Introduction

The Problem

Our Premiums Were Outmatched

Our shoppers were paying $170 more per month than private enrollees. We lost hundreds of customers every year to private enrollments.

Marketplace Coverage Was Unaffordable

Healthcare costs continue to skyrocket while coverage becomes less and less comprehensive. Marketplace plans were known for their ridiculous premiums and sky-high deductibles. While affordable coverage was out there, it required enrolling privately through insurance carriers.

We made private-plan shopping possible to offer affordable coverage for our shoppers.

Skip to Resolution

The Kickoff

Research

Diagram showing the 2021 private sales based on metal tiers

Graph demonstrating the percentage of private plans sold per metal tier

Research Exposed Private Shopping Trends

I held a focus group with seven agents. I received several insights regarding the current private shopping trends to help influence my design decisions.

  • Private sales were generally bronze and silver plans.
  • Members were enrolling in private plans outside of us for better rates. Agents would reach out and re-enroll them directly with us.

Based on the shopping trends, we chose to solely recommend private plans when silver was a good fit.

The Resolution

Final design of the private shopping results page

The private shopping dashboard MVP

Private shopping plan details page

The plan details MVP

Final design of the "Private vs Marketplace" page

The "Private vs Marketplace" MVP

WTW shopping mockup

The private shopping dashboard future design

The Launch

Over $14,000 Saved In Premiums

The project launched right in time for the annual enrollment period. The success has brought us closer to an in-house shopping solution for all of our plans. Next, we expand private shopping to all our clients throughout the United States and open the product offering to all metal tiers.

Next season, we are building side-by-side plan comparisons, more robust filtering, and online applications. Once these improvements are complete, we plan to also offer marketplace plans in-house.

Key Takeaways

  • A successful launch requires seamless coordination between technology and operations. A lack of agent training and resources stifled the project's success.
  • Projects with many moving parts require considerable coordination with other teams. Having a buffer on our roadmaps to launch work harmoniously prevents delays.
Austin Andriese blue headshot

Austin Andriese

UX Designer @WTW

WTW

Global insurance service provider.

Product

Web App, Healthcare Coverage E-Commerce Shopping Platform

Role

Designed the product end-to-end, conducted user research, closely collaborated with developers and external teams.

Date

August 2022 - October 2022

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