Move over, Millennials, Generation Z―or those who were born from 1995 and 2015―are officially the “new guys” at work. Robert Half predicts that this generation will make up 20 percent of the total workforce by 2020.
As Gen Z increasingly gains its footing in the workplace, insurance offerings will need to adjust to meet this generation’s evolving needs. Monster.com’s Multi-Generational Survey found that 70 percent of Gen Z workers place greater emphasis on having insurance in their first jobs, so it’s important to get it right. As Kaveh Safavi, head of Accenture’s global health practice said, “Providers and payers who stay one step ahead of the shifts and deliver what patients are looking for will be the ones to earn loyalty, navigate disruption and be strongly positioned as the future unfolds.” Here are the main areas this generation cares most about when it comes to healthcare.
Shopping for Insurance
Nobody hates shopping for insurance more than Gen Z. Bankrate found that Gen Z equates shopping for health insurance to be as unenjoyable as having a tooth filled. Ouch. You’ll want to make the benefits selection process as painless as possible for this generation. Consider a shopping-like experience for health insurance that shows side-by-side comparisons of plan details and benefits costs to ease the process.
Higher Premiums, Lower Deductibles
It can be easy to assume that Gen Z would want to spend as little as possible on health plans, but that isn’t the case. The same Bankrate survey found that Gen Z prefers health plans with a high monthly premium and a low deductible, compared with just 33 percent of those in older generations. Paying more each month for health care seems counter-intuitive for the young and healthy, but the risk of wiping out their savings with one visit to the ER is a big motivator for Gen Z.
New Care Models
Perhaps the most notable trend among Gen Z is the shifting role of primary care physicians. Accenture found that 55 percent of Gen Z doesn’t have a primary care physician, compared with two-thirds of Millennials and 76 percent of Gen X. Instead, this younger generation would rather receive their healthcare from new care models like urgent care clinics and telemedicine. Whether it’s video conferencing with a physician, popping into a clinic or texting with a psychiatrist, Gen Z patients are actively seeking doctors with on-demand capabilities.
Digital Experiences
It’s no secret that technology plays a leading role in everything Gen Z does. From paying bills to buying insurance, Gen Z is the first generation of “digital natives” who were entirely born and raised in an age where everything can be done online. Workers in this generation simply don’t have the resources nor will they take the time to print, sign, scan and email health insurance forms. Gen Z needs to be able to access their healthcare 24/7 online—whether it’s finding an in-network provider or signing a benefits election form.
Next Generation Health Insurance Technology
Staying up-to-date on health insurance trends is important for Employers to attract the next generation to their workforce―and they’ll be relying on their Brokers and Carriers to help them get there.
FormFire gives you competitive advantage by making benefits management faster, easier and more attractive for employees. Using FormFire’s all-in-one online platform, our features streamline the benefits selection process from shopping for health plans to signing on the dotted line. Contact FormFire today to learn more or request a free demo to see how our system will benefit the next generation of healthcare consumers.