More Than 40% of Americans Say COVID-19 Has Influenced What Health Plan They Intend to Select During Open Enrollment
October 29 2020 - 11:00AM
Business Wire
- Fifth-annual UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey
provides insights into the health care knowledge, opinions and
preferences of Americans surveyed during open enrollment
- A survey-record 56% said it is likely they would use virtual
care for medical services, while about one-quarter (26%) would
prefer a virtual relationship with a primary care
physician
- Most survey respondents (78%) with health benefits said they
are prepared for the fall’s open enrollment season
Many Americans said COVID-19 has influenced the health plan they
intend to select during open enrollment, while the majority report
they are interested in using a smartphone or laptop to access
medical services, according to a new UnitedHealthcare survey.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029005849/en/
The fifth-annual UnitedHealthcare
Consumer Sentiment Survey examines Americans’ opinions about open
enrollment preparedness, technology trends and health plan
preferences, including how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced how
people evaluate benefit options and navigate the health care
system. (Graphic: Business Wire).
These are some of the findings from the fifth-annual
UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey, which examines
Americans’ attitudes and opinions about multiple areas of health
care, including open enrollment preparedness, technology trends and
health plan preferences. Key findings this year include:
- Many Americans said COVID-19 has influenced the health plan
they intend to choose and the decision-making process for selecting
benefits. Many respondents with a health plan (44%) said
COVID-19 has influenced – or will influence – their preferred
health plan, with 16% opting for an option with lower out-of-pocket
costs; 11% looking for more well-being programs or resources; 10%
seeking more comprehensive or richer benefits; and 6% wanting a
national health plan instead of a regional one. Gen-Z were the most
likely to be influenced (68%), compared to Baby Boomers (29%). For
some (35%), COVID-19 has spurred them to spend more time
researching health plan options.
- Majority of Americans are interested in using virtual
resources for medical services, while many are turning to
technology to help evaluate symptoms and comparison shop for
care. A survey-record 56% said they are interested in using
digital devices, such as smartphones, tablets or laptops, to access
care, reflecting the surging interest in virtual care due to
COVID-19. When it comes to comparison shopping for care, more than
half (55%) of respondents said they had used the internet or mobile
apps to comparison shop for health care during the past year. For
one-quarter of respondents (25%), online or mobile resources are
the first option to evaluate health issues or symptoms.
- Most people with health benefits say they are prepared for
open enrollment, while many want vision and dental coverage.
More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents said they are
prepared for open enrollment, including more Gen-Xers (84%) and
Baby Boomers (83%), compared to millennials (72%) and Gen-Z (62%).
When it comes to specialty benefits, most respondents (84%) said it
was important to have vision and dental coverage options during
open enrollment.
“COVID-19 continues to reshape many aspects of our lives,
including how people research health plan options and access
medical care,” said Rebecca Madsen, chief consumer officer of
UnitedHealthcare. “This survey suggests many Americans are
responding to COVID-19 by placing greater importance on
comprehensive health benefits, robust well-being programs and
access to technology to more effectively navigate the health
system. We hope the results might lead to positive action to
enhance people’s journeys and care experiences.”
Technology and Transparency Trends
Technology continues to help play an increasingly important role
in how people access health care information and care. The majority
of survey respondents (56%) are interested in using virtual care to
access medical services, underscoring the 10-fold increase in the
use of telehealth amid the COVID-19 pandemic1. Nearly half of
respondents (47%) said it is likely they would use virtual care for
behavioral health issues, such as to help treat depression or
anxiety.
More than half (55%) of respondents said they have used the
internet or mobile apps during the last year to compare the quality
and cost of medical services. Gen-Z (75%) and millennials (65%)
were the most likely to use comparison shopping resources, compared
to Gen-X (59%) and Baby Boomers (43%). Among all comparison
shoppers, the majority (86%) described the process as “very
helpful” or “somewhat helpful,” including nearly half (47%) saying
the shopping process prompted them to change the health care
provider or facility (or both) for the service.
For more than one-third of respondents (35%), a health care
professional, such as a doctor or nurse, is usually the first
source of information about specific health symptoms or ailments,
followed by the internet or a mobile app (25%) of respondents and
friends/family (11%).
Open Enrollment Preparedness and Preferences
When it comes to time spent researching health benefits during
open enrollment, nearly one-quarter of respondents (23%) said they
each year devote less than one hour to the process; more than
one-third (37%) usually spend between one and three hours; and
fewer respondents (23%) said they typically allocate more than
three hours. Among respondents who actively research health plan
options, more than one-third (35%) said they expect to spend more
time evaluating their benefits this year due to COVID-19. For
people with a health plan, the majority of respondents (68%) said
they have been satisfied with their benefits during COVID-19.
Many respondents (84%) affirmed the importance of specialty
benefits, agreeing that having vision and dental coverage options
is “important” during open enrollment. Most (76%) of respondents
said they check if their doctors are in-network for the health plan
they intend to select.
For complete survey results, click here.
About the Survey
The 2020 UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey was
conducted Sept. 11-13, 2020, using Engine INSIGHTS CARAVAN® online
survey of 1,004 U.S. adults 18 and older. The margin of error was
plus or minus 3% at the 95% confidence level.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier
lives and making the health system work better for everyone by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full
spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with
more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500
hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also
provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned
and operated health care facilities in South America.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC
on Twitter.
1 UnitedHealthcare internal analysis, 2020.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029005849/en/
Will Shanley UnitedHealthcare (714) 204-8005
will.shanley@uhc.com
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024