2020 Medicaid Study

2020 Annual Medicaid Study

Lasting Value: Health Benefits & Rewards

InComm Healthcare is continuously working with health plans to make sure our products and programs meet members’ needs. This report highlights key takeaways and findings from our annual research.

PA R T 1 :

Addressing Satisfaction & Awareness To start with, we asked if Medicaid subscribers who didn’t have a select products card or reward card would be interested in one. Resoundingly so, it turns out: about 80% of Medicaid subscribers who didn’t have one of these cards said they would want to enroll in such a program.

WHAT ABOUT RESPONDENTS WHO HAD A CARD — DID THEY FEEL THE PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE?

The news we found was good — over 90% of Medicaid subscribers who use their cards credit them with helping achieve their health goals.

As a result of wellness benefit cards, health plans are seeing happier members.

According to our survey, those who use these cards express a high level of overall satisfaction and indicate the card’s ease of use as a positive factor, with about two-thirds of cardholders reporting frequent use. When asked if there was room for improvement, members identified the limited selection of eligible products.

To break it down — health plans can save money and members’ satisfaction improves when they use their benefits or rewards cards.

For health plans, this means an opportunity to highlight the advantages of select product and reward cards. Beyond this, elements of a successful program include regular, clear communication to ensure members remain up to date on available benefits and rewards, as well as health plan attention to member demands for varieties of product, e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities.

MOST RESPONDENTS WHO USE SELECT PRODUCT AND REWARD CARDS SAID THEY BECAME AWARE OF THE CARDS ON THEIR OWN, RATHER THAN FROM THEIR INSURANCE PROVIDER.

27%

Only 27% of cardholders said they became aware through communication from the provider after enrollment.

15%

About 15% became aware only once they received the card.

However, we did identify a notable disconnect between plans and members when it comes to these cards — awareness.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE WITH THE CARD?

© 2020 InComm Payments

Page 3

PA R T 2 :

Motivating Members with Medicaid Rewards Medicaid subscribers say they want these cards, but what steps are members willing to take for access to health plan rewards?

Healthy behaviors are music to a health plan’s ears. The more members take care of themselves, the less they cost health plans in the long run, and the happier they are.

That’s why InComm Healthcare is constantly innovating to deliver products and solutions to improve long-term member health.

To encourage healthier living, plans have begun offering rewards to help members achieve their health goals and treat chronic conditions. When done right, these programs are win-wins — members get rewarded for taking control of their healthcare, while plans see greater engagement and the benefits of long-term cost savings.

In our recent survey of Medicaid subscribers, nine out of ten reward cardholders believed card use helped them achieve their health and wellness goals. Of the respondents who were not cardholders, 82% said they would want to enroll in such a program.

THE TOP WELLNESS ACTIVITIES PARTICIPANTS WOULD COMPLETE TO EARN A REWARD WERE:

68%

Annual wellness exam

50%

Annual vaccines, including flu shot

58%

Annual dental cleaning

50%

Screenings and risk assessments

© 2020 InComm Payments

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RO O M TO G ROW

The majority of respondents said they would be motivated to complete commonly incentivized behaviors such as exams, vaccines & screenings.

However, more than a third of subscribers would likely engage in a wider range of activities if they were rewarded for doing so, including: • • • • •

Mental health coaching Weight management coaching Condition health coaching Physical therapy Tobacco-free programs

This indicates potential room for improvement for plans who want to go further in encouraging members to form healthy habits.

83% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY’D BE WILLING TO COMPLETE AN ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY IN ORDER TO JOIN A REWARDS PROGRAM:

Our survey findings indicate that Medicaid subscribers are markedly interested in reward cards, they would be willing to complete administrative steps to receive one, and rewards would motivate them to achieve their health goals.

Over half of respondents said they’d be willing to complete pre-program benchmarks prior to enrolling

This is encouraging for health plans looking to both engage members and see long-term savings.

Nearly half agreed they’d also complete after-program tests 44% would participate in online sessions 43% would complete a participation log 43% said they’d use a fitness tracker

InComm Healthcare’s reward cards help facilitate management and delivery of funds, restrict spending to health and wellness items, and ensure all unused funds are returned to the plan.

PA R T 3:

Health & Wellness in 2020

We’ve covered the actions consumers take to monitor their health through professional medical services, but daily habits are important too. Just as quarantines and social distancing have impacted lives and work situations, they’ve also had an effect on healthy habits. Beyond staying safe from the novel coronavirus, consumers still have basic health and wellness in mind.

HEALTH EXPERTS KNOW THAT FORMING BENEFICIAL HABITS IS KEY TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

During the last few months, we’ve all had plenty of time to establish new routines, healthy or unhealthy. In our recent survey, Medicaid subscribers agreed, with 93% reporting healthy habits — and 79% reporting unhealthy habits — having an impact on their well-being.

Habits are especially important for many right now, as some factors that increase complications from COVID-19 can be controlled with long-term healthy behaviors.

96% OF RESPONDENTS SAID HEALTHY HABITS ARE ON THEIR DAILY PRIORITY LIST, AND 56% SAID HEALTHY HABITS ARE NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.

However, 45% of Medicaid subscribers surveyed said healthy habits are difficult to maintain during the current pandemic.

While stress was the top reason their habits were slipping, money was a clear second. For health plans looking to motivate members to stay healthy, access to restricted-spend funds may help bridge the gap between wanting and achieving good habits.

36% More Personal Care/Hygiene 44% Less Fast Food 31% Less Alcohol

Individual medical care has also been impacted as people look to limit social contact. Over 40% of respondents said they were engaging in fewer in-person medical services visits during COVID-19. However, telehealth may have replaced many of these visits — with 59% of subscribers using virtual appointments more now.

WITH SUBSCRIBERS FACING STRESS AND FINANCIAL BURDENS, WE FOUND THEY ARE WILLING TO ENGAGE IN A NUMBER OF BEHAVIORS TO EARN ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES BEYOND THE REWARD CARD.

Other Top Ranked Incentives: Gift cards Discounts on over-the-counter medicine Reimbursements for healthy behavior

37% More Snacking 25% Less Sleep 22% Less Exercise

Fast food may be down and snacking up, but many Medicaid subscribers noted that healthy food had become difficult to locate or afford. Health plans may benefit by looking into options that help ease this burden, such as meal delivery services (34% said their use of meal delivery benefits increased) or a Healthy Foods card with dedicated funds for purchase of nutritious meals.

© 2020 InComm Payments

While 2020 is winding down, there’s still time to learn new habits. Medicaid subscribers indicate that personal habits remain a priority, giving plans the opportunity to nudge them to a healthier lifestyle now and in years to come.

READY TO START REWARDING YOUR MEMBERS FOR HEALTHY BEHAVIORS?

Check out our Product Suite to learn more, or contact us at healthcare@incomm.com.

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Methodology We routinely conduct survey research to ensure we’re staying up to date on consumer opinions. For this study, we surveyed over 1,700 Medicaid plan members regarding their personal health and wellness.

The survey was conducted in October 2020 and includes respondents from across the United States.

Š 2020 InComm Payments