Popular feature offers easy answers for plan benefits, health tools

PORTLAND – Imagine a gabfest about health insurance benefits. Members logging onto myRegence.com find a “chat” with Live Help customer service specialists provides quick answers to benefit questions, and more.

Regence’s one-on-one approach is centered on members’ personal needs and improving their ability to navigate the rich resources at myRegence. This differs from other companies that use instant chat only to juggle simultaneous inquiries.

“We’ve had such positive feedback,” said Dan Medin, Regence Director of Customer Service. “Live Help is so convenient for members. It’s more relaxed, like two friends chatting.”

During the initial rollout, more than 20,000 Live Help chats occurred as members discovered the feature while visiting myRegence.com. That number is expected to climb steeply since rollout was completed in August in all Regence markets: Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Utah.

The rollout uncovered some customer niches better-served by Live Help than by phone: hearing impaired members prefer it, and members who are travelling find it a convenient way to check coverage.

As with phone-in customer service, the most frequently asked questions pertain to benefit coverage details. A bonus feature uncovered in the rollout is the opportunity to get members better acquainted with myRegence.com.

“Integrating Live Help into myRegence.com lets our customer service specialists give personalized tours,” said Torben Nielsen, Regence Director of Consumer-Directed Health Systems. “We get to navigate members to the content they care about, whether that’s an informational sleep podcast or building a Personal Health Record or comparing treatments or medications.”

Live Help is the newest feature of the award-winning myRegence.com Web site:

• Member Feedback: Share feedback with the community after a visit with your provider – and read what others have shared
• Provider Search: Find a doctor who meets your needs
• Multimedia Content: Original, award-winning videos, podcasts and articles on health and wellness topics
• Message boards: Connect with and find support from members who share their health and wellness interests and experiences 

About myRegence.com
myRegence.com is designed to help advise members on health care and lifestyle options, provide navigation through the health care system and reward those who make healthier choices. With myRegence.com, members can find all of their health-related resources in one place, including claims information, fitness and nutrition tips, medication summaries and other helpful information. Members can even earn Regence Reward points—redeemable for gift certificates to hundreds of retailers—just for actively taking charge of their health.

About Regence
Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence serves three million members as Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington), Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield of Idaho. Each health plan is a not-for-profit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com.