financial services

Highmark Spoofs Patients With So. Many. Questions

It’s a phenomenon that gets worse with every birthday: The average doctor’s visit gets shorter, while patients’ list of health problems gets longer.

So Highmark, the fourth-largest Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated health insurance provider, is introducing a new ad campaign that pokes gentle fun at the growing list of health worries that follow people as they sail into their Medicare years. 

Themed “Ask the Doctor,” each of the ads steers viewers back to the insurer’s new “Doc Talk Checklist,” a downloadable checklist that helps them organize and prep their questions for their next visit.

In one, a woman waits for her doctor while covered with of Post-It notes with helpful reminders like “Are bunions dangerous?” and “Is kale mandatory?” In another, a man greets his doctor with questions presented in PowerPoint slides, sorted by topic. “Phil’s diet. Ice cream? Caffeine?” For the third, a woman paws through dozens of file boxes as she peppers the doctor with questions. 

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The campaign is intended to remind people that communicating with providers is key to taking charge of their health. “People don’t always know the right questions to ask their doctors,” says Kelly Chapman, account director at Partners + Napier, the Rochester, N.Y.-based agency that created the spots.

“We’ve heard people say, ‘I walk in with such good intentions, and then my mind goes totally blank, once I sit down with the doctor.’ The DocTalk Checklist gives people permission to ask questions and a jumping-off point on how to start the conversation. The use of humor made it easier for everyone to relate and realize that there truly is no dumb question.”

And while the ads specifically target people old enough to use Medicare, “this is for all people who are looking to take a more active role in their health,” she tells Marketing Daily.

In its latest survey, Medscape reports that the average doctor spends between 13 and 16 minutes with each patient. 

The campaign includes TV spots, digital and mobile ads, as well as direct mail, and is airing in Pennsylvania before rolling out to other markets. Highmark, based in Pittsburgh, covers about 5.2 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia, and hundreds of thousands of additional members through its Blue Card program.

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