New White Paper Debunks Myth of Empowered Healthcare Consumer, Details Opportunities for Healthcare Marketers
As Affordable Care Act (ACA) changes roll out, many consumers are confronting healthcare options that are profoundly different from what they have been used to. Although it is very common to hear mention of “the empowered healthcare consumer,” most are not in the healthcare marketplace by choice and lack the resources they need to be effective shoppers and buyers. In fact, they may not yet have enough knowledge to understand what kinds of information and access would be most helpful.
As a result, instead of feeling empowered, they are anxious and hungry for guidance. Payers and providers willing to be disrupters have opportunities to set a new standard for healthcare marketing. And while becoming leaders in their regions and in the industry, they position themselves to attract new business and achieve customer loyalty.
David Schultz, president of Media Logic, has authored a white paper on these healthcare industry trends – and the marketing opportunities they present. The free paper – “Meet the New Health Care Consumer: Reluctant. Anxious. Looking for help.” – is available here. It offers perspective on how the industry arrived at this new marketplace and explains how payers and providers can take the lead, including specific steps they can take across the consumer/customer experience.
The paper includes insights on:
- healthcare trends that are shifting costs to consumers, including dramatic increases to deductibles and employers beginning to get out of the health insurance business;
- what payers and providers can do to earn consumer trust and create brand affinity in the new marketplace, including embracing price and quality transparency; and
- how to optimize the customer experience throughout the entire process of researching, finding, securing and using both care and coverage.
It is only a matter of time before the new healthcare consumers, who are presently anxious and ill-equipped to make retail-like decisions about their health, actually become empowered shoppers and buyers. For the “new healthcare marketers” – those payers and providers willing to disrupt themselves – there are significant gains to be made leading the way.
We hope you’ll take advantage of this complimentary paper, which we believe you’ll find thought provoking. Want to discuss its findings or recommendations? Feel free to use the comment section here or email David directly.
