Ascend VoIP Call Feature
Overview
This project focused on enhancing Ascend’s Medicare Sales and Enrollment platform, specifically the outbound calling feature, RATE, to comply with new CMS regulations that mandated recording and secure storage of all Medicare-related calls for ten years. Initially developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to support remote agents, RATE required significant upgrades to meet CMS requirements and to ensure smooth operation for the upcoming 2023 Annual Enrollment Period (AEP). The solution needed to integrate Twilio’s VoIP functionalities, support real-time consent tracking, and provide a user-friendly, compliant interface that allowed agents to focus on beneficiary interactions rather than complex compliance tasks. Our approach involved embedding compliance workflows directly into the call interface, creating a streamlined, accessible system that enabled efficient call tracking, secure storage, and quick retrieval. This upgrade not only ensured regulatory compliance but also enhanced the overall agent experience by improving navigation, integrating beneficiary profiles, and enabling real-time transcription. The project delivered a centralized, scalable, and compliant VoIP-enabled solution that supported both outbound and inbound calls, meeting critical CMS mandates while supporting agent productivity.
Project Details
Team
Product Owner • Data Architect • Development Lead • Product Designer (my Role)
Duration
Eight weeks from kickoff to submission to CMS
Tools
Figma • FigJam• Photoshop • Confluence • Jira
Case Study
Business Problem
Ascend’s outbound calling feature, RATE, initially introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to support remote agents, required significant upgrades to comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate that all Medicare-related calls be recorded and securely stored for ten years as of October 1, 2022. This mandate necessitated the integration of VoIP capabilities and robust data handling for recording, consent tracking, and retrieval. The project was critical for the upcoming 2023 Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), where efficiency and compliance were essential.
The primary objectives were to modernize the outbound calling feature to support both inbound and outbound calls, integrate real-time consent tracking, and establish HIPAA-compliant storage for recorded calls. The solution needed to enhance usability for agents, enabling them to focus on beneficiary interactions without being burdened by complex compliance procedures. Key stakeholders included two primary agent personas:
Sarah Thompson: An independent agent who valued flexibility and sought a streamlined compliance process to reduce administrative burdens.
Michael Rodriguez: A corporate agent who needed efficient tools that fit seamlessly into structured workflows.
Interviews with the technology and operations teams highlighted concerns regarding system scalability, secure storage, and quick retrieval to meet CMS audit requirements. Addressing these diverse needs within the mandated timeline required a solution that balanced compliance with usability, ensuring smooth operation during the AEP while minimizing disruptions to agents’ workflows.
Solution
To address these challenges, we designed a centralized and intuitive system that integrated VoIP functionalities via Twilio, ensuring secure, real-time call recording and consent tracking. This solution seamlessly incorporated CMS requirements while supporting agents in both inbound and outbound calling, maintaining operational efficiency and compliance.
Integrated Compliance Checkpoints: Compliance was embedded directly into the call interface, allowing agents to track consent using checkboxes for disclaimers and real-time consent confirmation. A color-coded status bar provided immediate feedback on call connection and recording status, minimizing the need for agents to navigate multiple systems or pre-call prompts.
Beneficiary Profiles and Streamlined Navigation: To reduce system-switching, beneficiary profiles were integrated into the call interface, enabling agents to access beneficiary information directly. This integration ensured continuity in their workflow, allowing agents to focus on interactions without toggling between platforms.
Enhanced Search and Retrieval: We developed advanced search capabilities to meet CMS audit requirements, with filters for date, beneficiary, and call type to streamline call recording retrieval. Auto-tagging features allowed for easy classification and on-demand retrieval of calls, enhancing compliance tracking.
Scalable, Secure Storage and Real-Time Transcription: Leveraging Twilio’s HIPAA-compliant API for storage, our solution included automated archiving for the ten-year mandate, ensuring recordings were efficiently maintained. Real-time transcription capabilities improved productivity by reducing the need for manual note-taking, allowing agents to concentrate on their interactions.
Continuous Testing and Feedback: We involved in-house agents in extensive testing to refine workflows and simplify processes further. Feedback loops allowed us to identify and address potential issues in real-time, ensuring the final product was user-friendly and ready for the AEP.
The enhanced system provided agents with a streamlined experience, integrating compliance requirements directly into their workflow without adding complexity. By eliminating the need for manual compliance tracking and implementing a centralized interface, we increased both productivity and adherence to compliance, delivering a reliable and scalable foundation for future AEP enrollments.
Business Strategy
The strategy for enhancing Ascend’s outbound calling feature focused on regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and improved user experience to align with CMS mandates and agent needs. Key objectives included:
Alignment with CMS Requirements: By ensuring that every Medicare-related call was recorded, securely stored, and easily retrievable, we supported compliance while providing the operational tools needed to meet regulatory demands.
User-Centered Experience: The system emphasized embedding compliance checkpoints directly into the agent workflow, reducing disruptions. Real-time consent tracking, transcription, and advanced search functionalities streamlined processes, reinforcing Ascend’s commitment to user-centered design.
Scalability and Long-Term Compliance: Designed to evolve with future CMS regulations, the platform’s modular and scalable infrastructure allows for updates without extensive rework. Secure, HIPAA-compliant storage ensures continuity of compliance, setting Ascend up for success in future enrollment periods.
Brand Positioning: By modernizing the platform and communicating these enhancements, Ascend positioned itself as a proactive leader in compliance-driven solutions, appealing to agents and stakeholders focused on reliability and usability.
Experience Drivers
Embedded Compliance Features: Integrated compliance tracking with checkboxes, color-coded status indicators, and auto-tagging enabled agents to manage CMS requirements seamlessly.
