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[Case 01]

Modernizing Highmark Wholecare's digital experience for Medicare & Medicaid members

Healthcare Insurance

Improving Access to Care Through Clearer Navigation

Reducing Confusion in Complex Healthcare Journeys

[Project Overview]

Transformed Highmark Wholecare's member portal suffering from 80% bounce rate by simplifying benefit navigation, clarifying healthcare language, and modernizing for accessibility. Led migration of legacy content into Adobe Experience Manager, improving platform consistency and scalability.

[Problem Statement]

An outdated site with unclear navigation and overly complex terminology caused an 80% bounce rate, leaving potential members and existing members, frustrated and unable to find the healthcare information they needed.

[Industry]

Healthcare Insurance

[My Role]

Lead Designer

[Platforms]

Desktop and Mobile Responsive

[Timeline]

November 2023- June 2024

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[Healthcare Personality Types]

Four Key Personality Types

As part of our research, we discovered that people approach healthcare in very different ways. Using survey data (UserZoom, PA Medicaid participants) and interviews, we identified four key personality types that shaped our design and navigation decisions.

  1. The Reactor - Focuses on health only when something goes wrong.

  2. The Striver - Actively works toward better health and seeks supportive resources.

  3. The Preventer - Stays healthy now to avoid major health issues later.

  4. The Avoider - Avoids thinking about health to minimize feelings of guilt or vulnerability.

React

Strive

Prevent

Avoid

[Goal]

Easily understand healthcare coverage and benefits without needing to decode complex medical and insurance jargon.

Quickly find benefits and services (especially dental and primary care) that fit their plan.

Save time navigating the site, since time was the biggest stressor for Medicaid participants.

[Frustrations]

Confusing navigation and terminology that makes it hard to know which benefits apply to them.

High bounce rates - users left within 60 seconds, signaling frustration or lack of trust.

Stress from external barriers (time, food, transportation, financial strain) that compound the challenge of navigating healthcare.

[Process]

[01] User Research

Surveys (UserZoom, PA Medicaid) - Collected quantitative data on how members learn about medicaid, their priorities, and stressors.

Workshops & Testing - Led nomenclature workshops, card sorts, and tree testing to uncover how members categorize healthcare benefits.

Benchmarking - Compared competitor healthcare sites to identify best practices for navigation and accessibility.

[01] User Research

Surveys (UserZoom, PA Medicaid) - Collected quantitative data on how members learn about medicaid, their priorities, and stressors.

Workshops & Testing - Led nomenclature workshops, card sorts, and tree testing to uncover how members categorize healthcare benefits.

Benchmarking - Compared competitor healthcare sites to identify best practices for navigation and accessibility.

[01] User Research

Surveys (UserZoom, PA Medicaid) - Collected quantitative data on how members learn about medicaid, their priorities, and stressors.

Workshops & Testing - Led nomenclature workshops, card sorts, and tree testing to uncover how members categorize healthcare benefits.

Benchmarking - Compared competitor healthcare sites to identify best practices for navigation and accessibility.

[02] Insights

Users struggled with confusing navigation and unclear terminology when search for benefits.

Provider networks and dental coverage were consistently top priorities across Medicaid users.

Most members only used the site for enrollment, renewal, or anual visits, leaving resources underutilized.

[02] Insights

Users struggled with confusing navigation and unclear terminology when search for benefits.

Provider networks and dental coverage were consistently top priorities across Medicaid users.

Most members only used the site for enrollment, renewal, or anual visits, leaving resources underutilized.

[02] Insights

Users struggled with confusing navigation and unclear terminology when search for benefits.

Provider networks and dental coverage were consistently top priorities across Medicaid users.

Most members only used the site for enrollment, renewal, or anual visits, leaving resources underutilized.

[03 Design Solution]

Simplified navigation by benefit categories based on tree testing results.

Rewrote complex benefit terminology into plain language that aligned with user understanding.

Created clear entry points for different mindsets (reactor, striver, preventer, avoider), ensuring each could quickly access the resources they valued most.

[03 Design Solution]

Simplified navigation by benefit categories based on tree testing results.

Rewrote complex benefit terminology into plain language that aligned with user understanding.

Created clear entry points for different mindsets (reactor, striver, preventer, avoider), ensuring each could quickly access the resources they valued most.

[03 Design Solution]

Simplified navigation by benefit categories based on tree testing results.

Rewrote complex benefit terminology into plain language that aligned with user understanding.

Created clear entry points for different mindsets (reactor, striver, preventer, avoider), ensuring each could quickly access the resources they valued most.

[04] Testing & Iteration

Conducted A/B testing with 500 users, comparing the original and redesigned flows.

Gathered feedback through usability testing and refined the design based on user input.

Designed a mobile-first layout with larger touch-friendly buttons and simplified navigation.

[04] Testing & Iteration

Conducted A/B testing with 500 users, comparing the original and redesigned flows.

Gathered feedback through usability testing and refined the design based on user input.

Designed a mobile-first layout with larger touch-friendly buttons and simplified navigation.

[04] Testing & Iteration

Conducted A/B testing with 500 users, comparing the original and redesigned flows.

Gathered feedback through usability testing and refined the design based on user input.

Designed a mobile-first layout with larger touch-friendly buttons and simplified navigation.

[Outcome]

25% increase in checkout completion rates.
Increased user confidence.
Reduced 80% bounce rate.

[Key Learnings]

Clarity drives trust.

Simplifying language and reducing jargon helped users feel more confident in navigating healthcare.

Clarity drives trust.

Simplifying language and reducing jargon helped users feel more confident in navigating healthcare.

Clarity drives trust.

Simplifying language and reducing jargon helped users feel more confident in navigating healthcare.

Navigation must reflect real mental models.

Tree testing revealed how members grouped benefits differently than the legacy site had assumed.

Navigation must reflect real mental models.

Tree testing revealed how members grouped benefits differently than the legacy site had assumed.

Navigation must reflect real mental models.

Tree testing revealed how members grouped benefits differently than the legacy site had assumed.

Accessibility is non-negotiable.

Designing with compliance in mind from the start ensured inclusivity and reduced rework.

Accessibility is non-negotiable.

Designing with compliance in mind from the start ensured inclusivity and reduced rework.

Accessibility is non-negotiable.

Designing with compliance in mind from the start ensured inclusivity and reduced rework.

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