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Research Outline
Prepared for Beth L. | Delivered February 18, 2020
Medicare Population Device Usage
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Goals
To develop information about device usage (type of device, operating system, version) among medicare users over 65 and the special needs population who uses medicare. This information will be used to market an app targeted to these user groups.
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Early Findings
Overview of Medicare Population
Eighty-five percent
of Medicare users are over 65, and
12%
are over 85.
Fifteen percent
of Medicare users are under 65 living with a long-term disability.
Over
20 million Medicare
users have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, a private insurer plan which provides supplemental health care benefits.
Medicare is working to implement
technology enhancements
to help users enroll, understand, and use their coverage.
Over 65 Device Usage
A Pew Research Center study found that
91%
of seniors, individuals 65 and over, use a cell phone (smartphone or other mobile device).
Fifty-three percent
use a smartphone and
39%
cellphone (not smartphone).
In 2019, about
12%
of seniors said they were dependent on their smartphone (use a smartphone, but do not use broadband at home), compared with
22%
of those 18-29,
18%
30-49, and
14%
50-64.
As of 2018,
32%
of seniors owned a tablet.
Some
top smartphone devices
recommended for those 65+ include senior-oriented features in their design, such as a large screen, larger font sizes, and easy-to-use interface. These devices may also offer
features
such a voice-activation or hearing-assisted features.
Some top-ranked devices for seniors include the
Jitterbug Smart 2
(model #2), which is marketed as "the simplest smartphone ever", with a large screen and simplified features, and Motorola
M
o
t
a
e4 Plus, which includes a large display, fingerprint sensor, and a long-lasting battery.
U
l
e
f
o
n
e
Power 6
(model #,B07TC6W4FW), which runs on Android, and
B
l
a
c
k
v
i
e
w
BV 5500, which also runs on Android, were also listed as top smartphones for seniors.
In terms of Apple devices, the iPhone 7 is considered by some to offer the most
senior-friendly features
of all iPhone versions.
In terms of
tablets
, ASUS
V
i
v
o
Tab RT, Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, and Apple iPad mini MD531LL/A were ranked as the safest, easiest-to-use, tablets for seniors in a recent study by Assisted Livng Today.
Disabled or Special Needs Population Device Ownership
Disabled individuals
who are eligible for medicare may qualify based on a range of mental and physical disabilities.
These
disabilities
are typically long-term, preventing one from finding suitable work and wages due to the disability.
Disabled individuals are
less likely
to own a smartphone than those without a disability. A 2017 survey noted that
58%
of those with a disability claimed to use a smartphone, compared to
80%
who did not have a disability.
Specific device usage will be closely-linked to the
specific disability,
whether it be cognitive, physical, or sensory.
Both
i
O
s
and Android devices offer features for
disabled individuals
, including voice-enabled screen readers for blind persons, switch controls and access for those who may not be able to use a touchscreen, or features that support hearing or learning disabilities.
The
Nokia 3.1
Android 9.0 PIE and the Apple iPhone 8Plus were both cited as leading phones for both the disabled and seniors, ranked on design simplicity, audio and size of the phone.
Summary Of Our Early Findings Relevant To The Goals
The two primary user groups for Medicare are seniors (those over 65), who comprise the majority of Medicare users, and long-term disabled (under 65, qualifying under social security disability, who could have cognitive, physical, or sensory disabilities, and are unable to work). Our research efforts focused on understanding device usage among these 2 groups.
While we did uncover recent statistics around total current mobile device usage, our initial hour of research did not reveal statistics pointing the current device models used by seniors or the long-term disabled community.
We therefore expanded the search to look at recent review sites, rankings, and ratings for the top device models recommended for seniors, which generally offer senior-friendly features, such as large screens and features for the visual or hearing-disabled. Device recommendations for seniors and the disabled community were often very similar, and therefore, our recommended research paths focus on these groups in totality.
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