Health Insurance Portal
Progressive web app
As a UI/UX Designer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE), a private health insurer, I was tasked with updating the design of their existing member portal website to make it more user-friendly and easier for members to understand the status of their claims.
BCBSNE also wanted me to include several features from the now-defunct HATCX | thrive mobile app into the design. My goal was to conduct the initial user research and provide wireframes for the new member portal website.
UX Research, UI Design
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE)
2019
Old Design
Updated Design
Process
I leveraged BCBSNE’s testing lab to conduct several usability tests with employees and eventually members themselves. This lab allowed me to track users eye movements and response times to conduct basic tasks within the interface. I also shadowed customer service representatives to get a better idea of the most common questions members were asking.
One major consideration was that the primary user base skewed older in age. With this in mind, several design choices were made to increase accessibility for this group like using larger fonts, including more explanatory text, and segmenting dashboards to better compartmentalize information.
Showing a clear breakdown of how claims were paid and processed was also a primary concern for the users we tested. Eye tracking and click data showed that the current design caused users to switch back and forth between claim and benefits views to determine how each individual claim effected their overall benefits status. Our new design would correct for this, showing each claim’s direct impact on users; deductibles and out-of-pocket maxes.
Our testing also showed that users gained a better understanding of their claims by seeing visual representations of the amounts in addition to the actual numbers. Claim statuses were also given more detailed explanations so users were made aware of exactly were any given claim was in the process.
The current site was not responsive, so simply by updating this to current standards was an easy win for our users.
Solutions
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Updated Design
Modern responsive design that conforms to the user’s screen size
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Intuitive Interface
More user-friendly for older and possibly less tech-savvy members
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Insurance Benefits
Simplified view of benefits with spending accumulators and insurance cards
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Claim Statuses
Detailed claim information including cost breakdown, claim status, and provided services
Outcome
After completing the initial user research and wireframes, I onboarded another designer within BCBSNE to complete the project, as I had accepted another opportunity elsewhere. The final version of the member portal was eventually released in 2022 with few overall changes from my original designs. Members were given a much clearer understanding of their claim status and payment breakdown, resulting in an overall decrease of customer support calls by 22%.
