The Covid-19 public health crisis has shifted the healthcare landscape, if not transformed it. More providers are enlisting telemedicine to substitute for in-person appointments and more people are delaying medical procedures, by choice or because they have been suspended by hospitals in their region. The collection and analysis of meaningful data to inform decision-making by health plan leaders as they guide their organizations has become even more critical. Communication to help consumers fully understand healthcare costs and options is more critical than ever before. That’s the dominant theme of a new report from HealthSparq gauging consumer sentiment and engagement with their health plans.
The public health crisis means Americans face substantial threats to their economic, mental and physical well-being and will require intensive support and resources from health plans, health systems, and employers. The global pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate how we think about our healthcare industry. It has confirmed the importance of addressing population health needs for people with one or more chronic conditions, who are especially susceptible to the virus. So it is more important than ever to make it easier for consumers to understand their healthcare costs and options for care.
“We anticipate a dramatic change to our year-over-year comparisons in 2021, as the healthcare landscape continues to adapt and consumer expectations around care delivery shift,” the report notes.
Transparency
Of the 1,020 men and women surveyed, 60% said they had transparency tools that enable them to access healthcare costs through their health plan (up from 45% in 2019). That figure jumps to 71% for those with high-deductible health plans. The majority of people with access to these transparency tools through their health plans are keen to use them: two-third have used these tools in the past 12 months.
Respondents indicated that they would be keen to have more insight into their healthcare costs with transparency tools, with 78% saying they would like accurate information on their out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Given the need for widespread testing for Covid-19 and the mixed communication on these costs, the need for more accurate data is more relevant than ever.
Access to information on healthcare costs
Health plan websites are the top source of information on healthcare costs, according to 45% of respondents. The findings in this area reveal that health plans have a significant opportunity to improve the way they convey this information. Other sources of information were ranked as follows:
- Health plan customer service: 33%
- Health plan’s mobile app: 20%
Preferred communication channels
Email is the most popular medium for people to get updates from their health plan, according to 59% of respondents. Despite this, only 38% said they get an email from their health plans one or more times per year. Other preferred communication channels were:
- Updates via text messages: 22%
- Regular mail: 39%
- Phone: 31%
Impact of Covid-19
A smaller pool of consumers (505) were asked if they have delayed medical care since the start of the pandemic. Some 56% of respondents admitted they have. The majority did so because they were simply following their state’s stay at home order, but 43% acknowledged that the fear over getting the coronavirus had scared them away from going to the hospital. However, access to elective services continues to stymie even those who may want to pursue elective procedures because many hospitals are simply too overwhelmed to offer them, according to 39% of the respondents.
Looking at how Covid-19 is changing healthcare delivery, 52% said they are more likely to use their health plan’s telehealth/virtual care services due to the pandemic. The use of online appointment scheduling through their health plan is also more likely according to 48% of respondents. Some 44% said they would be more likely to use their health plan’s online chat services.
Health plans are the most critical source for consumers to review their healthcare costs. The report findings indicate that they are in the best position to both help members make more informed decisions about their care and increase their confidence in managing their care. With healthcare named as the most critical issue in the presidential election this fall (85%), health plans are well positioned to reap the benefits of a highly engaged patient population or risk losing their market share by ignoring transparency needs.
Picture: Getty Images
To learn more about the report on consumer confidence fill out the form below!
