CommunityCareRX: MemberHealth Medicare Part D Web Site Marks Success

The Project Scope

When MemberHealth Inc., a leader in the design and execution of prescription drug programs, received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to enroll Medicare Part D participants, it faced a major challenge.  Given time constraints, the Solon, OH-based company needed to have a functional Web site up and running before open enrollment began Nov. 15 2005.

The Challenge

Not only was MemberHealth under a tight deadline, it was under the constraints of federal Medicare Part D guidelines. The challenge was to combine and customize existing Web technology where appropriate, to develop new technology to meet MemberHealth’s expanded needs, and to do it fast.

The Solution

Once again, MemberHealth looked to IdeaStar who had already designed and developed several consumer sites for MemberHealth’s discount drug distribution channel. IdeaStar developed the Web site so visitors could locate participating pharmacies, view various plan details relative to their home state, look up drug prices in their area, review policies and procedures, and enroll in the Medicare Part D program.  Non-technical MemberHealth staff can also keep portions of the Web site up-to-date with IdeaStar’s Content Management System.

The Results

The site was developed and launched in six weeks.  Final documentation from CMS was released about August 15, 2005. The site went live October 1, 2005 with the open enrollment period beginning Nov. 15, 2005. The online effort was supported with keyword-rich search engine optimization and effective Web site copy that supported MemberHealth’s grass-roots marketing. The target was local community pharmacists who pointed their patients to the site for enrollment.

Results were tremendous.  As of June 30, 2006, there were:

·         380,000 visits to the site

·         280,000 search engine referrals

·         100,000 plus online enrollments submitted

·         MemberHealth became the nation's fourth largest Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Provider with over 1 million enrollments

The original site garnered national attention with two prestigious awards:  The Best of PIMA Award presented by the Professional insurance Marketing Association, and a Finalist Award in the E-Fusion Competition presented at the A.M. Best Insurance and Technology Conference. 

The Client Says
Charles E. Hallberg, JD, MemberHealth Founder, and President, said, "By all measures of enrollment and site utilization, communitycarerx.com set the standard within the online Medicare Part D enrollment market.  It seems this site was unique.  There was industry skepticism that online enrollment would be an asset in the Part D roll-out.  MemberHealth proved otherwise, capitalizing on the marketing opportunity presented by Web-based enrollments."

“IdeaStar’s experience with Web design and architecture within the insurance market, as well as previous experience in the precursor Medicare discount drug card program, combined to make the design and construction of the new Part D site simple and painless,” Mr. Hallberg said.

For more information contact:

Mike Wise, IdeaStar Vice President of Insurance Technologies, at 216-674-1600 ext. 116, or

Alan Scantland, MemberHealth SVP Corporate Development, 888-765-3648 ext. 157.