HealthHelp is an international radiology benefit management company based in
Houston, Texas.
HealthHelp is a retainer client of FrogDog’s, one that we have worked with since 1997. FrogDog provides a full corporate communications solution for the company by developing and providing everything from the company’s branding, visibility, and public relations to its investor and employee relations. Our work has proved instrumental in helping the company achieve local, national, and governmental recognition for its truly revolutionary service packages. With FrogDog’s help, HealthHelp has been named to the Houston 100 and the Inc. 500 and its executives have commented on pending and proposed health care legislation for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other local and national government organizations.
The Challenge
Traditionally, physician offices had to call a toll-free number to request insurance-company approval for procedures. To make the process more efficient, HealthHelp developed an on-line procedure-authorization service.
Health care providers are often slow to change their internal procedures, and this initially was the case with the new on-line authorization service.
HealthHelp asked FrogDog to help it market the service to doctors’ offices and increase the number of them requesting procedures electronically.
The FrogDog Solution
FrogDog developed a strategic communications plan that included multiple points and types of contact and education with the practices—including fax, direct mail, and one-on-one contact with HealthHelp client managers and field representatives—to ensure that the availability of the new service became known to them. The plan also included a contest in which providers were entered every time they used the Web service.
FrogDog created all materials for the campaign, including a letter, a flyer, a post card, and a mouse pad.
To further refine the program, FrogDog helped create an on-line tutorial and incorporated the log-in into HealthHelp’s home page.
After the program had been up and running for about a year, FrogDog surveyed physician practices nationwide and conducted focus groups with representatives from suburban, urban, and rural practices to learn more about user patterns and attitudes toward the service.
As a result of this research, FrogDog recommended more face-to-face training. HealthHelp then launched an ongoing campaign through which it has conducted focused marketing and training blitzes in its ten largest markets.
Results
Since FrogDog began marketing the on-line authorization service, usage has doubled and continues to grow by 2–3 percent each week.
FrogDog has also assisted HealthHelp in getting the word out about another new electronic option—an integrated voice-response system that automates telephone requests.
