Smart Benefits: Consumerism Continues

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Monday, December 15, 2014

Amy Gallagher, GoLocalWorcester Business/Health Expert

With two state exchange walk-in centers in Rhode Island, health insurance carrier retail stores in popular shopping areas and big retailers like Wal-mart getting into the health insurance business, consumers have a number of new ways to research and purchase health insurance. But that’s not all they have.

As more and more individuals take on the responsibility for healthcare coverage decisions and costs, consumerism is changing the face of health insurance. Beyond shopping for benefits, what else does this trend signal for consumers? Here are some results they can expect:

1.) Healthcare companies will study consumers what consumers need, want and how they act and will use the data to develop more relevant products and services.

2.) To drive greater participation in their care, more programs that make the cost and quality of treatments transparent so consumers can more easily shop for them will emerge, like fixed-price healthcare bundles.

3.) More incentives will be offered to drive consumers to pursue healthier lifestyles through voluntary wellness programs.

4.) Greater personalization in service and support, from web portals and social media to mobile apps and health coaching, will surface to improve consumer satisfaction.

5.) Technology will increasingly be used to engage consumers, beyond just sending targeted treatment reminders via text or posting health alerts on social media, to offerings like telemedicine.

As the shift from B2B to B2C continues, healthcare companies will change the way they relate to consumers, reaching them where and when they want – like the shopping mall.

Amy Gallagher has over 21 years of healthcare industry experience guiding employers and employees. As Vice President at Cornerstone Group, she advises large employers on all aspects of healthcare reform, benefit solutions, cost-containment strategies and results-driven wellness programs. Amy speaks regularly on a variety of healthcare-related topics, and is often quoted by national publications on the subject matter. Locally, Amy is a member of SHRM-RI, the Rhode Island Business Group on Health, and the Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisory Council.

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