NEW STUDY: MILLENNIALS EXCEED OLDER GENERATIONS IN CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS
A surprising generational trend has emerged in a UnitedHealthcare/Health Action Council report that forever changes medical plan management, and the cost and quality of health care itself:
Millennials are exceeding all older generations in chronic health conditions and overall burden to the system.
Based on one of the world's most comprehensive claims databases, the white paper reveals that those aged 27-42 depend more on the health care system and experience greater disease burdens, far exceeding their closest Gen X counterparts:
Diabetes – 106% more hospital admissions
Hypertension – 55% more emergency room and urgent care visits
Obesity – 31% more ER/UC visits and 29% more hospital admissions
Back disorders – 22% higher ER/UC visits, 46% higher admissions
Osteoarthritis – 36% higher ER/UC visits
The findings are both unexpected and alarming, and foretell a much higher future spend than employers ever anticipated.
Health Action Council CEO Patty Starr and Craig Kurtzweil, VP with the UnitedHealthcare Center for Advanced Analytics, have co-authored an article that encapsulates this tremendous social shift and offers solutions to address the sudden impact, which includes a 35% pandemic-driven spike in behavioral health utilization for Millennials and their children.
READ THE FULL WHITE PAPER
About Health Action Council
Health Action Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization representing mid and large-size employers that enhances human and economic health through thought leadership, innovative services, and collaboration. It provides value to its members by facilitating projects that improve the quality and moderate the cost of healthcare purchased by its members for their employees, dependents, and retirees. Health Action Council also collaborates with key stakeholders - health plans, physicians, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry - to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the community.