Here comes
the newly insured. They are not in ACOs. Some will have chosen high deductible plans. Some have even chosen narrow networks to limit
their premium cost. Some of the newly
insured will be in the expanded Medicaid program. What we do know is that it will be a potpourri
of ages, sex, income, health status, relationship status and education. We know that there will be a lot of people who
never had access to health insurance.
So how do you
market to the newly insured, knowing that the probably haven’t seen a doctor in
a few years? They most likely don’t have a primary care physician. And when
they needed care as the uninsured, they most likely used Emergency Rooms as their
primary source for medical care considering themselves to be ER frequent flyers. They will be less healthy and in need of
navigation though your healthcare system. They
can be a financial godsend to your hospital or a drain depending on their medical
condition and source of payment.
Because you
waited until now to start marketing, the chance to establish a relationship with
the newly insured prior to the opening of the HIX and that insurance purchase
has been lost. Now you have to compete.
And telling the newly insured you have the best doctors and most caring staff
is right out of the nineties and meaningless.
The healthcare
market is changing and these people are paying out of pocket and they will be paying
attention to price, quality and experience. So it is really along these three dimensions
that you need to focus your integrated strategic marketing efforts.
Push the
newly insured to the primary care doctor.
Pull the primary care doctor to the hospital.
Push the
newly insured from the emergency room to free standing clinics and other less costly settings.
Engage the
newly insured in meaningful ways along price, experience and quality.
Look out for Walgreens
and CVS Caremark, Rite Aid and others whose retail clinic strategy is perfect
for the newly insured, and will limit their out of pocket expenses better than
you can. Look out for the hospital or health
system that will be the first in your market to engage the newly insured in meaningful
ways along price, experience and quality.
The age of semi-retail
healthcare is now beginning. That means
the healthcare consumer, aka the newly insured, have some leverage and bargaining
power. Meet their needs and establish a meaningful
relationship on their terms, or keep doing what you have always done in marketing
and watch them walk away.
Michael J. Krivich, MHA, FACHE, PCM,
is an internationally followed healthcare marketing blogger with over 5,000
monthly pages views read in over 52 countries worldwide on Healthcare Marketing
Matters. These views are my own. He is founder of the
michael J group, a Fellow, American
College of Healthcare Executives
and a Professional Certified Marketer, American
Marketing Association. Like us on facebook at the michael J group, and connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.