It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the world of health care. Activity in the industry has skyrocketed, leading to massive innovation. Companies and patients across the globe have been changing how they approach health.
Read on to explore some of the emerging trends in the post-pandemic health care landscape.
The Shift Toward Preventive Care
Preventive care is routine health care that includes screenings, checkups and patient counseling to prevent illnesses, disease or other health problems. More people are leaning toward this type of care as opposed to reactive care.
Companies like 23andMe provide genetic testing to consumers, who then use the information to prevent potential diseases.
To learn more about preventive care, read Elevanta’s recent blog post here.
More Patients Prefer Digital Channels
In addition to the growing usage of Telehealth, which increased around 4,000% after the beginning of the pandemic, patients have indicated that digital technology plays a much bigger role in maintaining their health.
When gyms shuttered in 2020, many made the switch to health and fitness apps like MyFitnessPal, Strava and Nike Training Club and have continued to use them this year. Consumers also rely on wearable technology like an Apple Watch to track patterns in their health.
Getting prescriptions has also gone digital, with customers now able to get medications delivered to their doors with a click of a button through companies like CVS, Walgreens and even Amazon.
Decrease in Employer-Sponsored Coverage
According to findings published in the JAMA Health Forum, the proportion of Americans without health insurance increased by 1.36 percentage points during the first several weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. As businesses closed their doors and laid off employees, many lost their employer-sponsored coverage and made the switch to Medicare or direct-purchase coverage, or even went uninsured.
As the world attempts to catch up and rehire employees, offering great benefits like employer-sponsored health insurance is a high priority for job seekers when getting back into the workforce. Employees are looking for affordable and high-quality coverage that can be tailored to their personal needs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the reset button on the world in many ways, and the health care industry has experienced changes that will last long into the post-pandemic world.
Elevanta Health is an affordable, ACA-compliant, self-funded group health insurance solution. We offer a variety of plans that are covered by the BlueCross BlueShield network. Provide your current and future employees with a benefit that they can afford and trust. If you are an employer looking to get set up with one of our plans, contact us today at health@elevanta.com or 678-540-6203.