Motivating members for health assessment programs

Have you ever wondered how you can better engage your members? How do you get them to participate in preventive health measures? The easiest way to get answers to these questions is simply by asking the members themselves. In a recent Inovalon study, we went straight to the source for insight on member engagement. We learned a significant amount about motivating members to participate in preventive health assessment programs.

Participation

71% of all participants state they are likely to participate in a health assessment program.

Motivators

The top reasons people would participate in a health assessment are because they:

• • • Care about their health and wellbeing
    • Feel empowered to take charge of their health
    • Appreciate the opportunity for better quality care
    • Want a free assessment

Concerns

The top reasons people would not participate in a health assessment are because they:

• • • • Have concerns and suspicion about the real motives and intent of their health plan
      • Worry about the privacy of their data
      • Are afraid of hidden costs and any impact on their premiums
      • Don’t see a need for a visit

Location

Across all patient segments (Marketplace, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid), members are most likely to schedule an assessment at their primary physician’s office (over in-home, local clinic, and retail clinic).

Communication

The preferred communication channel for a health assessment varies within segment types.

• • • Marketplace: email, then personalized letter
    • Medicare Advantage: personalized letter, then email
    • Medicaid: email, then postcard/mailer

Reminders

Interestingly, all three segments prefer email. Telephone or text is a secondary preference for appointment reminders.

Incentives

The majority of members in each segment feels that $50 is “more than enough” of an incentive to participate in a health assessment. Retail gift cards, such as pharmacies, or brands like Target and Walmart, were viewed as the most desirable types of incentives.

Sociodemographic factors

• • • Members 85 and older are more than ten times as likely to complete a health assessment compared to members under age 45.
    • Males are 11.6% less likely to complete a health assessment.
    • Single persons completed a health assessment twice as often as married people.
    • People residing in low-income neighborhoods are more likely to complete an assessment.

These insights indicate the importance of sociodemographic factors when communicating to members in a more personalized manner.

Improving health assessment programs with software

In this era of sophisticated marketing, health plans have access to a wealth of data gathered on their membership base, which is integral to developing and implementing targeted communications that speak directly to the needs and desires of particular member segments. Through engagement programs that develop accurate member profiles, health plans can expect higher response rates from their members and ultimately better health outcomes through preventive measures.

For more information and details on this study, contact our team.

Inovalon partners with health plans across the country to drive improvements in healthcare by offering Personal Health Visits to health plan members to help them achieve better health and well-being. If you are a member wondering about a personal health visit, please visit this website for more information.

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