From friction to connection: Five ways automation can transform member engagement

In the healthcare industry today, health plans aren’t just competing on premiums or provider networks—they’re competing on experience. Members expect the same seamless, personalized interactions they get from their banks or streaming services.

But too often, health plans are stuck with legacy workflows that weren’t built to engage.

That’s where automation can play a transformative role. By replacing manual, repetitive processes with intelligent, omnichannel interactions, health plans can reimagine what it means to meet members where they are. And the payoff isn’t just convenience. It’s improved outcomes, higher satisfaction, and measurable operational ROI.

Let’s explore how modern automation drives better member engagement and why it works best when it’s part of a platform approach, not a patchwork of point solutions.

#1: Reaching members across every channel

When members need to schedule care, check benefits, or respond to care gap outreach, they don’t want to wait on hold or navigate through different departments. Yet many health plans still rely on phone-heavy models that create friction.

Automation enables a seamless omnichannel experience, allowing members to engage via voice, SMS, mobile, or web. It often starts in one channel and finishes in another without missing a beat or requiring members to re-enter information.

At Notable, we’ve found that giving members the ability to engage in their own time, on their own terms, significantly increases follow-through and satisfaction. The data backs that up — 73 percent of consumers now prefer self-service tools over traditional support methods.

#2: Turning data into action with next-best steps

Health plans hold valuable data, from eligibility records and claims to risk profiles, but too often, that information sits idle. Without the ability to act on it in real time, opportunities for engagement are lost.

Modern automation platforms orchestrate next-best actions using dynamic segmentation and real-time intent detection. For example:

• A member overdue for a health risk assessment receives a text with a direct completion link.
  
• A recently discharged patient is prompted to schedule a follow-up primary care visit.
  
• A refill reminder connects the member directly to their pharmacy.

These intelligently automated workflows don’t just identify care gaps and other outreach opportunities; they proactively work to address them. That’s what makes intelligent automation in the healthcare industry so powerful. 

#3: Making outreach personal and effective

Generic messages don’t drive action. Personalized communication does.

Automation enables targeted, member-specific outreach based on demographics, language preference, clinical history, and more. Preventive screenings, social determinants of health assessments, and vaccination reminders can all be delivered in the most appropriate format for each member, improving relevance and response rates.

#4: Reducing the wait for what matters most

Manual workflows for authorizations, referrals, and primary care provider changes slow things down for staff and patients.

With intelligent intake and smart routing, automation dramatically accelerates turnaround times. Members get answers and care faster. Staff spend less time on administrative tasks.

#5: Designing for every member, not just the digitally fluent

Not all members interact in the same way. Language barriers, reading comprehension levels, and digital access gaps can all stand in the way of engagement.

Automation platforms designed with inclusivity in mind solve for these disparities. Through multilingual support, simplified content powered by large language models, and mobile-first workflows, health plans can ensure that every member, regardless of background, has access to the care they need.

Real-world results from Security Health Plan

Security Health Plan and the Marshfield Clinic Health System deployed Notable’s AI Platform to improve patient access. Through automation, Security Health Plan was able to engage prospective members when they received care at Marshfield during pre-appointment check-in engagements. By reaching individuals in their trusted care delivery environment, Security Health Plan unlocked a safe pathway for prospective members to learn about enrollment opportunities. Within the first week, Security saw a 13.4% patient engagement rate, far exceeding typical industry benchmarks.  

The platform difference

The stakes for member engagement have never been higher. Health plans navigating economic headwinds, evolving regulations, and growing consumer demands need more than incremental fixes. They need infrastructure-level change.

A unified AI platform offers that change: not just improving individual workflows, but reimagining how plans connect with members across their entire journey. From improving CAHPS scores and reducing churn to closing care gaps at scale, platform-based automation turns engagement from a burden into a strategic asset.

Ready to modernize member engagement?

See how health plans are using Notable to build smarter, faster, more human-centric member experiences—powered by automation and built for scale. Request a demo today.