Case Study: Converting Health Plan Members to Mail Order Pharmacy
A national health organization partnered with us to increase member adoption of home-delivery pharmacy.
Many members faced:
long pharmacy wait times
complex refill processes
limited transportation
inconsistent access to medications
We designed a personalized, multi-channel experience to reduce friction, understand needs, and help members switch to a more convenient and cost-effective pharmacy option.
Goals
Increase utilization of home-delivery pharmacy
Understand member pharmacy needs through a short assessment
Convert 2–4% of a 50k population (1,000–2,000 members)
Achieve 20–30% survey completion rate
Capture ongoing communication consent for future personalized outreach
What I Led
I led the program’s UX research, designing the needs assessment, uncovering the key drivers behind pharmacy conversion, and synthesizing behavioral insights across tens of thousands of member interactions. From there, I drove the content strategy, creating all net-new, personalized messaging and building dynamic content rules informed by behavioral and demographic segments. I also owned the omnichannel experience, shaping email, SMS, IVR, and print content to ensure clarity and consistency across every touchpoint while structuring the end-to-end journey from outreach through enrollment and education. Throughout the project, I worked closely with product, analytics, design, clinical, and compliance partners, aligning cross-functional stakeholders around shared requirements and a unified content framework.
Insights That Drove the Experience
From the assessment and early data, we uncovered clear behavioral patterns:
Wait Times Are a Critical Driver
31% of members reported frustration with retail wait times.
60% of converted members cited wait time frustration.
→ We emphasized faster access + convenience in messaging.
Access Barriers Drive Conversions
Members who converted were more likely to cite transportation and access challenges (9%).
Members who stayed in retail were less concerned about this.
→ We reframed home delivery as reliable, accessible, predictable care.
Convenience + Privacy Motivate Behavior
Members switching to home delivery were 3x more likely to cite privacy & convenience.
→ We positioned home delivery as private, low-effort, secure.
Cost Still Matters, But Isn’t Everything
56% of members said cost savings mattered most, but the biggest differentiator between converters and non-converters was actually access, not cost.
→ Messaging shifted from purely “save money” → “make your life easier.”
What We Built
We created a dynamic member assessment that asked a few personalized questions to understand pharmacy frustrations, access barriers, refill habits, and cost sensitivity. Completion rates reached ~6% in the first month, which was right on track for the pilot.
Based on each member’s responses, the experience generated a personalized action plan with clear benefits, tailored reasons to switch, and the next steps most relevant to their situation.
To support the journey end-to-end, we designed a multi-channel communication system: email, SMS, IVR, print, and web/app content—all working together with consistent tone, simple instructions, and a unified explanation of how home delivery works and why it matters.
Month 1 Results
50,000 members enrolled
From a 50k population, ~50k members were successfully reached and engaged.
92.6% outreach success rate
Strong contact ability across channels.
5.9% assessment completion rate
Early indicator that dynamic questions were working.
0.70% conversion rate
349 members converted to home delivery (noteworthy for a large Medicare population with high inertia).
Growth trajectory
Program projected to reach ~130k+ conversions by Fall as more cohorts are rolled out and dynamic content improves.
69% higher conversion likelihood
Members with existing authorization on file were 69% more likely to convert, a key behavioral signal for future segmentation.
Navigating Challenges
Retail Pharmacy Loyalty
Members were emotionally attached to their retail store.
→ I reframed benefits around convenience, control, and anxiety reduction, not just cost.
Confusing Pharmacy Language
Terms like “90-day supply,” “prior authorization,” and “automatic refill” confused users.
→ I converted everything into plain-language microcopy and “what this means for you” phrasing.
Cross-team Misalignment
Pharmacy and marketing teams had competing priorities.
→ I unified them with a shared message architecture and a single source of truth for content.
Business Impact
The program shifted more members from inconsistent retail pickup to a more reliable pharmacy channel, improving access and supporting better medication management, especially for chronic condition populations. Early results also indicate meaningful financial upside, with potential six-figure annual savings driven by improved adherence, more predictable refill behavior, stronger retention, and greater operational efficiency.
Final Takeaway
The Mail Order Pharmacy Program shows my ability to take a complex healthcare service, understand the behavioral barriers behind it, and design a scalable, omni-channel experience that increases adoption and improves the member experience.
It also highlights the strategic importance of content as a driver of conversion, not just communication.