Magellan Health: Leading humanity to health remotely

Summary

Magellan Health entered the pandemic already positioned to lean into remote work, an unusual advantage in an industry where a relatively small share of the US healthcare workforce operates remotely. The behavioral and specialty healthcare company translated its mission of leading humanity to healthy and vibrant lives into concrete action during COVID-19, from expanding telemedicine services to government partnerships focused on public health awareness. That focus on distributed-first healthcare delivery also shaped how the company approached hiring at a time when much of the industry remained tied to physical facilities and in-person patient care.

Magellan's talent strategy includes a Virtual Employee Resource Network that consolidates employee support services and has meaningfully cut HR case volume and query resolution time through self-service tools. Magellan's broader employee benefit structure spans health coverage, adoption and education assistance, and support for major life events like pregnancy and childcare.

On customer centricity, Magellan's pandemic response included a cognitive behavioral therapy app offered at no cost for coronavirus-related sleep disorders, new telehealth programs, and public-facing crisis communication resources. Its acquisition activity in pharmacy benefit management and senior care extends its reach into Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care markets.

What does customer centricity look like for a healthcare company when the crisis is a global pandemic?