The pandemic has made consumers more digital and made the telemedicine. If fintechs such as Nubank have grown in the banking market, in the health plan market, healthtechs such as Alice and Qsaúde are starting their activities and are already pleasing consumers, reveals the new CVA Planos de Saúde study, which interviewed 3,195 consumers across the country .
“The way to have health plans with higher quality and lower cost is to help consumers cultivate their health and reduce waste in the system. Healthtechs do this. They engage consumers from the moment they arrive, explaining the concept of health promotion and prevention, mapping the consumer’s lifestyle, implementing the family doctor who generates guidance and rationalization of expenses. The secret is technology and engagement from the beginning of the relationship”, comments Sandro Cimatti, managing partner of CVA Solutions.
Health Promotion Programs
In general, users of health insurance know very little about these health promotion programs, only 38% of users, and less than 15% have participated. In healthtechs these indicators are better because users are engaged from the moment they arrive at the plan.
“Since, on average, the sickest 10% of health plan users represent 65% of costs, health plans should invest more in the dissemination and encouragement of health prevention and promotion programs, aiming at prevention and more intense monitoring with the 10 % more sick people and the promotion of health and change of habits of the other 90% of users that represent 35% of the costs”, observes Sandro Cimatti, remembering that the Perceived Value of those who know these programs is much better, and therefore, helps to build loyalty the consumers.
Waste, service problems and alternatives
One of the problems detected in the study is the excessive use of the Emergency Room, not always in emergencies, but often to circumvent the delay in being able to schedule a medical appointment. More than 89% said they had used the Emergency Department in the last 12 months. This type of service generates much higher costs for health plans.
Main problems cited: Delay in scheduling an appointment is the main problem indicated by 20%, followed by price increase (13%) and doctor who left the plan (12%). We have 48% who said they had no problem with their health plan.
Of those interviewed, 40.5% had been hospitalized in the last 12 months and 65.1% had also used hospital services. THEIR (Health Unic System). These usage rates have increased compared to 2018, as the pandemic prevented people from using the services, and now we have an accumulated demand.
Lower cost alternatives, such as the Discount Card and Popular Clinics, in addition to being a way out for those who no longer have health plans, have been used as a complement by those who have health insurance, as they present greater agility and convenience in consultations.
Health Plans cited
In the study, about 48 health plans were mentioned by users. The most cited were: Unimed, Amil, Bradesco Saúde, SulAmérica, Hapvida, Porto Seguro, NotreDame-Intermédica, Golden Cross, Allianz, Cassi, Next Saúde, Prevent Senior, Assim, Memorial Saúde, Alice, Qsaúde, among others.
CVA Solutions’ studies aim to understand the Perceived Value structure (perceived cost-benefit) in the market, from the consumer’s point of view. In addition to measuring the competitive position of the main players and diagnosing possibilities for creating sustainable competitive advantage. The studies also assess the Brand Strength, which is the attraction less rejection towards customers and non-customers.
Low score among 52 market segments
The Health Plans segment improved its score compared to 2018. The score rose from 6.93 to 8.01 (on a scale of 1 to 10), placing the segment in 38th position among the 52 segments evaluated. The Perceived Value for the segments surveyed by the CVA is based on the perceived cost-benefit score and the best segment is Microwave (8.87) and the worst segment is Fixed Telephony (7.00).
Perceived Value
The best Perceived Value (cost-benefit perceived by customers) in Health Plans is Porto Seguro (score 1.09), followed by Alice, Allianz, Bradesco Saúde and Qsaúde.
“Porto Seguro is very well evaluated, and is a very good company in processes and customer engagement. Alice is a young Healthtech and we already expected this good performance as she was born digital and with her clients’ engagement from the very beginning”, comments the managing partner of CVA Solutions.
Brand Strength
The greatest Brand Strength (the attraction less rejection by customers and non-customers) is Bradesco Saúde, with 19.6%, followed by Unimed, SulAmérica, Amil and Porto Seguro.
“Healthtechs will take time to conquer volume and Brand Strength”, comments Sandro Cimatti.