COVER STORY
MODERNIZING UCARE In 2016, the UCare team realized their legacy claims system needed updating and was not poised to meet the needs of the future. Considering it was the same claims processing system initially implemented thirty years prior, it was due for an upgrade. “Our digital platform was quickly getting outdated, as were our data platforms, care management tools, appeals and grievances systems – and more! To remain relevant and competitive, we needed to reimagine our technology needs for the future,” conveys Marden-Resnik. Thus, UCare embarked on an incredibly aggressive, multi-year technology transformation. “We went through a process with an external technology advisor to assess the current state of our technology end-to-end. We focused on platforms, services, and processes to help us look into the future for UCare and the marketplace and create a vision for our long-term needs,” elaborates Marden- Resnik. This process resulted in a roadmap known as the Technology Vision and Plan for the Future (TVAP) that bridged UCare’s current state and desired future state.
big difference-makers for us is taking a strategic view of the change management component of this effort. More than just training or communication, we made sure to have a ‘change- capable’ culture,” Marden-Resnik explains. This approach proved deeply valuable. Complex technology implementations are prone to failure if the right change management aspects aren’t in place. Likewise, another important element that led to success is the ability to stay focused. “We had to make some tradeoffs. We had such big plans for our technology transformation that we knew there were other important initiatives we had to turn down so as not to risk achieving our technology goals,” expounds Marden-Resnik.
It covers four major areas: • Core Claims Processing • Care Management / Appeals & Grievances • Digital Transformation • Data Management & Reporting
While a business necessity, this level of transformation would bring a period of disruption for the organization. “When we first started rolling it out, many people were excited but also overwhelmed,” Marden-Resnik reveals. Even the best plans can draw criticism. Skeptics in the community suggested UCare couldn’t achieve such a lofty transformation in time. “We all agreed it was the right thing to do for the company, so we knew we had to try. We developed a plan, budgeted appropriately for the investment, and worked hard not to cut any corners,” recalls Marden-Resnik. While there were many days when the project felt insurmountable, the team made steady progress and took the initiative one step at a time. The leadership team acknowledged that it would be challenging and set up a series of support systems to ensure success. “One of the
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