Buffy Anderson goes the extra mile to help members with their benefits
Buffy Anderson begins her workday at 5 a.m. sharp. The customer service professional connects into her phone system, ready to take calls from Regence members.
“Thank you for calling Customer Service. My name is Buffy. Can I get your first and last name please?”
Over the course of the day, she might answer calls from 30 people located across the country.
For 10 years, Anderson has served with Regence’s award-winning Customer Service team, offering expert guidance and caring support for members as they navigate their health insurance.
Your guide to cost-effective care
On any given day, you might find Anderson helping a member understand their claim, checking the status of their prior authorization or saving them money.
For example, when members asked about massage therapy benefits for out-of-network providers, she confirmed those providers weren’t covered under their plan. Anderson could have ended the calls there, but she didn’t. She guided them through their benefit books online, helping them find in-network providers with lower copays.
“They didn’t know it was that easy to see their benefits or find providers through their online account,” she recalls. “They were thankful for that.”
On your side
She’s also an advocate. When an individual health plan member’s ACA subsidy wasn’t applied, he found himself with an unexpected cost he couldn’t afford. Anderson joined him on a call to the state exchange, escalated it to a supervisor and secured a resolution starting the following month.
“The member gladly accepted the fix,” Anderson recalls. “He paid one month in full. Thereafter, he had his subsidy back.”
A very happy birthday
She’s even been lifesaving. When a member called with chest pains, Anderson urged him to go to the emergency room (ER) immediately. When he hesitated, she explained his benefits for urgent care versus the ER, then again advised the ER. He said he would wait.
She called him the next day and got voicemail. Finally, he answered. He’d gone to the ER with a heart attack and received a stent. Anderson teared up with relief.
“For three months afterward, we kept in close contact,” she says. “I helped him find a cardiologist, and we reviewed claims together. Later that year, I called on his birthday to wish him a very happy birthday. He was truly thankful.”
“I got you”
Anderson acknowledges that health insurance and health care are complicated. People call in stressed, frustrated, angry or confused.
Her goal?
“I always try to find a resolution for every call,” she says. “If I can’t help right away, I’m going to research it. If we were in the wrong, I’m going to make it right the best I can. I got you. We’re going to figure this out together.”
Anderson doesn’t hesitate to go the extra mile. “I want you to feel good when you get off that call,” she says.
A trusted resource, Anderson answers the call for members. That’s the Regence difference.
