Most people who use their pharmacy benefit do so repeatedly throughout the year. That means recurring costs, month after month, much like a utility bill. For some patients, medication costs may feel more like a car or mortgage payment that never ends.
Prescriptions aren’t houses or cars. Most people want to spend as little as possible, so long as a medication does what it should. At Rx Savings Solutions (RxSS), the goal is to tap into that built-in incentive with simple cost and clinical insights that empower action.
It all comes down to engagement, a critical component to a member saving money and a client achieving its broader benefit goals. The RxSS Member Engagement team is responsible for both.
We spoke with two member engagement managers—Lauren Winchester and Ann Havermann—about how they support clients and empower members across the country in all types of plans and pharmacy benefit designs.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Lauren and Ann will tell you—no two health plans or employer plan sponsors are alike. The team aligns the RxSS member engagement program to each client’s unique priorities, populations, and communication needs.
Regional health plans typically brand the RxSS member portal and app as their own, along with many digital and mailed communications. The engagement plan begins well before launch and continues with ongoing, tailored support. Lauren explains:
“We work closely with health plans to understand their priorities, preferred communication channels, and address any questions or limitations they may have. This allows us to hit the ground running after launch, acting as an extension of their brand.”
The team partners with both robust internal marketing teams and those with fewer resources, offering a full suite of support in addition to ongoing savings notifications and targeted campaigns. In collaboration with each client, EMMs provide customized newsletters, memos, visuals, and direct mail—the more all available channels are leveraged, the better.
On the employer side, the client teams and goals may look different, but the approach is the same, Ann says:
“We collaborate closely with HR benefit managers who usually are juggling multiple responsibilities. Their timely notifications help us support those goals efficiently. But, like Lauren with her clients, we always stress that, historically, clients that use the full suite of engagement support are usually our most successful clients.”
Collaboration from Day One—and Beyond
Whether working with health plans or employers, the team emphasizes deep collaboration during the launch phase. An initial deep dive helps uncover client-specific challenges, communication strategies, and population insights.
“We work with the employer’s corporate communications team to map out a launch campaign that raises awareness and drives registration,” Ann says. “We use everything from digital signage and newsletters to intranet posts and internal social platforms like Viva Engage.”
Post launch, the team continues to support every client with ongoing performance reports and strategic campaigns, as well as ongoing initiatives that promote behavior change and drive cost savings.
“Aha” Moments
Breakthrough moments often come when a client sees the direct results of engagement marketing efforts, Lauren explains:
“Our email open and click-through rates are consistently strong year to year. When a health plan sees the end-to-end member journey from outreach to engagement to behavior change, everything really clicks.”
Employer clients also see the impact from similar examples. Ann says those real-life win-wins often trigger “Ah, now I get it” reactions that can spur a client team to emphasize greater employee awareness and engagement:
“When employers promote RxSS in their newsletters or internal channels, we normally see a corresponding spike in registrations. That alignment helps clients see the value of our solution and the importance of internal promotion.”
Smart Automation and Data-Driven Engagement
Supporting clients and empowering millions of members would be impossible without RxSS automation capabilities, all of which are fueled by myriad data points. The team can deliver high volumes of timely, targeted notifications and adapt outreach based on member preference and behavior. Lauren explains:
“Even if we start with incomplete member data, we work with clients to fill in the gaps and improve engagement over time. If a member isn’t responding to emails, we can pivot to direct mail or phone outreach. This ensures we reach members through the most effective channel—especially important for populations like Medicare beneficiaries who may be less comfortable with digital tools.”
For employers, data is central to building trust and driving results. Ann adds:
“We constantly analyze what’s working and what’s not. Our transparent, data-driven approach helps us build strong client relationships and deliver better outcomes.”
Fueling Passion Through Purpose
At the heart of the Member Engagement team’s work is a shared mission: helping people. Lauren puts it simply:
“At the end of the day, it’s all about Betty. Helping members and seeing the positive impact on their lives is what fuels my passion.”
Ann echoes that sentiment:
“I love building relationships with clients and helping them—and their members—save on medications. RxSS is a mission-driven organization, and that makes our work incredibly rewarding.”
By combining personalized support, smart automation, and a deep commitment to client success, the RxSS Member Engagement continues to make a meaningful difference—for clients, members, and the healthcare system.
Learn how your members and plan can reduce prescription costs with a timely, targeted and intelligent approach to engagement.
