9 considerations for outsourcing your healthcare call center

Health insurance plans and payers are often under additional stress during the open enrollment period. It’s among the most critical times of the year, when healthcare call centers are flooded with consumers inquiring about plan options or needing additional assistance. One way many healthcare organizations manage this greater call volume is to significantly increase their temporary agent workforce during and immediately after open enrollment.

But even as new agents are brought in, organizational leaders must not lose sight of member satisfaction and experience. There’s a real risk that the needs of existing members are overlooked during the enrollment crunch. One option is to leverage experienced outsourcing partners who can help reduce pressure on in-house agents. Ideally, these are pre-vetted partners who have extensive experience providing services in the healthcare call center space.

What to consider when seeking the right outsourcing partner during open enrollment 

Here are the questions healthcare plan providers and insurance companies should ask when seeking a business process outsourcing (BPO) partner:

1. Are agents trained and experienced working in a HIPAA-compliant environment?
2. Do agents understand the legal and medical terminology unique to healthcare?
3. Have agents been specially trained to show empathy even during high-stress service calls?
4. Does the BPO have experience working with protected health information (PHI) and do they comply with CMS-related flow down rules?
5. Will the BPO partner help you achieve and maintain the customer experience (CX) that your members expect?
6. Is the BPO using a secure and reliable technology platform that is NIST and SOC2 certified?
7. Are the technology and processes PCI-compliant?   
8. Does the BPO and its call center technology partner have a business associate agreement (BAA) in place?
9. Does the call center technology integrate with clinical and administrative healthcare software, including medical billing, EHRs and CRM systems?

Working either with experienced healthcare BPO partners or finding HIPAA-experienced agents are two viable options to help ease the burden of open enrollment on your permanent agent workforce. Talkdesk can help with both alternatives. 

Choices for outsourcing your healthcare call center

Talkdesk CXTalent™ is the go-to resource for all organizations that are in need of customer support staffing, with contractors and outsourcers available for part-time to full-time work. With powerful AI capabilities that identify the right agents, the online platform provides an easy connection between businesses that need to hire to meet fluctuating customer support demands and available staff who are ready to work remotely. And it’s entirely free to use.

The CXTalent platform also includes a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Partner Program, where we consult with your CX leaders to determine your staffing needs. We will work closely with you to pair you with a certified, vetted BPO partner that best meets your requirements. You can reach out to our internal team of consultants who will help you get started cost-free and quickly connect you with the best BPO to fulfill your business needs.