Based on US health insurance consumer behavior reported in the eHealth Insights: 2020 Retrospective report, notable trends of the past year to watch for in 2021 include the popularity of $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans, the rise of telemedicine, and potential hesitancy against taking a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019.
In 2020, health care and health care coverage dominated headlines amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and debates surrounding the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicare program.
Prescription drug costs and monthly plan premiums are the 2 most common concerns we hear about from Medicare recipients. We saw the same thing in a recent eHealth survey in which nearly two-thirds (63% of people with Medicare) said more should be done to make prescription medicines more affordable. They want to know how the Biden administration will address this important issue.
At the same time, too many Medicare beneficiaries are leaving potential drug savings on the table now. A lot of them are enrolled in Medicare plans that don’t properly match their needs.
How willing are Medicare beneficiaries to be vaccinated? Nearly half (47%) of the Medicare beneficiaries we surveyed in the fall told us they were either “somewhat” or “very” uncomfortable getting a vaccine.
It will also be interesting to see how the coronavirus experience changes the behavior of Medicare beneficiaries over the long term. Some of the lifestyle changes they’ve adopted may continue for years after the virus is eradicated. For example, 68% of Medicare beneficiaries we surveyed told us that even after the coronavirus is gone they’ll be less likely to go on a cruise, 53% said they’ll be less likely to visit an amusement park, and nearly half (49%) said they’ll be less likely to fly on a plane again.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/addressing-health-insurance-consumer-behavior-in-2020-potential-trends-to-watch-in-2021