As the Baby Boomers are entering retirement age and beyond, we’re coming to know a different kind of senior – one who’s physically active, adventurous, self-reliant and tech-savvy. Here's what it means for your Medicare marketing...
In what may be a wake-up call for the healthcare industry, it seems that today’s seniors are not only more tech-savvy than previously assumed -- they’re actually looking to use technology and digital tools to actively manage their healthcare.
Health insurance companies are getting more and more creative when it comes to promoting healthy behaviors among their members. Some of the latest examples of this trend include efforts from some of the bigger players in health insurance – Humana, UnitedHealth and Anthem.
Innovation in healthcare will be slow and challenging. In a culture of “first do no harm,” it may take a bit longer to get there. But it will happen… it *is* happening.
Member discounts aren't unique, but what is distinctive here is the packaging and merchandising of the program, which does a nice job of making the company’s tagline – “Healthy changes everything” – both actionable and accessible. The neat blue boxes also have the potential to serve as a retention tool for existing members…. and a recruitment tool for prospective members.
The big question is: will the gamble pay off? Will Oscar save money by giving money to its members as a reward for their healthy activities? Will accessible (i.e., shared) data lower costs, as well?
This year's open enrollment challenges paint a pretty clear picture: as was the case a year ago, many people are simply not educated about the new healthcare law and what it means for their own coverage needs. Therefore, instead of simply “marketing” their plans, payers need to become educators so that consumers can become better healthcare shoppers.
This thinking draws an important distinction regarding “transparency” as a term being used in discussions about post-ACA healthcare and the new, “empowered” healthcare consumer: healthcare transparency isn’t just about sharing and providing cost information. It’s also about sharing and providing information that allows consumers to be fully informed decision-makers.
What price transparency really means for payers and providers is that they need to step up and help consumers be better shoppers. Just like some people are willing to pay more for a higher-end car because of its safety record, some people may be willing to pay more for the higher-end MRI to make sure nothing is missed in their scans. Payers and providers need to find (or revise) their value propositions, tailored to a new kind of consumer in a new kind of healthcare era.
How do you create synergy between pursuing a corporate mission and creating powerful grassroots awareness for your health plan? If you’re MVP Health Care, you drive momentum for your direct-to-consumer efforts with a social promotion that leverages consumer passion for community causes.