How well versed do plan members need to be about their Manulife drug plans?

September 21, 2022

For business owners, plan sponsors and administrators

…maybe they just need to know where to find the information when they need it.

A parent sits in the doctor’s office with her young child. The doctor is writing a prescription and asks questions about their family drug plan. But, at that moment, the parent’s attention is (correctly) focused entirely on her infant. And she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure her child receives the care that’s needed.

At such moments, you don’t expect your plan members to remember every detail of their drug plan: what’s covered? What isn’t covered? Is there a formulary? Brand or generic? And where can they find the best value?

Neither should your insurer.

In the past, the tools available to help members find the information they need quickly at moments like this were limited. The information was out there, but most often it was found in bulky benefits booklets or buried somewhere on a website. Today, there’s an ever-growing list of options to help plan members work with their doctors and pharmacists to get the best care and value from their drug plans. They just need to know where to find them.

Tell your members: there really is an app for that

In the 2021 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey, health-care apps were number 6 on the top 10 list of products or services that plan sponsors would like to see in their plans¹. Considering the importance of the drug plan, any app that helps a plan member use and understand their pharmacy benefit is going to make life easier for everyone: member, doctor, pharmacist, and plan sponsor.

With a drug plan app on their smart phones, there’s no need to memorize plan details or lists of covered medications. Plan members would have instant and easy access to their coverage details when meeting with their doctors or when visiting the pharmacy.

That makes your job easier, too. When you’re educating employees on the specific details of their drug plan, you can point to the app as an educational resource. That way, they have the information they need, when they need it, in a format that’s easy to find and use.

Improving the drug plan experience

Here’s an example: on the Manulife Mobile app, we continue to make enhancements. Recently, the design and interface were both updated, making it even easier for your plan members to use the app and find important details about their drug plans, including lists of covered medications, and best-value options.

With these important plan details as close as their smart phones, plan members will have the drug plan information they need when interacting with the health care system. The easier the plan is to use, the more likely it is that your members will appreciate the important coverage your plan provides. And it might even make life just a little easier during those stressful moments.

The sustainability of an organization’s drug plan is often the leading concern for plan sponsors². Tools like the Manulife Mobile app and its drug plan feature make the benefit easier for your members to use, and it helps them make better choices for the best outcomes at those critical moments – when they’re interacting with the health care system.