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October 10, 2008
Humana Helping Spanish Speaking Health Savings Account Owners
Humana Health Insurance has launched its new Interactive Voice Response Systems (IVRs) with complete Spanish functionality. IVR is an automated telephone technology that allows a computer to interact with members through pre-recorded voice responses, to gather and provide information and to route calls to further resources such as a live customer service representative.
"Spanish-speaking members will now be able to more efficiently perform such tasks as request new identification cards, get a proof of insurance fax or make a Health Savings Account (HSA) withdrawals," said John Brown, service vice president for Humana.
"With this added functionality, Spanish-speaking members will have the same level of self-service and call routing offered to English-speaking callers."
Humana Health Insurance has a number of IVR systems designed to meet the needs of members and customers. An IVR for Humana’s commercial members was recently designed for Perfect Service, an essential consumer-centric initiative through which Humana challenges its associates and service functions to not only meet customers' needs, but to anticipate and exceed their expectations. This system provides enhanced self-service that allow our members to get information about their benefits and claims or request new identification cards without waiting to talk to a customer care associate.
Humana offers additional self-service opportunities through special IVR systems supporting the company’s Medicare products, RightSource prescription drug mail order, Nurse Advice and member spending accounts such as health savings accounts, personal care accounts and flexible spending accounts.
All of these systems are now completely Spanish-enabled. An IVR for Humana’s dental members will be enhanced with Spanish later in 2008.
The Spanish-language interactive voice response systems were enhanced to facilitate communication with the growing segment of Spanish-speaking members enrolled in Humana health plans. A large number of membership within Humana is located in states where, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics are the largest minority population. These states include Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 2006 is 44.3 million making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. There are 32.2 million U.S. household residents age five or older who speak Spanish at home. Hispanics now comprise 15 percent of the nation’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and are expected to comprise 20 percent of the population within the next 20 years.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 11.4 million medical members. Humana is a full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals.
Over its 47-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at http://www.humana.com, including copies of:
* Annual reports to stockholders;
* Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
* Most recent investor conference presentations;
* Quarterly earnings news releases;
* Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls;
* Calendar of events
* Corporate Governance Information
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Posted by Wiley Long at October 10, 2008 09:33 AM