Latest / Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast / Troy Shaffer, VP of Contact Center Operations at SCAN Health Plan

Transcript

Troy Shaffer, VP of Contact Center Operations at SCAN Health Plan · Becker’s Payer Issues Podcast

• 0:00
  Hello, everyone. This is Jacob Emerson with the
• 0:02
  Becker's Payer Issues podcast. Thrilled today to be
• 0:05
  joined by Troy Schafer, who is the vice
• 0:07
  president of operations at ScanHealthPlan.
• 0:10
  Troy, thanks so much for taking the time
• 0:11
  to be with me on the podcast today.
• 0:13
  Yeah. Thanks for, for inviting me, Jacob. Look
• 0:16
  forward to this discussion.
• 0:17
  Absolutely. And before we dive into everything we
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  wanna talk with you about, can you tell
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  us a little bit more about yourself, your
• 0:22
  background in health care in terms of your
• 0:24
  career, and what it is that you do
• 0:26
  today at SCAN?
• 0:28
  Yeah. Thanks for that. So, as you mentioned,
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  I'm vice president here at SCAN,
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  you know, overall contact center operations.
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  Been in the health care industry for a
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  little over eighteen years, so I've been doing
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  this quite a while.
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  I've had various, you know, leadership positions in
• 0:43
  health care space, so including, like, a role
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  of vice president of, you know, quality assurance
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  and contact center support at a large health
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  care provider.
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  I was there for about eight years.
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  That included leading teams that totaled more than
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  1,100 employees.
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  We were across five states at the time
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  in two different locations in India.
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  And then more recently here at Scan over
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  the last nine years, managing a team of,
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  you know, 400 plus that supports our valued
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  members.
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  Also have an extensive,
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  you know, experience in actual health care sector.
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  So with particular focus around, you know, contact
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  center transformation,
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  operational efficiencies,
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  I've had oversight for for quality assurance prescription
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  and and mail order and pharmacy benefit management
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  operations.
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  Also been involved with both inbound and outbound
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  contact center responsibilities. So that's, you know, to
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  ensure that the delivery of of high quality
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  and and member facing,
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  you know, services happen. And then lastly, I
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  would say, like, I'm a member of the
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  contact center world, so it's actually known as
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  CCW. It's an advisory board.
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  It's one of the largest, most recognized, you
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  know, thought leader contributors in in the industry,
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  and that's in the contact center space and
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  really focuses around solution based, being an aggregator
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  for that that contact center space.
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  Fantastic. Well, I appreciate that overview, Troy. And
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  I wanted to get us started by talking
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  about, the whirlwind of a year it's already
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  been for the health care industry, for the
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  health insurance industry more specifically.
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  So so what would you say are some
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  of the biggest issues you're following
• 2:13
  this year? What what do you got your
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  eye on in the media,
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  in in new tech and innovations,
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  new data? What's what's top of mind for
• 2:20
  you right now across the industry, Troy?
• 2:23
  Yeah. I I think, you know, when you
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  think about just the overall complexities that exist,
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  today with within the health care system, you
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  know, with my work here at SCAN, some
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  of the biggest issues I see is really
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  evolved around three major areas.
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  I would say, you know, the first being
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  technology. So when you think about how that's
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  used as an overall enabler,
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  I think, secondly, when you think about just
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  balancing overall investments, especially in the in the
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  tech space, so that's something that we really
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  have to keep a tight eye on.
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  And then lastly, I think I would say,
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  you know, the last bucket would probably be,
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  like, maintaining
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  the overall, like, personalization
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  with with our service model.
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  So what that really means from from my
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  lens is really you know, when I break
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  down those three is, like, when you think
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  about the role of technology and what that
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  plays,
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  it's really like we use it to enhance
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  our overall member experience,
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  while also providing, you know, an important,
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  connector within, you know, the AI space. So
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  that that's a true game changer when you
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  start to talk about AI and and how
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  that's utilized.
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  So, ultimately, we use that and look at
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  it in a way to improve our overall,
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  delivery of service.
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  And then I think by doing that, it
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  it's really not to just benefit our members.
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  So we we definitely have a member focused,
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  vision, but we also see it as, like,
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  how does that help make our our overall
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  employees' lives easier
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  and really more satisfying in what they're doing?
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  Because when you think about the frontline,
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  it can be a very challenging,
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  job and role, but then at the same
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  time, we get feedback and see how rewarding
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  that role can be. I I I think
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  my second point, you know, when I mentioned
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  just overall balancing investments,
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  you know, it's
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  there's some big spins out there that that
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  happen, and and it's needed, right, to to
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  to overall enable the business.
