The healthcare industry can be challenging to navigate for patients, even before insurance companies get involved. Health insurance is designed to act as financial protection for the patient in a multitude of ways, but it can often be misunderstood from both sides of the equation.
In a recent episode of The Cure with Scotty and Sully, hosts Scott Adams and Brian Sullivan spoke to Brian Cuddeback, Vice President of Sales & Client Management at Cigna about navigating the doctor-patient relationship and improving the patient experience.
Navigating the doctor-patient relationship
The biggest challenge that health insurance companies face is walking that thin line of providing care suggestions without challenging anything the physicians are saying. Essentially, companies like Cigna are looking to supplement the advice of the doctor, without contradicting or overstepping the care protocols.
“The doctor-patient relationship is the most coveted relationship inside of the overall ecosystem, and I can never try to challenge or get in the way of that. But I’m there to suggest that we may have more information or other thoughts on the next course of action for a well-informed consumer,” Cuddeback said.
If there are multiple options for care or recovery, Cuddeback and his team want to ensure that the customers are well-informed on what’s available and how to take the next best step. While the patient may have made up their mind on whether or not to get surgery or physical therapy, Cigna works to provide transparency on the options that are available to each patient so that they can make the most informed decision.
Fostering a smoother patient experience
With all the complexities of the healthcare system in the United States, it can be challenging for providers to foster a patient experience without any significant hiccups.
Cuddeback said, “The best way to better the consumer experience is about making the complex simplified. Collaboration is key to helping with that, especially in the healthcare space.”
Cigna has been on the forefront of accountable care innovation since 2008 – Cuddeback and his team try to work with the providers to simplify the whole process, providing the necessary data to ensure that the patients are on track with the care they should be receiving.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the pushing and pulling of data, and then sharing that across their patient base in an effort to drive lower total medical cost and higher quality of life for the consumer.”
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