Think about the last time you started something new — a job, a neighborhood, a relationship. The first few weeks told you almost everything about what to expect going forward. Healthcare is no different.
For a new Medicaid or Medicare Advantage member, those first weeks of enrollment are a window that closes fast. If no one reaches out, if the plan feels distant or confusing, people disengage. They skip the first wellness visit. They don’t set up a primary care relationship. And by the time a health crisis hits, they’ve been flying blind for months.
High-touch onboarding changes that equation. When a real person calls a new member within days of enrollment — not with a robocall, but with a genuine conversation — the entire trajectory of that member’s engagement with the health system can shift. We’ve seen it repeatedly in our work with health plans across Illinois.
At SCCP, onboarding isn’t a formality we rush through. It’s where we learn what a member actually needs: what languages they prefer, what their health history looks like, whether they have a doctor they trust, what barriers might get in the way. That information shapes everything that follows.
As plans welcome new members mid-year — whether through open enrollment cycles, Medicaid redetermination transitions, or dual-eligible program shifts — the question worth asking is: what does your member’s very first experience with your plan actually feel like? We can help make sure it feels like someone cares.
References:
Bindman, A.B., et al. (2008). Primary Care and Receipt of Preventive Services. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(12), 2029–2034.
Artiga, S., & Hinton, E. (2018). Beyond Health Care: The Role of Social Determinants in Promoting Health and Health Equity. KFF Health Policy Brief.