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  But I think it's equally important, like I
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  said, from us being a nonprofit organization
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  that has very thin margins, how do we
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  balance that out,
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  you know, with overall, you know, the technology
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  spend, but then the benefits that we need
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  to contribute to our members.
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  And then lastly, you know, as I mentioned
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  around just personalization,
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  it is really an important part of of
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  our overall mission when we wanna maintain, you
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  know, that connection and and that personal feel
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  with our overall members.
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  Technology, we know, is crucial, and and many
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  times, it's just foundational to to get the
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  job done.
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  But we we will not just kind of
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  rest and and just let that replace an
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  overall, you know, personal touch that we that
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  our members overall, at the end of the
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  day, expect.
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  So with that, I would say just, you
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  know, when we use technology,
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  and and not replacing it, we we really
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  look at it as, like, how do we,
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  provide our members and our our team members
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  with what we call, like, superpowers. Right? So
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  how do they use that technology to just
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  enable and unleash,
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  that that extraordinary experience?
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  Certainly. And let's stay on that topic, Troy,
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  of how SCAN is using new tech to
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  improve your members' experiences because we've heard a
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  lot from SCAN leaders this year about,
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  the new the new member app rolling out,
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  the new member portal, integrating AI more into
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  your contact center operations.
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  So in that vein, what makes you most
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  excited as you look, into the year still
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  to come about what's what's coming next for
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  scan and and for your members?
• 5:42
  Yeah. Well, I I really get excited. That's
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  a great question. And and, I really get
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  excited about that piece because I think just
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  the overall possibilities exist when we look about,
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  like, enhancing the overall member experience,
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  and just truly, like, keeping to our core
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  to to who we are, like, that diversification
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  and, you know, how we deliver on our
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  mission. And when you think about our mission,
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  you know, it is to keep seniors healthy
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  and independent.
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  And so, you know, thinking about the investments
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  that we discussed upfront,
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  there's just a vast need across, like, varying
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  social determinants. You think about language, location,
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  You know, those all coupled with just the
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  general growth, the the massive growth that's out
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  there for aging adults.
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  It just really creates a great environment and
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  opportunity for us to scan, you know, to
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  help more people. So, you know, one one
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  recent example is when you think about, like,
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  the fire devastation that happened here in Greater
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  Los Angeles,
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  being able to help coordinate, like, core,
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  you know, just functions and our members with,
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  like, organizations
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  that provide them with basic needs. You think
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  about food, shelter,
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  clothes,
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  self care, hygiene, you know, things like that.
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  They just they were really important at that
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  time, and, obviously, the devastation. You think about
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  being displaced from your home, leaving your home
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  quickly, not having meds.
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  So how do we then align them with
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  local pharmacies wherever they land to make sure
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  they have the the meds that they need?
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  So, yeah, at the end of the day,
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  that, like, meant the world to, like, not
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  only our members, but also here, you know,
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  at SCAN as an organization.
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  So so, yeah, that's what I think I
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  I that's what gets me really excited and
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  up in the morning. Absolutely. And that's a
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  great example of of the real world impact
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  that this all this new tech can have
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  on on just, you know, what you mentioned,
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  people devastated by wildfires.
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  In the vein of asking you about what
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  you're most excited about looking forward this year,
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  Troy,
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  what are some of the key challenges you're
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  anticipating for for the industry, for your organization?
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  What's making you nervous about the year ahead,
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  and and how are you planning to combat
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  that?
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  Yeah. I I guess, you know, definitely challenges
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  are out there. I I don't think it's
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  so much a a nervous perspective, but just
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  that constant and upfront awareness,
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  around all the, you know, increasing complexities that
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  are out there. You think about the cost,
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  and, you know, as mentioned a little bit
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  around just disparities in the overall health care,
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  you know, chain.
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  So, you know, here at Scan, again, when
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  you think about that, we really flip that
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  to being an opportunity that's gonna allow us
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  to just improve our overall service model and
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  then really, like, better meet the needs of
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  our members.
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  Fantastic. Well, Troy, in terms of say on
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  the topic of the complexities of the industry,
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  for all the leaders listening in, what would
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  you say are some of the most effective
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  tools or attributes that those leaders will need
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  to be successful
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  over the next two to three years?
