Plain language is a key driver of CX quality in health insurance, but only half of US online adults who are health insurance customers say it’s easy to understand their coverage. This key indicator has been trending downwards: It was 57% in 2023 and reached a high of 59% in 2022. Health insurers must act now to communicate clearly and help customers act with confidence.
Build Value With Customers By Simplifying Key Moments Through Plain Language
Using plain language helps customers understand important information about their healthcare. It shows that health insurers appreciate their customers and want to help them — which evokes emotions like feeling valued, appreciated, and respected. These key emotions in turn drive customer loyalty in the US health insurance industry. Furthermore, clear communication plays a key role in building customers’ trust in their health insurer: “Makes information easy to understand on their website” ranked as the second driver of trust for US health insurers in 2024.
Many companies think they’re communicating in plain language, but often that’s far from the truth. At least 90% of insured US adults want clearer communications from their health insurer, particularly about covered services and related costs. Are your customers calling you for reassurance? Do customers repeatedly ask for clarification on the same terms? Are the words, phrases, or concepts your customers use to describe their needs and questions different than yours? These are some indicators that your communication is not clear enough. The good news is that these customer interactions are also an opportunity for you to determine which areas need a plain language overhaul.
Check out our new report, Health Insurers: Communicate Clearly To Help Your Customers Decide With Confidence, to learn how customer research can help you uncover new opportunities to apply plain language. You’ll also learn five best practices to communicate clearly.
Let’s Connect
If you’re a Forrester client and would like to discuss this topic further, set up a conversation with us here.
