People make purchases in the moment, get ideas in the moment, find solutions to problems in the moment and seek advice in the moment…all via their mobile devices. Mobile has given rise to what many brands and businesses refer to as “moments of truth”. A moment of truth is when the skills, character or services of a brand are put to the test. It is a moment critical in shaping the perception of a brand or business. Most often, these moments are centered upon the consumer seeking specific knowledge or support to meet a real-time need or inquiry.

In Alegus Healthcare’s 2016 “Moments of Truth” report, they explore the findings of an online survey they commissioned on 4,000 healthcare consumers in order to identify and categorize the various moments of truth healthcare consumers face, and assess the degree of importance for each.

Below are some of the most challenging moments of truth survey respondents reported:

• 66% planning for out-of-pockets costs
• 60% managing healthcare finances
• 60% shopping for best value services
• 57% medical bill scrutiny and payment
• 55% choosing health benefits
• 54% accessing health care
• 52% maintaining health and wellness

Consumers expressed universally low confidence in making decisions related to the above. This is due to the fact that they are now having to take on more personal and financial responsibility of their healthcare after years of being conditioned to be disengaged.

Insurers must think of how they can better educate at the critical moments of truth in order to empower consumers and members to make confident decisions. They must transition from selling to educating, giving prospects and members the knowledge and answers they need exactly when and where they need them. From content resources that teach members how to predict and plan for their out-of-pocket healthcare costs to videos that showcase how to use payment and reimbursement tools, education is the key to reducing stress and creating an exceptional experience during the critical healthcare navigation moments of truth.

In order to begin to build winning moments of truth, insurers should consider:

Creating a Moments Map: Map out the most critical phases in the health insurance explore-to-engage lifecycle that you can’t afford to lose and categorize them.

Evaluating Specific Challenges & Obstacles: Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes and think about what content or features would make things faster or easier for them in that precise moment. Visualize the context in which you are reaching them. Where are they, what time of day is it and what other environmental factors might affect their decisioning?

Defining the Journey: What channel are they currently engaged in, where are they being driven to and how seamless is the experience from channel to channel?

Analyzing & Measuring: Setup precise measurement indicators and analyze key differences by consumer segment.

Source: Alegeus Healthcare, “2016 ‘Moments of Truth’ Research Report”: http://info.alegeus.com/rs/798-TAC-188/images/MomentsOfTruth.pdf