CASE STUDY: Building Health Coverage Efficiency and Better Member Relations

How Red Level helped ASR Health Benefits gain efficiency and better member relations.

As a major health benefits provider, ASR Health Benefits is counted upon by thousands of members to provide critical coverage and information when and where they need it most—and the company’s web-based member portal simply wasn’t up to the task of efficiently serving today’s increasingly mobile member base.

The Problem

Having learned of a successful app development project Red Level, completed for Steelcase, ASR turned to the experts at Red Level to develop MyASR, a new app for iOS and Android that would enable members to safely and easily access up-to-date account and benefit information. Besides the need to pair optimal efficacy with absolute information security, while remaining in full compliance with HIPAA regulations, the project aimed for a short turnaround time: a five-month concept-to-completion development window. The goal was that ASR members could start using the mobile app after January 1st when the new medical coverage started for the year.

The Solution

The Red Level team began with an in-depth discovery phase in August. During this period, Red Level’s specialists gained a thorough understanding of the needs of both ASR and its members, the app’s end users. Using this information, the team formulated the app architecture and development strategy. The health care and insurance industries are known for their unique regulatory status, and the ASR existing data environment shared the same uniqueness. Red Level and ASR development teams worked seamlessly together on parallel, but aligned projects: While Red Level developed the apps’ user side capabilities, ASR worked on the API to connect the app to the necessary data sources.

Proof-of-Concept Prototypes

Red Level proceeded to develop proof-of-concept prototypes to enable ASR to assess the apps’ design, features, functions and user-friendliness prior to full-fledged development. The Red Level team also introduced the updated ASR brand color scheme, copy and tone for the mobile app to drive user adoption and enhance user experience. Once these critical pieces received approval, the team moved on to development in early September. Over the course of the next twelve weeks, the Red Level and ASR teams worked in close collaboration, adhering to schedule milestones and handoffs. Following thorough testing, the iOS and Android apps were formally launched in early December.

Results

The apps were quickly welcomed by ASR’s member base, appearing in regional “Top Download” lists on the Android/Google platforms for its ease of use. The apps made it possible for members to securely perform important coverage-related tasks, such as checking claim status, accessing benefits summary information, managing HIPAA PHI authorizations, reviewing deductible and out-of-pocket maximum balances and more. Pleased by the apps’ ease of use and Red Level’s success in streamlining users’ access to critical coverage information, ASR adapted the same branding characteristics to their existing web portal to mirror their app-based counterparts as a measure to standardize the ASR brand. In the months since MyASR’s launch, the team has delivered two rounds
of significant updates incorporating expanded features and functions. Plans are underway to develop corollary apps for use by employers and health care providers.