HHS, WAEPA Executives Discuss the Future of Customer Experience in the Healthcare and Insurance Industries

Last week’s FEDtalk podcast brought together Sanjay Koyani, Executive Director for Innovation at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Shane Canfield, CEO of Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies (WAEPA), to discuss evolving trends in customer experience within the healthcare and insurance industries with FEDtalk hosts Jason Briefel and James Heelan of Shaw Bransford & Roth.

Koyani discussed the Reimagine HHS initiative, which began in 2017, to identify six strategic shifts as opportunities for the department to advance its work: Leveraging the Power of Data, Restoring Market Forces, Putting People at the Center of HHS Programs, Generating Efficiencies through Streamlined Processes, Making HHS a More Innovative and Responsive Organization, and Moving to a 21st Century Workforce.

Koyani led two initiatives within HHS: the optimizing regulatory performance initiative and the data insight initiative. Koyani calls for “new approaches to old problems,” citing the importance of the HHS becoming a more innovative and responsible organization by improving data sharing and building a 21st century workforce centered around improving the overall customer experience.

During his time at HHS, Koyani has visited all ten HHS regions, held virtual round tables, and created journey maps in an effort to “[move] away from the government’s needs to customer needs.”

Canfield discussed the customer experience improvement journey that WAEPA has been on as an insurance company since he joined as CEO in 2016. He talks about the creation of a new digitized experience in which 56 customer touch points were evaluated and fixable points were identified and then resolved.

Canfield discusses “accelerating through the curve…meaning [WAEPA] had technology plans on the books for several years and we had a choice to make…do you still want to make those investments, and we decided to, yes, keep up with our investments. We can’t put a pause on these projects.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has led WAEPA to speed up some of their processes and shift many of their services online, which had been long-planned but not prioritized to execute. WAEPA has long term goals that extend 40-50 years into the future. The COVID pandemic has forced WAEPA to adapt to the new normal, to which Canfield says, “If you don’t embrace this change right now, you will be left behind.”

There are a number of parallels between how HHS and WAEPA are handling customer engagement during this time. Both parties agree that proper data collection informs good decision making. The COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the use of customer management technology for both organizations, and this shift will last far into the future.

You can stream the show online anytime via the Federal News Network app and listen to the FEDtalk podcast on PodcastOne and Apple Podcasts.

FEDtalk is a live talk show produced by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993.

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