Healthcare communications operate in a highly regulated environment where accuracy, timing and scale are critical. These programs support millions of Americans, and the information delivered directly impacts coverage, benefits, access to care and public health response.
For more than four decades, NPC, Inc. has served as a strategic partner to the U.S. government, supporting communications programs across the healthcare spectrum and working with federal agencies, Medicare Administrative Contractors and health plans nationwide.
NPC’s Kirk Kissell, portfolio manager, and Frank Swalga, director of revenue operations, discuss the role experience plays in healthcare communications — and how organizations are approaching the next phase of the industry.
Question: NPC partners with federal agencies, Medicare Administrative Contractors and health plans. How does that perspective shape your approach?
Kirk Kissell: At the simplest level, we help organizations communicate important healthcare information to the people who rely on it.
When you’re talking about the largest federal programs or national health plans, those communications must meet strict regulatory requirements, reach millions of people and be delivered on defined timelines. There’s virtually no margin for error.
Our role is to bring the operational expertise and solutions that allow those communications to happen reliably and consistently. Just as important is the partnership. When agencies and organizations work with NPC, we collaborate with their teams during onboarding — helping design workflows, supporting implementation and continuing to refine processes as programs evolve.
Many of the teams we support have partnered with NPC for years. Those long-standing relationships create a shared understanding of how these programs operate and what it takes to keep them running successfully.
That experience helps us tailor custom solutions that fit how healthcare programs function, not the other way around.
Q: What does supporting these programs look like operationally?
Frank Swalga: Health plan communications operations become a structured discipline. Programs involve millions of communications moving through structured workflows with strict data and timing requirements. That requires systems and processes designed to be repeatable and reliable.
From an operations standpoint, the focus is always on efficiency and accuracy, making sure data flows correctly, communications are produced consistently, and programs run smoothly and meet SLAs.
Scalability, for us, really comes down to being able to move quickly and confidently when something big changes. When a program needs help fast, we can pull teams together, align systems and get operations running smoothly without interrupting the customer’s deadlines. That’s the kind of capability you only build by doing this work day in and day out.
Q: Federal healthcare programs have trusted NPC for decades. What sustains those relationships?
KK: Trust is built over time through consistency, accountability and reliability.
Federal programs operate under strict oversight and competitive procurement rules. Many use the lowest responsible bidder standard, which focuses on cost but also requires vendors to demonstrate the qualifications, infrastructure and reliability to fulfill every requirement.
Cost efficiency matters, but being a responsible partner is the real measure. You must deliver accuracy, compliance, operational continuity and scalability every year. NPC’s ability to meet those expectations consistently has helped us maintain long-standing relationships across federal programs. Over time, experience becomes institutional knowledge, and that expertise drives innovation and reliability.
Many of the relationships and partnerships NPC has today go back years, even decades. That continuity is essential, especially in the healthcare industry.
Q: How does that federal program experience translate to the work you do with commercial health plans?
FS: The requirements are the same, but the systems are not. Health plans often have established internal workflows and technology platforms, and from a connectivity standpoint, each is different. Our job is to integrate with the way they operate, not ask them to change their systems for us.
NPC develops solutions that connect directly to their infrastructure, simplify their processes and maintain compliance. When the workflows are aligned, communications become easier to manage and far more reliable.
Q: Can you share an example where that experience made a difference for a customer?
KK: One example involved a large Medicare Administrative Contractor that needed to modernize part of its communications program.
The initiative included multiple communication types, high volumes, strict data handling requirements and specific regulatory guidelines. Based on the scope, the initial expectation was that implementation could take close to a year.
FS: We used the same structured methodology we apply to all healthcare programs. By aligning workflows and working closely with the client, we were able to implement the solution in about half the time they anticipated. More importantly, the new environment gave them a more transparent, scalable way to manage communications going forward.
That’s where experience makes a difference — not just in technology or scalability, but in how teams collaborate and solve problems.
Q: What should healthcare organizations prioritize when selecting a communications partner?
KK: Experience is probably the most important priority, with collaborative partnership a close second.
Healthcare communications sit at the intersection of regulation, operations, distribution and public trust, so we are dealing with information that affects people’s health, finances and confidence in the system.
Over 40 years in federal healthcare have taught us that success comes from discipline, flexibility and collaboration. Organizations need a partner who has lived through years of regulatory changes and unexpected challenges, and can reliably deliver accurate, compliant documents to members and patients. A valued extension of the team, this partner sees the relationship as more than a contract and provides support, expertise and guidance grounded in an informed perspective.
Q: How do you see healthcare communications evolving?
FS: We are entering a period where healthcare is expanding digital delivery as regulations allow, while still relying on print and mail for reach, compliance and confirmation of delivery. The real challenge is managing multiple communication channels without adding complexity or risk.
Our focus is on building flexible workflows and strong data practices, so communications stay accurate and compliant regardless of how they are delivered. We want to make these programs easier to manage, not harder.
KK: The goal is not simply to shift everything to digital. It is to create communication systems that choose the best channel for each requirement and each member, while maintaining compliance and managing costs.
As healthcare programs evolve, organizations will need partners who can support that transition with consistency and operational strength. NPC is positioned for that because we have spent decades supporting both federal programs and large health organizations.
We deliver on promises. We make the complex simple. And we stay aligned with our customers’ mission as their programs grow and change. At the end of the day, NPC’s purpose is straightforward: ensure critical information reaches the people who depend on it, reliably, accurately and at scale.
That means building flexible workflows and maintaining strong data management practices, so communications remain accurate and compliant regardless of how they are delivered.
Where mission meets members
At NPC, our work in healthcare connects directly to the company’s mission: to create opportunities for self-reliant individuals to improve both their quality of life and standard of living.
We believe healthcare begins with access to clear, timely information, and meeting members or patients where they are. NPC brings that mission to life by supporting plans and programs that serve millions of Americans. From onboarding through ongoing engagement, our communications help members and patients make informed decisions at every step of their healthcare journey.
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