According to a recent healthinsurance.com national survey, 4 in 10 respondents have recently discussed their parents Medicare coverage. Of those, a whopping 74% have encouraged their parents to increase their Medicare Coverage during this 2020 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period which ends December 7. The survey reveals that 42% of those on Medicare have or will explore changing their current coverage.
These November findings go along with an October healthinsurance.com national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults on Medicare aged 65+. The survey asked seniors about their current Medicare plans and coverage, medical costs, telemedicine, as well as technology and social media habits:
Seniors have one more week to make changes to their current Medicare plan. The October survey found that 70% have never adjusted their Medicare coverage in years past. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has many Americans taking a closer look at their healthcare plans:
The October survey revealed a 716% spike in telemedicine usage among seniors on Medicare during the COVID-19 pandemic. 49% reported using telemedicine during the past seven months with 1 in 4 using it more than once. 36% preferred to use their smartphones for these appointments. It looks as though telemedicine is here to stay, with 42% saying they will continue to use it on a regular basis when the pandemic is over.
The October survey also found that seniors are not shying away from using the same technology as their kids and grandkids. 39% admit to binge-watching a streaming service, 76% text, and 35% have video chatted with children and/or grandchildren within the past month. However, they aren’t totally sold on cutting the cord; 60% watch cable news regularly.
A majority of seniors are hitting the “like” button; 71% said they use Facebook at least once a week, with 52% admitting to going on Facebook daily. However, with all these digital technologies available, 73% are worried about protecting their privacy.
Article provided by healthinsurance.com.