A major employer just put out an RFP for a new health plan. You’re no stranger to responding to healthcare RFPs, but today’s market is more crowded than ever before. So, how are you going to stand out among your competitors?

You may be fully prepared to answer all their questions about benefits, competitive pricing, care networks, and pharmacies. But how are you positioning your technology and member experience offerings for an employer RFP?

Healthcare technology is more important than ever, with the massive growth of telehealth and digital care management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology is how many health plans are engaging members—and encouraging them to take full advantage of their benefits. But in order to both win and retain business, your technology offering has to do more than check a box on your application.

With the right technology partner, you’ll be able to move toward improving member experience and demonstrate the ROI you provide. Stand out among your competitors by being more than just a single-issue solution—because the members you serve don’t just have single issues. They need a personalized and flexible healthcare technology solution.

It’s easy to tell potential clients that you offer a straightforward and supportive onboarding process. But demonstrating your strategy—for both employers and members—will make you really stand out.

Some key differentiators for healthcare technology solutions could include:

Does your technology partner include promo kits and marketing materials? Your technology vendor should be a partner in expanding your member reach. Ask to work with your vendor to create marketing materials that encourage downloads and engagement, as well as promote your flexible technology offerings.

Health equity is more than just a current healthcare hot topic. It’s how health plans and providers understand a member’s needs—and all the factors impacting their health. From location to income, and transportation access to language barriers, social determinants of health dictate how (and if) members approach healthcare.

Even if members receive excellent care in the doctor’s office, the majority of our lives happen outside a clinical setting. So make sure your technology platform includes ways for members to improve their health literacy, and for staff to indicate any healthcare barriers that come up.

Are your member service solutions all in one place, or does your admin team need to gather disparate resources to address concerns? Centralizing resources makes it easy for members to self-serve and answer their own questions, giving staff more time to focus on other priorities. A member resource center saves time and money by delivering relevant information straight to members’ mobile devices.

Offering an inclusive staff dashboard also makes it easier for care teams to communicate with members and send key resources from a single platform. This means your staff can reach a greater volume of members in less time.

Today’s healthcare experience can be complex, overwhelming, and frustrating for members. Technology partners like Wellframe help break down the walls of the healthcare maze and enable health plans to centralize resources around members. Connecting internal teams and delivering a personalized digital experience supports members at every stage of their health journey.

Is your healthcare technology meeting members where they are? Mobile apps give members a single point of contact to their care team and plan benefits. Even better, can members ask questions and get help finding the right resources within a HIPAA-compliant chat? Wellframe’s digital health management platform enables health plans and employers to curate resources in a single location. Connect members to benefits that are best for them and help them find the providers that best meet their needs.

Many members living with chronic illness are not just impacted by one diagnosis. In a recent study on the impact of digital health, more than 80% of participants had 2 or more chronic conditions. Offering support for just one condition leaves members vulnerable to complications from their other conditions—and leaves employers with multiple point solutions to manage.

Understanding and supporting the whole member improves care outcomes and empowers individuals to take control of their own health goals. Digital health tools can increase engagement and efficiency, while also surfacing member risk in a much more timely fashion than claims-based predictive modeling. This can lead to lower care costs and reduced readmission rates, among other benefits. For example, Wellframe’s care programs support the health and wellness of your members through digestible content and personalized checklists.

In a recent peer-reviewed study, a digital care management tool resulted in savings of $641 per member per month—or $1,923 per patient for the 90-day study period. The same study found that a digital health intervention reduced inpatient admissions by 17%, and increased use of preventative services by 29%.

How are you tracking the impact of your technology solution for members and employers? A sleek interface and affordable pricing is great. But all the bells and whistles won’t help you close a deal if you can’t prove the value of your healthcare technology.

You can only understand so much about a potential client through an RFP, and there’s only so much they can learn about you. You have to set yourself apart in your response and in your presentation.

Even among responses to a single RFP, employers are never comparing apples to apples. Take control of the narrative by asking the right questions and bringing the right conversations to the table.

Here are a few ways you can demonstrate your value:

It can be difficult preparing this all on your own. Does your technology vendor offer an RFP bidding toolkit? Can they understand your story and help you bring it to life? Make sure you choose a vendor that can meet the needs of your members, your staff, and your business goals.