The Medicare Digital Tools Study focuses on Medicare consumers’ digital habits including digital shopping, online plan management, portal utilization, and health tracking. While last year’s study looked at digital therapeutics, the 2022 report includes a special focus on “virtual first” and virtual-focused Medicare plans.
To help understand which seniors may be amenable to utilizing digital health tools, it’s important to understand their general online behaviors. We created an “online use” index that captures general internet purchasing and social media use.
Seniors who have not purchased either Supplemental Medicare or Medicare Advantage -- aka, 'original Medicare only seniors' -- are significantly less likely to perform health related tasks online. Many enjoy social media and online shopping but are not comfortable using digital technology to manage their health and insurance.
