Health IT

UnitedHealthcare offers some insights on how to market to seniors [Hint: Don’t remind them they’re seniors]

If you walked around UnitedHealthcare’s exhibit space at the recent AARP Life@50 conference in Boston, […]

If you walked around UnitedHealthcare’s exhibit space at the recent AARP Life@50 conference in Boston, it would be tough to find anything that was explicitly designed to appeal to seniors. The emphasis on activities like art and dancing classes balanced with healthcare screenings underscored the point that it wasn’t just seniors that were the focus but the club sandwich generation as well. The impact of healthcare reform, the trend to make insurance more consumer-led, and the push to help people age in place is raising some interesting questions about how insurers are positioning themselves to market to seniors and appeal to an increasingly complex population.

UnitedHealthcare counts 10 million adults aged 65 and older as members, according to Terry Clark, chief marketing officer for UnitedHealth Group Alliances. He pointed out that while promoting healthy lifestyles was an important theme, just as important is vitality, staying active and having fun. Ms Senior Massachusetts gave dance lessons under a disco ball. In another session, Steve Grogan from The New England Patriots offered a masterclass in fitness.

A couple of patient engagement approaches were on display, too. A pharmacy rep offered advice on drug interactions. A “house calls” section encouraged attendees to ask for medical advice and underscored the company’s efforts to balance a traditional but valued service with a contemporary spin.There were also screenings offered for blood glucose levels and weight management.

Clark pointed out that the VIP section is critical to remind members that they’re valued.

 

Although a lot of the marketing pitch made sense to me, I’m not so sure about the passport “animate” representing the booklet offered to visitors to the booth to encourage them to visit the various stations in return for a prize. There was a mascot walking around in one and the animated screen version took musical requests. It seemed a bit weird and patronizing. But it did attract attention and those who paused frequently took a closer look at the company.

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