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BCBS of NC and Mission Health using Social Media to Negotiate: #Twitter War

This weekend, I was poking around on Twitter and kept noticing this promoted tweet popping up on my newsfeed. I really did not pay attention until about the third or fourth time I opened Twitter, it was at the top. I decided, OK…I will pay attention and read the tweet.

WOW…this is what I found!

This is the first time I have seen an healthcare insurance provider not only use social media, but use Twitter to deploy a promoted tweet over an contract issue. From the first look at this issue, it appears that BCBSNC is trying to inform their insurance holders about this contractual change, potentially disrupting their access to care. But, using Twitter as a means to access their client base (those they insure) over a social media network via a promoted Tweet is a bit different.

Here is what we do not know. Since I am not an client of BCBSNC, I do not know if letters have been sent to the employers and individuals via mail. I do not know if BCBSNC has made phone calls to those who use this insurance letting them know of this change. I do not know if BCBSNC has used local media to inform those in Asheville, NC about this change.

So I hit Google and found this article on WLOS-TV about this issue:

It looks like this is a public fight over patients covered by ACA’s insurance. Well, it also looks like MIssion Health has launched a few tweets of their own:

And it looks like the Twitter war is on between Mission Health and BCBS of NC, letting this complex issue play out in the aisles of public opinion. Mission Health has pinned this Tweet to the top of their newsfeed:

So what is it? Using social media to reach the masses to inform the public of their limiting options? Or is a PR game to sway the court of public opinion in an already complex conversation?

Lance Lunsford, Chief Marketing Officer of Texas Hospital Association, had this to see via a tweet:

With that said, BCBSNC has a place on their website talking about this issue:

So does Mission Health…Let the fight continue…


My question…who is truly fighting for the consumer, the patient? Not sure!