MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

Future-Proof Your Strategy: 5 Key Trends Impacting Member Engagement

In 2024, regular member engagement touchpoints alone are no longer enough.

Effective member engagement requires targeted recommendations that connect members to essential care, and your strategy must be able to adapt to their evolving needs. These 5 recent trends demonstrate how:

1. Tailor Engagement for Gen Z as They Take on Their Own Insurance Coverage

The oldest members of Generation Z are aging out of parent-dependent insurance—by the end of 2024, they will be officially ineligible. With nearly 70 million Gen Zers in the U.S., this generation is set to command a growing share of healthcare spending.

To stay relevant, your engagement strategy must resonate with Gen Z’s unique perspectives. They prioritize proactive care and are open to treatments like meditation and therapy, which older generations might overlook. Engaging this demographic requires a strategy that aligns with their values and anticipates their needs as they transition into adulthood and parenthood.

And remember, Generation Alpha is right behind them. The oldest members of this cohort will become adults in just six years, requiring yet another shift in and angle to your member engagement strategy.

2. Use Targeted Messaging to Push Members Toward Urgent Care

With more healthcare options available, prioritizing lower cost alternatives should be at the center of your messaging. Urgent care not only offers quick and convenient services for members, but they also present an opportunity for payer organizations to reduce costs. In fact, for the 10 most common diagnoses, the average charge per claim submitted by urgent care centers was $433 less than claims submitted by physician offices and $710 less than claims submitted by hospitals.

Using targeted messaging, your member engagement strategy can capitalize on this trend by identifying members likely to benefit from urgent care and guiding them toward these services. By doing so, you’ll not only satisfy member preferences but also drive financial savings for your organization.

3. Integrate Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) into Your Engagement Strategy

Health outcomes are influenced by factors far beyond genetics, and understanding these Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) is crucial for effective member engagement.

Your strategy must keep pace with the growing body of knowledge surrounding SDOH. As awareness increases and more insights emerge, it’s essential to adjust your approach to consider these complex variables. A robust member engagement solution needs strong data governance, integrity, quality assurance, empathy, experience design, and hyper-personalization to handle these factors effectively.

Carefully consider any inherent biases as you evaluate AI point solutions and ensure your engagement strategy advances equitable access to care. Understanding SDOH and their impact on your members is key to fostering meaningful engagements over time.

4. Prioritize Mental Health Engagement Amid a National Crisis

The demand for mental health intervention has never been greater. Nearly 30% of Americans have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, and suicide rates have reached alarming levels.

Young people are at the heart of this crisis, with 1 in 3 receiving mental health treatment. Certain cohorts, such as Black and LGBTQ+ adolescents, are particularly vulnerable. Proper feedback loops in your engagement strategy must be in place to recognize these critical opportunities for intervention and provide the necessary support to at-risk members.

5. Strategize for the Impact of Rising Obesity and GLP-1 Drug Use

With over 40% of U.S. adults classified as obese and 13% having tried drugs like Ozempic, both obesity and the use of these medications are on the rise.

Navigating the multi-faceted challenges of increasing obesity and the uncertain future of GLP-1 drugs requires a thoughtful approach to member engagement. Your strategy should be flexible enough to anticipate and support the rise of these trends as the needs of your demographics continue to shift.

Choosing the right member engagement strategy and solution can transform your business and, more importantly, transform health outcomes. By prioritizing adaptability, you can ensure that you’re future-ready, setting yourself—and your members—up for success.

Get in touch with Clarity Performance Solutions today to learn more about our future-proofed member engagement solution.