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  Yeah. I I think,
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  you know, one, two to three years is
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  is out there, and and there's all these
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  kind of, I think, short term between that
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  as well. But when I look at it
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  overall,
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  the next few years to from a leader's
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  perspective,
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  I see success as really being grounded and
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  and rooted in, like, three core areas. I
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  think about people,
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  you know, the the resources you need, the
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  processes that drive your business. And then as
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  we talked earlier around just overall the technology
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  that helps enable that. So
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  my opinion, I I think the core pillars
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  of those, you know, have,
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  are what needs to be, you know, focused
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  on to to lead a a successful operations.
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  I think leaders
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  need to create, like, a positive environment, you
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  know, their culture. What does that look like,
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  at an individual level for them?
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  I I think just, you know, implementing the
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  right tools and then optimizing those processes to
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  deliver those in in meaningful outcomes.
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  You know, if I were to focus just
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  a little bit on the people side of
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  it, you know, for me, what that means
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  is really attracting and and retaining the best
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  talent.
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  In my opinion, you know, that's done by
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  creating, like I said, a positive environment and
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  culture where people really wanna work. They really
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  wanna be there and show up every day.
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  Let's face it. It's it's really a a
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  very competitive workforce environment out there, and and
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  retaining that top talent
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  is really, I think, a a key component.
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  When I flip to the pillar of, like,
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  technology,
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  know, again, as we discussed earlier on this,
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  it it's really gonna be important
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  to implement the right tools for your organization.
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  So I don't think it's like a one
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  size fits all. You really have to do
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  the due diligence and understand
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  what's gonna be the right investment and the
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  right tools for your specific business,
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  that's gonna ultimately lead you to success. So
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  I think leaders in that vein need to
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  really ensure their teams, like, have access
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  to the best technology that they can afford
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  or that fits their ecosystem at the time.
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  And then truly but once that's in,
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  really, like, truly prioritizing and balancing those overall
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  costs, you know, whatever that means in their
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  organization.
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  And then I think lastly, you know, what
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  I would say around the process side of
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  that is, you know, now you've you've got
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  the right people in place. Right? And then
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  you look at the technology, the tools, and
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  enablers
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  that are gonna allow you to kind of
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  then execute on that. So then it's really
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  looking at your processes, core processes,
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  working to make sure those things are optimized,
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  making sure they're efficient and effective,
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  and which then is gonna help them, you
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  know, in my opinion, deliver meaningful outcomes, that
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  will then ultimately provide value. That's at the
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  end of the day. Are you providing,
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  you know, value to both your organization and
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  then members and or customers?
• 11:14
  So, Troy, as I understand it, scan health
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  plan just surpassed 300,000
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  members
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  this March.
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  What's behind that? What ultimately drove that major
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  growth for the company?
• 11:27
  Yeah. Thanks for that question. And,
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  obviously, here at SCAN, we're super excited and
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  and,
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  you know,
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  really, really, the accomplishment that we were able
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  to make on 300,000.
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  So there there's a component, you know, of
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  sales, growth, marketing, you know, the products that
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  we deliver.
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  And then from my end perspective, you know,
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  truly that service that we deliver,
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  I I think that's a key component in
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  one, you know, creating the loyalty and and
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  the excitement about BNS scan. And then I
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  think, two, being able to kinda maintain and
• 11:59
  retain, you know, those members, you know, over
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  the years. When you think about our our
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  overall service model, it's really kind of a
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  one to one. So we, you know, really
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  encourage
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  our team to, you know, be in the
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  moment for that call,
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  to try to work towards resolving on that
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  call so our members don't have to call
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  back,
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  and and being able to just to deliver
• 12:19
  a unparalleled experience for our members. So, again,
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  I think those those are some core,
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  pillars that that help deliver
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  on the service model and and then the
• 12:29
  brand of ScanRise. So now they know what
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  to expect, you know, each and every time
• 12:32
  they need to contact, SCAN for support.
• 12:36
  Fantastic. Well, Troy, before we go today, any
• 12:38
  other final thoughts you wanna share with our
• 12:40
  listeners?
• 12:41
  No. I I I think,
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  you know, staying positive and passionate about about
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  what we do. Right? And I I think,
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  you know, there there's a number of challenges
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  in the world out there today, and I
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  think, you know, really coming to the table
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  with with your best effort and best game,
• 12:57
  you know, as a leader, I think is
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  really important.
• 13:00
  Well, Troy, thank you so much for taking
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  the time to sit down with us and
• 13:03
  for sharing your thoughts with our audience. We
• 13:05
  really appreciate it. Yeah. Thank you. And if
• 13:08
  you'd like to listen to more podcasts from
• 13:10
  Becker's Healthcare, you can visit beckershospitalreview.com.