7 key steps to build a valuable COB program

Healthcare providers are under significant strain due to escalating costs, heightened post-pandemic demand, and mounting administrative expenses—all of which contribute to undesirable medical loss ratios (MLR). Implementing an effective coordination of benefits (COB) program is a crucial first step to alleviate these pressures: reducing medical expenses, enhancing member satisfaction, and mitigating friction with providers through swift and accurate determination of benefit order, even in intricate cases. An effective COB program also saves health plan resources and reduces provider and member abrasion by decreasing the number of claims that need further review.