Issue 4 2020

18 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 4 2020 , While many physical locations are closed during COVID-19 containment efforts, the Medicare Advantage (MA) industry continues serving our most vulnerable population. Medicare Advantage Industry Adapting To COVID-19 Challenges However, operations are rapidly changing according to Patrick Phillips, CEO of Cavulus, a leading technology firm serving the MA industry. “On the tech side, companies are pivoting to work from home (WFH),” says Phillips. “Our company has embraced a remote structure since our launch in 2006, so we’re busy helping industry peers navigate this change. In our regulatory environment, it’s not as simple as setting up remote communications. HIPAA, PHI, CMS and security mandates must be upheld.” The initial WFH transition may be difficult, but Phillips believes companies will see a silver lining, noting, “the remote model enables us to recruit top-tier talent around the country and invest in our team and technology rather than physical space.” The Cavulus CEO said, “we’ve even seen business continuity bolstered with employees dispersed geographically.” From a payor perspective, Phillips envisions Medicare Advantage sales operations relying almost entirely on call centres in the next 12-18 months. “MA plans will not jeopardise the health of our population with home-visits and public seminars. Those activities will cease until there’s a vaccine that makes in-person contact safe. But there’s never been a more critical time to communicate accurate information to beneficiaries.” According to Phillips, this disruption is driving activity in the MA market as plans engage third party call centres and software vendors. In doing so, he recommends plans scrutinise security, remote capabilities, server redundancies, back-up frequency, and historical metrics like recovery time. “These are critical factors in times of crisis and are being increasingly tested due to recent hurricane evacuations, wildfires and other natural disasters.” “There’s a new reality,” says Phillips. “The movement to WFH has been evolving, but today’s challenges have accelerated it dramatically. There’s no substitute for those on the front lines of this war with COVID-19. But for anyone who can provide support remotely, our digital environments must be adaptive, flexible, and most importantly, safe.”