Health Care
>Case Study.

AvMed Health Plans

Background
AvMed is a Florida-based regional health plan. The company has a 15-year history with Wax, who publishes its quarterly AvMed Magazine, awarded the Florida Magazine Association’s 2005 "Best Newsletter in Florida” and a Gold MarCom Creative Award in 2006. This publication encourages retention, stands out in the mailbox and offers AvMed members information on plan benefits and timely content relating to current health care trends. 

Marketing Communications Challenge
In 2005, AvMed was at risk of losing many members when its biggest client, the State of Florida, decided to offer a number of additional health plan choices to its employees. The company required a complete re-branding within the employer-group community as it emerged from a one-product health plan sold directly to employers into many choices, with agents as the primary distribution channel. AvMed also needed a special outreach to the agent and physician communities to gain their support.

Solution
Using an integrated brand communications approach, Wax skillfully crafted for AvMed a bold new look and a sophisticated portfolio of branded collateral materials, delivering the message: The New AvMed offers more choices, easier access and better service. This major re-branding journey, directed to members, prospective members, physicians, agents and various other stakeholders, turned the company toward growth and expansion with its consumer products.

Results
During 2006, AvMed enjoyed a 54 percent increase in quote requests over the previous year. Commercial sales were up 115 percent and Medicare 115 percent. As a result of Wax’s strategy of developing campaigns focusing on loyalty and retention among its members, AvMed’s numbers with State of Florida employees actually increased, despite the broader choices offered to employees. AvMed was also successful in renewing 99% of their largest clients in 2006.