Maximizing Patient Access with a Provider Reimbursement Portal

Client Challenge:
A large pharmaceutical company that manufactures a high-cost, physician-administered oncology treatment needed to differentiate its biologic from multiple competitors, increase product visibility, and ultimately maximize patient access.

Xcenda’s Action:
Xcenda partnered with the Lash Group, the largest provider of reimbursement consulting support services in the United States and a fellow AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group company, to deliver an integrated patient access solution. This solution combined reimbursement strategy with tactical support and flawless execution. The team developed a secure, web-based portal that gave oncologists’ staff a more efficient method of enrolling and managing patients in the manufacturer’s assistance program. With interactive features, clear visuals, and user-friendly reporting functions, the portal effectively increased visibility for the manufacturer’s product and offered physician staff valuable resources to help patients gain access to this important oncology treatment.

Xcenda created a launch strategy to maximize the number of oncology practices that would register as users and utilize the portal on a consistent basis. The strategy incorporated training for the manufacturer’s sales, marketing, and field representatives on the portal’s capabilities, including:

• Demonstrating how the portal fits into the manufacturer’s broader reimbursement strategy
• Communicating the most valuable features and functions of the portal for customers
• Anticipating and preparing compliant answers for questions from providers and their staff

Xcenda also deployed a team of experienced provider reimbursement educators to train oncology practices and provide continued support as physician staff registered and began utilizing the portal. Xcenda’s specific activities related to the portal launch included:

• Live presentations at national, regional, and POA meetings
• Webcast demonstrations
• Provider portal educational brochure
• Sales force tutorial CD
• Logistics management for webcasts and live demonstrations

Results:
Feedback and utilization statistics from oncology practices demonstrated that the portal was considered a “great resource.” Online enrollment ranked as the portal’s most valuable feature.

• The portal’s features related to patient list and case status reporting topped user's preferred benefits. Comments included: “gives real-time feedback and takes the place of making multiple phone calls to check the status of a patient,” and it “makes it easy if someone is out and we need to know the status of an application.” 
  
• Users indicated the alerts and reminders give “immediate insight into outstanding items for our patients and help prioritize our work.”