If we asked you to think of a celebrity who’s eligible for Medicare, who comes to mind? Robert DeNiro? Morgan Freeman? Jane Fonda?
Yes, those folks have all been Medicare-eligible for years—but you might be surprised to learn who else is among their ranks. Julianne Moore, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Viola Davis are all nearing Medicare eligibility too, and their example paints an interesting picture. Simply put, today’s seniors are looking—and living—a lot younger than they used to.
They’re health-conscious, tech-savvy, active, and energetic, and they’re looking for a healthcare experience that meets their modern needs. But a recent Jellyvision survey revealed a disappointing truth: in many ways, our current approach to Medicare education is falling short. Respondents told us they find the Medicare experience confusing and overwhelming, and they’re not sure who to trust for accurate information.
The result? Beneficiaries are more likely to disengage from their employers, switch Medicare plans year after year, and become dissatisfied with their healthcare coverage. For you, that means lower CMS star ratings, money left on the table, and lost business. Uh oh.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from our survey, along with a solution that will help you turn this ship around.
Seniors say the Medicare experience is confusing
When we asked seniors to describe what it’s like to enroll in Medicare, they didn’t have many nice things to say. Words like “complicated” and “expensive” came to mind, and 40% agreed that the Medicare process overall is overwhelming and confusing.
What’s so anxiety-inducing about the Medicare process? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that beneficiaries have access to an average of 43 plans, and they’re not trained healthcare experts.
It’s simply too much to ask the average senior to sort through each plan and try to decide which one is the best fit.
All that confusion is leaving beneficiaries frustrated. In fact, almost half said they were feeling negatively about the whole Medicare experience.
While it’s a good start, that number is significant when you consider that 62.3 million Americans use Medicare every year—in other words, 28 million Medicare users likely feel negatively about the enrollment process.
Good news!
Medicare – simplified.
ALEX Medicare makes it easy to scale your communication strategy in a personalized, accessible way. Through interactive conversations and learn-at-your-pace modules, ALEX helps beneficiaries (and their loved ones!) learn about Medicare eligibility, enrollment, coverage options, costs, and how Medicare works with employer-sponsored benefits. Then, ALEX guides users toward the best plan option for them based on their own personal needs.
Beneficiaries don’t know who to trust
If you’re reading this, we’re confident that you’re a trustworthy Medicare expert. But unfortunately, our research revealed that beneficiaries who are new to the game can’t tell you apart from a scammer:
It makes sense, doesn’t it? We’ve all seen countless headlines recently about an increase in Medicare scams, and beneficiaries aren’t sure who they can trust to give them accurate and helpful guidance.
A sea of misinformation is leaving seniors in the dark about the best options for them, and they can’t discern between a well-meaning resource and a not-so-well-meaning one.
Pro Tip!
ALEX Medicare combats trust issues.
ALEX offers comprehensive, unbiased education, and was built with the end user in mind. The tool’s goal is simply to connect beneficiaries with the right plan for them, through trusted and interactive conversations that break down complex Medicare topics into easy modules.
And because many folks have used ALEX throughout their careers to navigate other employee benefits decisions, they’re already familiar with the platform by the time they reach Medicare eligibility.
Today’s seniors want a tech-first experience
Medicare-eligible folks are a lot more tech-savvy than we might think. After all, remember when we mentioned Julia Louis-Dreyfus earlier? She’s on TikTok, just like your Gen Z coworkers.
And when it comes to healthcare, survey respondents told us that they’re ready for a digital experience. They want to learn about their benefits online, and they want to take more ownership over their health than past generations did. So if we’re still relying on mailed pamphlets and phone calls? We’re about 20 years behind.
A modern Medicare experience already exists
ALEX Medicare is simply the experience that today’s beneficiaries want and need. Available anytime on any device, ALEX offers 24/7 access to compliant, always-on Medicare education. A dynamic and always up-to-date content library makes for better-informed beneficiaries who are more likely to stay in (and be happy with) their plans, year after year. That’s a win for them, and for you — because happy customers mean higher star ratings for you!
As our research revealed, Medicare beneficiaries are lost when it comes to making the right decisions for their health, minds, and wallets. And there’s lots more research where that came from, so be sure to check out the full report here.
But the good news? ALEX Medicare is here to meet the needs of today’s seniors, with human-first, trustworthy guidance that pairs each individual with the best healthcare options for them.
