes the decision-making process much easier. The e-commerce approach helps them choose the plan that is best fitted to their needs, without needing to contact consultants at every stage. With an intuitive and interactive guide, users are led step-by-step and obtain assistance in the process of choosing with no unnecessary complications.

Integration with Medicare

To further facilitate the choice of the plan, the Attain Health platform has been integrated with Medicare.gov. Integration with the medical database allows automatic downloading of data on the pharmaceuticals used by the user and the doctors they have visited. This is a convenient alternative to the need to enter the data manually – an option which is also available in the system.

Agile approach to constructing a platform for the future

The e-point team undertook to transform the platform in the Agile methodology, designing and developing the solution at the same time. We focused on creating a simple and effective interface, which should be intuitive even for those users who have few digital skills. The project team included: 8 frontend developers, 2 backend developers, 2 UX designers, 2 UI designers, a system architect and a Project Manager. With this combination of skills, the team could deliver the platform on time, before the key period of registration between 15 October and 7 December.

Customised recommendations of insurance plans

Our primary focus was to develop an interactive wizard for defining needs, which would lead users step-by-step through the process of choosing insurance. Instead of confronting seniors with dozens of options, the wizard allows them to add information on preferred physicians, drugs and pharmacies, which in turn enable the system to customize recommendations. We also introduced the function to automatically import data from Medicare.gov – users may download data on their doctors and drugs without manually entering all the information, which saves time and reduces the risk of mistakes; a key benefit for seniors.

The platform being an omnichannel model, it integrates with the Call Centre, allowing advisors to support users at any stage. Advisors may see users’ progress and, if needed, they may provide suggestions over the phone, helping seniors through the process of choosing insurance in a comfortable and stress-free manner. Connection between the platform and Call Centre ensures full support for seniors who require further help in choosing the best insurance plan.

Cloud Native serving the Silver Economy

Development of an intuitive platform for seniors required the application of the Cloud Native technology – an approach which allows development of applications directly in the cloud, using its flexibility, speed and process automation. Thus, the Attain Health platform is fully adapted to operating in the cloud environment, which allows for dynamic scaling of assets and constant adaptation of the computing power in reaction to increased user activity, especially in peak periods of Medicare registration.

Cloud Native also means that the platform may be developed and updated quickly, with no interruptions, due to the automated processes of security management, and the creation of backup and monitoring of activities. AWS Amazon ensures stable hosting, while React as the Single Page Application (SPA) technology guarantees smooth operation of the interface. In the backend layer, Java and Spring Boot are responsible for the infallibility of and secure access to medical data. Cloud Native combined with modern technologies makes Attain Health ready for the future needs of seniors and dynamic development within the Silver Economy.

Measurable benefits for CVS

Due to cooperation with e-point, Attain Health has implemented an innovative insurance platform and acquired a solid foundation for future development and strengthening its market position. Implementation of the marketplace model allows Attain Health to offer a full range of Medicare plans, enabling expansion of the offer to include products by different providers. This creates an entirely new business model. With this strategy, CVS can attract a broader group of users, gaining the unique position of the leader among platforms for choosing medical insurance.

The platform was also developed for future improvement – with Cloud Native solutions and scalability in AWS cloud, Attain Health is prepared for the growing number of users and planned increase of activity in the upcoming years. The new platform not only responds to the seniors’ current needs, but it is also a stable tool that can be developed and adapted by CVS in line with dynamic changes in the health insurance market.

Due to cooperation with e-point, CVS gained a state-of-the-art tool and a solid starting point to building a strong position in the health insurance market, ready for further development and future challenges.