Snoop Dog parodies, kegstands, Hollywood celebrities sharing personal stories. Where did it all go wrong? Despite working very hard to appeal to the all-important healthy and young millennial demographic, state and federal government has stumbled many times in making health insurance appealing to an age group struggling to pay off student debt and find a decent job. A new study focusing on the HealthCare.gov website shows that a big problem was they forgot to treat them like consumers.
Consumerization in health insurance is still a novel concept that payers are struggling to bring off. But when you combine government and insurance, the complexities it can pose, especially for a young audience, can make it so frustrating that it turns them off. Although sticker shock has been raised as a big reason why more young adults have failed to sign up, the interface and how insurance options are presented are a significant issue, too.
A group of researchers from University of Pennsylvania offered some constructive criticism of how to keep more young people from giving up on the HealthCare.gov website. It highlighted findings from a survey of young people in a letter published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Although the website’s setbacks last year seemed to illustrate the shortcomings of government IT projects, the study argues there are still a few more tweaks that could boost the portal’s appeal to millennials. Although some insights are kind of obvious, it makes some good points.
The survey pool from Philadelphia includes 33 “highly educated” 19- to 30-year-olds, so not a huge number there. Not surprisingly, the core criticism takes aim at the interface. The report is based on their feedback.
Less jargon: Provide clearer definitions of health insurance terminology and add some context with examples. Make them easier to find.
Emphasize preventive coverage: The study recommends special emphasis of mandatory inclusion of preventive primary care services in all marketplaces for no additional cost. Why? The study points out that preventive care services are a priority for young people, but they don’t seem to be aware that they are included.
Clarify options for adult dental coverage earlier in the enrollment process This is another area where young people are unaware of options they have in the marketplace.
Tailor health insurance options to preferences. There need to be better sorting tools to help users more easily identify lower cost options — decision support tools that could guide users based on monthly and annual costs.
Need better explanation of affordability provisions for health insurance consumers who qualify.
Branding: There’s no way of getting around it — Catastrophic insurance just sounds bad. Minimal works better.
