Payer IT Consulting 2019
Which Firms Can Adapt to Meet the Complex IT Needs of Payer Organizations?

Industry Insights | What Payer Services Did KLAS Measure
for This Report?

Performance Insights | Which Firms Can Meet Your Needs?

To identify the firm that will best fit your needs, consider (1) the depth and breadth of firms’ service offerings (including their expertise in healthcare) and (2) firms’ performance and delivery (including adaptability to customer needs—i.e., agility and flexibility in approach and staffing).

Cross-Industry Firms Typically Less Adaptive—Cognizant Falls Behind Most Due to Poor Delivery

Clients of Cognizant, one of the largest vendors in the payer healthcare IT market, report the firm is difficult to work with, is very expensive, and lacks understanding of the healthcare market and organizations’ unique needs. NTT DATA is seen as having reliable consultants with strong IT skills, but resources may lack strategic expertise, experience in the healthcare industry, and adaptability for more complex organizations. PwC (limited data) delivers mixed experiences; satisfied clients feel the firm is honest and has good bench strength, while dissatisfied clients experience communication issues and feel the firm is not strategic enough.

Deloitte and Accenture (both limited data) perform better than the previously discussed cross-industry firms. Deloitte clients report consultants are highly knowledgeable, are flexible in meeting client needs, and fit into the culture of client organizations. Accenture clients are moderately satisfied overall and report good execution, though some see the firm as less strategic.

Healthcare-Specific Firms FlexTech, Change Healthcare, and Cumberland Provide Most Value

In clients’ eyes, FlexTech delivers consistently high satisfaction because of their market knowledge, experienced consultants, and ability to understand the organizations they work with, adjust their approach as needed, and meet organizations’ unique needs. Change Healthcare also has highly satisfied customers; the firm delivers experienced consultants, is flexible, meets clients’ unique needs, and helps keep organizations on track with projects. Both FlexTech and Change Healthcare receive praise for providing good value for their price. Cumberland adapts well to organizations’ needs and brings both payer and provider healthcare knowledge to their projects. HighPoint Solutions (limited data) stands out for offering high-quality consultants for a low cost.

Optum and emids Bring Value with Strong Executive Involvement

Optum, who provides services mostly for Optum software and also some third-party solutions, delivers strong strategic expertise through their knowledgeable consultants; clients also mention the firm is responsive (often due to good executive involvement) and provides high-quality service and delivery. The most common complaint from clients is high cost. emids, who mainly does optimization work, also has strong executive involvement, allowing them to accommodate requested changes from clients. They also add value with their technical expertise. Respondents feel the midsize firm is able to keep costs down while still partnering well and bringing in knowledgeable consultants needed for successful projects. A couple of emids clients feel engagements took longer than they expected.