Healthy Business Group Enables Fast, Secure Data Exchange During Benefits Enrollment

Healthy Business Group (HBG) has been operating in the health insurance space for over a decade, initially as a B2B provider of wellness solutions for employer groups partnering with major insurance companies. In recent years, HBG has pivoted to building their own health plan specifically designed for self-employed individuals who are traditionally underserved in the health insurance market. With this evolution, the need to securely handle sensitive customer data has become increasingly important.

The Result

With Virtru, HBG can:

• Easily exchange benefits information with customers via email: Whether it’s a health record or a social security number, HBG can quickly collect the information they need.

• Integrate PHI encryption directly into Gmail: Virtru provides a seamless experience for both HBG staff and their external customers, requiring minimal technical knowledge.

• Speeds up communication during enrollment windows. Virtru protects PHI and PII that must be shared for enrollment and claims resolution.

The Easiest Choice for Gmail Encryption

Before implementing Virtru for Gmail, HBG was using Citrix ShareFile for secure data exchange. According to Brian Scopinich, Director of Technology at HBG, the transition to Virtru was driven by the need for greater ease of use.

"I think I've been using it for so long now… but when I first got into Virtru, I was using something called Citrix ShareFile. The ease of use of Virtru was just great; it made it a lot easier to do what we needed to do, quickly," explains Scopinich.

The seamless Gmail integration was a particularly compelling feature for HBG, with Scopinich noting, "Especially if you use Gmail, it's kind of a no-brainer. I would probably not even consider anything else, to be honest with you."

Seamless Deployment Supports High-Volume Data Exchanges

HBG’s data management and customer support teams use Virtru, as they regularly handle sensitive information. The solution has been especially valuable for their monthly enrollment processes.

"Today is a big day for me, because I'm finishing up processing data for April 1," Scopinich explains. "You're going through hundreds of records for individuals and their family members... and data will get flagged. For example, if somebody is enrolling themselves and their family in a health plan and two of their children have the same social security number, I need to reach out to that person quickly."

This is where Virtru shines for HBG. "It’s good to be able to email them and say, 'I noticed this social security number is duplicated, and I'm going to send you an easy, secure email where you can reply with this information,'" says Scopinich. The simplicity of the solution on both ends has been critical for their success.

Enabling Secure Health Insurance Operations 

For HBG, Virtru has become an essential tool for maintaining data security while ensuring operational efficiency. The company uses Virtru primarily as a backstop when their website-based data collection processes require manual intervention or correction.

Scopinich notes that, often, health insurance customers are reaching out to fix a problem or issue, so they may already be frustrated before getting to the point of sharing PHI. "Making things easy for them is key, especially when it comes to sensitive data," he said. This puts customers at ease.  

When comparing Virtru to other security platforms he's used, Scopinich notes, "I've used other platforms, and sometimes it's just a little overbearing. It's like you log in and they send you a code and this and that, and it just sometimes can be too many steps. Virtru is easier and quicker, while maintaining the security and integrity and making you feel like you're in a secure platform."

Perhaps most telling is that HBG has never received complaints from customers about using Virtru to exchange sensitive information. As Scopinich puts it, "I definitely never heard anyone say 'I couldn't even get in' or 'That didn't work.' No news is good news."