COVID-19 concerns top EBRI’s 2020 consumer engagement survey
EBRI's annual Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey shows just how much has changed since the pandemic started.
Telemedicine trends and the willingness (or unwillingness) to receive a COVID-19 vaccination top the highlights of the 2020 Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey, conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the independent firm Greenwald Research.
Only 55% of adults surveyed with private health insurance between the ages of 21 and 64 said they were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Almost one-quarter were not willing, while the rest were unsure or claimed “it depends.” Those willing to be vaccinated tended to be college-educated, live in urban or suburban areas, and value telemedicine services. Regardless of their willingness to receive the vaccine, 89% contended health insurance should cover the full cost of the vaccination.
Related: Health care engagement: Consumers continue to ‘kick that can down the road’
The survey encompasses the opinions of 2,032 individuals who responded online between late July and early September 2020, months before vaccines were approved and distributed. With announcements from vaccine manufacturers that vaccines are highly effective, public opinion might have changed since last summer, noted Edna Dretzka, managing director of healthcare for Greenwald Research, during a webinar revealing the survey’s results on Feb. 24.
Meanwhile, telemedicine use has surged during the pandemic, according to the survey, with 40% of adults reporting they or a family member participated in at least one telemedicine visit — up from 20% in 2017, the last time EBRI asked consumers about telemedicine. More than two-thirds (67%) of those who’ve participated in a telemedicine session said it was with a health provider or doctor they had seen before or with whom they already had a relationship.
Dretzka noted that of the 12% of adults who considered a telemedicine option “extremely important” to them, the majority were women, white, Hispanic or Asian. “This indicates there are going to be certain segments that are going to find telemedicine integral to their health care,” she said.
Since March 2020, Blue Cross Blue Shield companies have expanded access and coverage for telehealth, according to Lauren Choi, managing director for health data and technology policy for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, who also spoke during the webinar. Prior to the pandemic, telemedicine offerings were often considered to be extra services with restrictions and limits, she said, adding that telemedicine policy after the public health emergency is over should “focus on expanding care access with greater efficiency and flexibility, while ensuring consumer trust.”
Other key survey findings::
- Enrollment in health savings account (HSA)-eligible health plans and health reimbursement arrangements reached a record high in 2020, with 19 percent enrolled in such a plan. Enrollment in health plans with high deductibles that were not eligible to be paired with an account continued its upward trend, too. Additionally, familiarity with terms such as consumer-directed health care or consumer-driven health plans was higher among high deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollees than traditional plan enrollees — most of whom indicated they weren’t even familiar with such plans.
- Nearly 70% of individuals were using their HSAs to pay for current out-of-pocket expenses, while 40% were using their HSAs to save for health care expenses in retirement. Almost 40% were using them to minimize taxes, and one-third were using HSAs to cover unexpected medical expenses.
- About two-thirds of respondents reported they had a choice of at least two health plans, and HDHP enrollees were more likely than traditional plan enrollees to have such a choice. The most important aspects of health plans for consumers are the network of providers, ease of access to care, prescription drug coverage, low out-of-pocket costs, and low premiums. They also want a plan that is simple to understand.
In the wake of the pandemic, employers are refocusing the benefit strategies for 2021 and beyond, added Jerome (JT) Shilling, a partner at Mercer specializing in employee health and benefits. During his segment of the webinar, he noted that the asset management firm’s 2020 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans indicated companies want to keep health care affordable for their employees by creating value rather than shifting cost, increasing telemedicine opportunities, better engaging employees who work remotely, addressing inequities, and ensuring access to behavioral health care.
The Consumer Engagement in Health Care survey has been conducted annually since 2005, and a report detailing results of the 2020 survey can be found on the EBRI website.
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