SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Extend Health, Inc., which operates the nation’s largest private Medicare exchange, today announced it has been awarded a U.S. Patent for its automatic call distributor technology, a central component of Extend Health’s proprietary call center solution. The call distributor technology shortens call wait times by matching a caller with the benefit advisor best suited to meet the caller’s needs based on more than 40 customer-specific variables.
“Our goal is to help our customers find the best-fit private Medicare plan and complete their enrollment applications in just one call,” said Bryce Williams, CEO of Extend Health. “The key to accomplishing this is being able to match callers with the right benefit advisor when they call. That’s a complex task that involves evaluating 40 customer-specific variables, including such things as benefit advisor licensure, certifications, caller geographic location and health information, how many times the caller has called in the past and total hold time over those calls.”
The engine behind Extend Health’s call distributor technology is a grid-based algorithm instead of the typical queue-based “first come first served” algorithm employed in most call center systems. This allows a more efficient match of benefit advisor to caller. Moreover, with customer data integrated into the Extend Health service and support center solution, the call distributor technology gives benefit advisors immediate access to a customer’s health information.
The Extend Health technologists behind the call distributor technology are Cameron C. Liljenquist, David C. Annesley-DeWinter, Ryan Hauert and Mark Stafford. They were issued U.S. Patent #8,082,152, “Method and systems for routing items to resources,” for their invention on December 20, 2011.
Extend Health has helped hundreds of thousands of seniors compare and choose private Medicare plans. Extend Health is the only place seniors can compare plans available in their region from among thousands of plans from more than 75 carriers nationwide, and find plans that best meet their needs. Licensed benefit advisors are available to help seniors evaluate their Medicare coverage and explore new options quickly and easily.
About Extend Health:
Extend Health, Inc., founded in 2004, operates the largest private Medicare exchange in the country. For more information, visit Extend Health on the web at http://www.extendhealth.com.
Extend Health is a registered trademark of Extend Health, Inc. Other names may be trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners.