Engaging and retaining members who are juggling their nonmedical drivers of health (NMDOH) means thinking beyond traditional loneliness and care coordination measures. After all, many are fighting an invisible battle, and the first step is breaking down that wall. Innovative solutions, such as food-based outreach, can help you find a way in to build trust and drive engagement.
Discover how food expands the conversation with vulnerable members, offering an alternate means of engagement.
Why does traditional outreach fail?
Getting patients on the books for preventive care is important, but it’s not enough. The most vulnerable members need high-touch, tangible interventions that demonstrate genuine care. The problem is that traditional outreach follows the same script.
Using one-size-fits-all approaches
Different groups have different needs, so treating every member the same just won’t cut it. One-size-fits-all approaches fail to account for diverse member demographics, plan types and medical needs.
We see the differences between Medicare and Medicaid clearly. Medicare members rely on their families to understand and navigate their care, while Medicaid members want to engage through technology, but some have limited mobile plans that impact access.
Relying on engagement washing
Asking basic questions or sharing reminders may fulfill plan goals, but they don’t help members. It’s simply engagement washing, or going through the motions instead of forming meaningful connections with members to drive understanding and action. Engagement washing can take many forms:
- Sending texts or emails
- Generating robocalls
- Sharing surveys
- Gamified apps
- Wellness programs
These communications have tremendous potential, but if you don’t follow up, connect them to care or align them with member goals, it’s just white noise. Drive meaningful engagement by understanding each member's personal journey and health literacy.
Stumbling over NMDOH needs
Food insecurity has reached new heights. SNAP benefit reductions put Medicare and Medicaid members — and young adults — at greater risk. When a member is worried about their next meal, clinical calls and appointment reminders fall flat.
Losing access to consistent, nutritious food feels like being backed into a corner; members forgo important things — such as proper medical care — just to eat. And it has major consequences:
- Poor medication adherence
- Worsening conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease
- Avoidable instances of care
Take measures to boost member engagement and show members that you understand their needs. Food-based outreach could be the start of addressing the broader NMDOH picture!
Food is the ultimate engagement accelerator.
You may screen phone calls and toss junk mail, but no one ignores packages at their front porch. Delivering curated, medically appropriate food and pantry items cracks the door open as an immediate, high-value touchpoint because it piques members’ interest to start conversations about their needs.
Building human connection
Food-based outreach for Medicaid and Medicare members shows empathy for their personal needs, effectively saying, “I know you’re struggling, and I’m here to listen and help.” This small act builds trust and connection, empowering members to open up to care coordinators and get the support they need.
Personalizing outreach
Providing access to food boxes in addition to calls, texts and in-person visits supports sustained health engagement. It’s much more than a meal, acting as a vehicle for personalized education to activate members to be proactive about their health.
Pyx Health’s member retention is the proof in the pudding.
How can something as simple as a food box impact plan members? In addition to positive outcomes, this resource motivates members to stick around and take control of their health.
Trust and a delightful experience foster loyalty and retention
Pyx Health deploys food and resource boxes as another lever of engagement. Our approach to improving health outcomes supports HEDIS and Star Ratings measures, and it’s working! Data indicates a 95% member satisfaction rate and a 3% member retention increase YOY. Results such as this could provide massive stability for your plan's bottom line.
Strategic MLR investments accelerate outcomes.
Health plans are under constant pressure to deploy medical loss ratio (MLR) dollars into programs that improve quality, outcomes and member experience. How will you respond?
Maximizing investment
Food and home-delivered resource programs are one high-ROI way to use MLR funds. Using just one simple initiative can directly address NMDOH, drive engagement and prevent costly downstream utilization.
Spend your resources strategically in high-impact programs that accelerate relationship building and deploy quickly to maximize effectiveness. Leverage the expertise of Pyx Health to ensure fast deployment of proven, appropriate solutions.
Think outside the (food) box with Pyx Health.
Robocalls and texts not getting through to your most vulnerable plan members? Enhance trust and deliver effective support through food-based outreach.
Pyx Health goes beyond engagement to member activation, encouraging members to participate in their health care journey. By fusing physical interventions — such as offering access to boxes of food, pantry staples and other essentials — with human connection and health education, we’re driving member activation. These boxes encourage members to take other actions that help them thrive, from completing screenings to scheduling follow-ups, all while improving HEDIS and Star Ratings for plans.
Give your members what they need to manage their health and achieve measurable results. Turn to Pyx Health to build long-term relationships and improve retention.
