HMS Enhances its Health Engagement Solution with Verified and Branded Mobile Call Functionality

Rhea-AI Summary

HMS has enhanced its health engagement solution with verified visual caller ID for mobile phones, crucial for outreach during the COVID-19 and flu season. This upgrade has led to a 12% increase in mobile phone reach rates, addressing the decline in landline usage. The new functionality provides clients with a personalized call experience, displaying caller ID and branding, thus improving consumer confidence. With 70% of consumers wary of unknown numbers, this solution ensures effective health communications while complying with FCC guidelines for healthcare messaging.

Positive

• 12% increase in mobile phone reach rates across all demographics.
• Enhanced solution provides a personalized and branded mobile call experience.
• Addresses consumer concerns over spam calls, increasing engagement effectiveness.

Negative

• None.

In preparation for the intersection of COVID-19 and flu season, HMS’ expanded product capabilities enable healthcare consumers to identify the source of calls from health plans and public health entities, increasing reach rates by over 12%.

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HMS (NASDAQ: HMSY), the leading provider of payment accuracy and population health management solutions, today announced an enhancement to its health engagement solution with the addition of verified visual caller ID for mobile phones.

Less than 50% of U.S. households currently have a landline and home phone usage continues to decline, requiring health plans, state health agencies and other healthcare organizations to engage increasingly with consumers via their mobile phones. With this new functionality, HMS^® clients can improve the consumer experience by including caller ID and branding in outreach made to mobile phones, increasing the likelihood the intended recipient will answer the calls.

In fact, HMS clients leveraging the enhanced solution to date have seen a 12% increase in mobile phone reach rates across all demographics. For the past twenty years, HMS’ Eliza^® health engagement platform has conducted billions of outreach campaigns and engaged with millions of healthcare consumers on behalf of health plans, providers, pharmacy benefit managers and government agencies.

“A combination of illegal robocalls, caller ID spoofs and telephone-based scams has shaken consumer confidence when it comes to answering a call from an unknown number,” said Emmet O’Gara, group president of Population Health Management for HMS. “With the ongoing threat of COVID-19 and flu season just around the corner, this product enhancement is essential to the success of our clients’ rapid health outreach programs. Now more than ever before, it is critical that we reach and effectively engage those who are most vulnerable, to emphasize the importance of taking personal mitigation measures against infectious disease, such as getting a flu shot.”

With the addition of verified visual caller ID to HMS’ health engagement offering, client programs now will include the desired company name, logo, location and context for the call. Rather than seeing an unknown number from an unverified caller, the call recipient will receive a personalized and branded mobile call experience that identifies who is calling and why.

While functionality is dependent on the mobile carrier of the call recipient, all smartphones on the partner carrier’s network will display the caller ID overlay. With home phone use on the decline and seventy percent of consumers stating that they will not answer their mobile phone if they do not recognize the caller’s number, this enhanced solution helps ensure that important health-related communications reach their intended recipients.

In addition, on March 20, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an important order under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to allow healthcare providers to communicate informational, non-marketing messages about the COVID-19 pandemic to patients and members without prior express consent. HMS can help ensure that consumers receive and engage with critical health communications about COVID-19 or other important healthcare information while remaining in compliance with federal guidelines.

About HMS
HMS advances healthcare by helping organizations reduce costs and improve health outcomes. Through our industry-leading technology, analytics and engagement solutions, we save billions of dollars annually while helping consumers lead healthier lives. HMS provides a broad range of payment accuracy and population health management solutions that help move the healthcare system forward. Visit us at www.hms.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact
Lacey Hautzinger
Senior Director, External Communications
469.284.7240
lacey.hautzinger@hms.com

FAQ

What is the recent enhancement made by HMSY to its health engagement solution?

HMSY has added verified visual caller ID for mobile phones to improve outreach effectiveness.

How much has HMSY reported an increase in mobile phone reach rates?

HMSY reported a 12% increase in mobile phone reach rates with the new caller ID feature.

Why is the visual caller ID enhancement important for HMSY clients?

It helps improve consumer confidence in answering calls, which is critical for health outreach.

What percentage of consumers will not answer unknown callers, according to HMSY?

Approximately 70% of consumers will not answer mobile phones if they do not recognize the caller's number.

How does HMSY ensure compliance with health communications?

HMSY complies with FCC guidelines allowing healthcare communications without prior consent.