Efficient Navigation and Data Access: The incorporation of beneficiary profiles and advanced search functions within the call interface allowed agents to manage interactions seamlessly without unnecessary system-switching.
Real-Time Support and Transcription: Features like real-time transcription and call monitoring supported agents in maintaining focus on beneficiary needs, enhancing compliance and productivity.
Consistent and Scalable Interface: The standardized, VoIP-enabled interface provided agents with access to all tools within a single, intuitive dashboard, ensuring a scalable and compliant solution.
Metrics
To ensure the upgraded system met compliance and usability goals, we established KPIs that measured key aspects of performance:
Increased Call Compliance Rate
KPI: Achieve a 95% compliance rate in recorded calls by the end of the AEP, ensuring calls meet CMS requirements.Reduced Call Handling Time
KPI: Reduce call handling time by 20% through improved navigation and embedded compliance tracking, allowing agents to focus on interactions rather than administrative tasks.ImprovedRetrieval Efficiency
KPI: Enable retrieval of recorded calls within 10 seconds on average, reducing time spent on CMS audits and enhancing agent productivity.Enhanced Agent Satisfaction
KPI: Achieve a 90% satisfaction rating among agents using the new interface, measured through surveys focused on ease of use, training adequacy, and compliance support.
Design Process
Discovery Phase
The Discovery phase was essential for gathering requirements and understanding the needs of both agents and stakeholders. Key activities included:
User Interviews: Although we could not directly speak with agent users of the current platform, we conducted interviews with the customer success team, internal staff, and call center agents. From these interviews, we identified two types of agents likely to use the system regularly. This understanding enabled us to develop two primary agent personas: independent agent Sarah Thompson, who values flexibility, and corporate agent Michael Rodriguez, who requires efficient workflows. These personas highlighted needs for flexibility, streamlined compliance, and simplified workflows.
Stakeholder and Technology Team Discussions: Discussions with corporate leadership, compliance officers, and the technology team reiterated the need for scalable, secure storage and easy retrieval of recordings for CMS audits.
Competitive Analysis: We evaluated existing VoIP and compliance solutions, identifying opportunities to improve Ascend’s system with inline user profiles, advanced search, retrieval, and transcription features that were user-friendly.
Ideate Phase
Using insights from the Discovery phase, we applied several ideation techniques to design solutions aligned with CMS requirements and user needs:
Heuristic Evaluation: We evaluated the existing system, identifying inefficiencies and potential compliance risks. This evaluation helped us prioritize the development of a simple, clean interface that could support agents in managing their tasks efficiently.
Task Analysis: Conducted a task analysis with UX designers, product owners, and compliance specialists to map the end-to-end workflow for compliance in calls. This analysis identified specific steps that could be simplified, ensuring CMS adherence without creating unnecessary complexity.
User Journey Mapping: We created journey maps for both inbound and outbound call processes, visualizing potential friction points. During this mapping exercise, we identified an opportunity to incorporate a prompt alerting agents to ask compliance-related questions, with the option to record answers directly in the call window.
Create Phase
In the Create phase, designers and developers collaborated closely, iteratively building, testing, and refining the VoIP solution with a focus on usability and compliance integration.
Prototyping and Usability Testing: We developed interactive prototypes and conducted usability testing sessions with in-house agents. Feedback from these sessions allowed us to refine key elements such as call recording feedback indicators, color-coded status updates, and the advanced search interface.
Real-Time Feedback Loops: Frequent feedback sessions with agents and compliance officers enabled us to identify and resolve issues swiftly. This ongoing feedback allowed us to make real-time adjustments to the design, ensuring alignment with both usability goals and CMS requirements.
Hardware and Software Integration: Twilio’s VoIP API was integrated to manage call recording and storage, ensuring HIPAA compliance. Real-time transcription and other API features were thoroughly tested to ensure smooth interaction within the call interface, enhancing agent productivity.
Evaluate Phase
Throughout the design process, we maintained continuous evaluation to ensure the solution was compliant, intuitive, and efficient.
Usability Testing and Agent Feedback: Usability testing with selected agents provided ongoing feedback on the user interface and compliance features. This feedback was crucial for addressing usability issues, testing retrieval functionality, and verifying that compliance checkpoints were well integrated into the call workflow.
Post-Launch Monitoring and Analytics: After launch, we monitored metrics such as call quality, retrieval speed, and compliance rates to ensure the system met performance expectations. Analytics tracking allowed us to identify any necessary adjustments proactively.
Challenges
One of the primary challenges in this project was integrating Twilio’s VoIP technology into Ascend’s existing legacy system. The integration required extensive coordination between Product Design and Development to ensure not only that the new features operated seamlessly but also that they aligned with Ascend’s user interface standards. This challenge was compounded by the need for real-time consent tracking and secure data handling, which had to meet HIPAA and CMS compliance requirements without overcomplicating the user experience. The team encountered additional hurdles in creating a visually cohesive and intuitive interface that integrated smoothly with the complex backend infrastructure of the legacy system.
Another significant challenge was the lack of direct access to end users, which limited our ability to gather firsthand user insights during the design process. Although we conducted proxy testing and engaged in discussions with internal support and call center staff, we had to rely heavily on feedback loops and iterative refinements to approximate real user needs. Additionally, balancing compliance requirements with usability was demanding, as CMS mandates required strict adherence to recording, storage, and consent tracking protocols that could have easily complicated the user experience. By embedding compliance features directly into the call workflow, we minimized disruptions to agents’ workflows, but achieving this balance required thoughtful design and frequent adjustments based on feedback from compliance officers and stakeholders.
This project required a flexible, collaborative approach to deliver a solution that met complex regulatory needs while remaining user-friendly, scalable, and visually cohesive.
