The Impact of COVID-19 on Health and Finance

The new coronavirus has imminent and profound implications for health plans, benefit providers, health systems, and financial institutions. These constituents require a rapid strategic response as they brace for a landscape that is different from anything forecasts have offered to date. A digital workplace, interoperability, customer-centricity, and fraud prevention are just a few of the factors that will play a part in such a strategic response. Interoperability of disparate electronic medical records (EMR) systems is the promise and the bane of the healthcare industry. The fix is not quick or easy. But the current environment brings renewed purpose to those initiatives. Health plans and benefit providers have a pivotal role in managing public worries regarding testing and treatment for the new coronavirus as well as any underlying conditions that require medical treatment. While these organizations are likely to be in rapid-planning-and-response mode, member engagement must be part of that rapid planning and response. Some have already announced they will waive prior authorizations for COVID-19 tests or expand access to telehealth services, but that is only the tip of the iceberg of what member engagement can look like.