CHICAGO, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GoHealth,
Inc. (GoHealth) (NASDAQ: GOCO), a leading health insurance
marketplace and Medicare-focused digital health company, examines
how risk factors outside the scope of traditional healthcare can be
mitigated through supplemental benefits offered by Medicare
Advantage (MA) plans. These extra benefits—such as free meal
delivery, transportation to and from appointments, and even
community connections—are underutilized by MA beneficiaries,
despite their efficacy in addressing some of seniors' greatest
health risk factors.
These risk factors are known as Social Determinants of Health
(SDOH), and they can affect up to 80 percent of an
individual's overall health outcome and include elements such as
education level, neighborhood and physical environment, and
economic stability, among others. At the population health level,
however, it can be difficult to screen and engage MA members in
preventative care addressing SDOH issues, resulting in avoidable
health issues and poorer quality of life for these MA members,
coupled with increased costs across the entire healthcare system.
The failure to consider and address SDOH issues is especially
prevalent among marginalized communities, where multiple factors
prevent our neediest populations from accessing the right care, in
the right setting, with the right provider, at the right time.
Supplemental benefits offered by MA plans can help address SDOH
issues and keep members healthy. However, SDOH-focused benefit
utilization lags behind member interest, even in instances where
these benefits are included in an MA plan. For example, while
GoHealth research found that 43% of our most at-risk members are
interested in transportation services as an extra benefit and 25%
expressed interest in a fitness benefit, actual utilization of
these benefits is much lower than this expressed interest. In order
to drive better utilization among MA members, the benefits must fit
into the daily lives of seniors. "Features" like telehealth visits,
home modifications, and pet services sound great, but must tie to
health outcomes and find their way to seniors in order to be
useful. Furthermore, ensuring the availability of supplemental
benefits is only one piece of the equation. The next step is to
ensure the member is aware of—and is encouraged to use—these
benefits.
Read more: Addressing Social Determinants of Health for
Seniors
"It is important for all of us, from health plans to providers
and beyond, to help increase access to care for everyone in our
communities," said Paul Hain, M.D.,
Chief Medical Officer at GoHealth. "With full utilization of their
plan benefits, including those targeted toward SDOH issues, seniors
can see improved outcomes in many areas, including physical and
mental health, as well as general well-being."
Ensuring Benefit Utilization
GoHealth is committed to serving as a trusted advisor to
seniors, helping them navigate the healthcare ecosystem and
understand the benefits included in their MA plan. We empower
underserved seniors through our TeleCare and Low Income
Subsidy (LIS) teams while offering health literacy and digital
tools to improve access to care. GoHealth is proud to align itself
with the mission of addressing social disparities within
determinants of health.
About GoHealth, Inc.:
As a leading health insurance marketplace and Medicare-focused
digital health company, GoHealth's mission is to improve access to
healthcare in America. Enrolling in a health insurance plan can be
confusing for customers, and the seemingly small differences
between plans can lead to significant out-of-pocket costs or lack
of access to critical medicines and even providers. GoHealth
combines cutting-edge technology, data science and deep industry
expertise to match customers with the healthcare policy and carrier
that is right for them. Since its inception, GoHealth has enrolled
millions of people in Medicare and individual and family plans. For
more information, visit https://www.gohealth.com.
Contacts:
Investor Relations, IR@gohealth.com
Media Relations, pressinquiries@gohealth.com
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SOURCE GoHealth, Inc.