Survey Shows COVID-19 Toll on Senior Mental Health, Social Health

From the beginning, it was clear that seniors’ lives would be turned upside down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but Humana’s survey of over 1,000 seniors reveal the severe toll the pandemic has taken on senior mental health and social health.

“Health plans should take particular notice, since it is critical to understand all the evolving needs of seniors – health, social and behavioral – as the industry increasingly moves toward models of ‘whole health’ senior care and coverage,” said Kathy Driscoll, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Humana.

The survey reached 1,003 Americans ages 64 and older, nationwide. Kelton Global fielded the survey from September 14 to September 21, 2021.

One of the most striking results of the survey was that, despite the rise in mental and behavioral healthcare needs and the expanded access to telemental and telebehavioral services that the pandemic brought, only three percent of seniors had accessed mental healthcare.

The results run parallel with a separate Anthem study which found that mental healthcare claims dropped even though mental healthcare demand rose during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the low rate of telehealth utilization for these specific demands does not mean that seniors were as hesitant to use telehealth for other health-related purposes. Seniors were far more likely to use telehealth in order to access wellness programming (84 percent) and a third of seniors used telehealth to connect with their providers.

Isolation spiked among the senior population, with half of all seniors saying they spent more time by themselves. Not only were they not connecting with as many people, but seniors were also spending less time doing the things that they enjoy.

Women ages 64 and older had a greater likelihood of reporting sadness and a decline in independence. Slightly over a quarter report that they felt sad more often and one in five said that their autonomy had become more restricted.

Physical condition also steeply declined due to the pandemic. Over half of all senior participants stated that their physical activity had dropped since March 2020.

Certain populations of seniors have also become more conscious of how their economic spending can influence their local communities. 

Four out of ten Black seniors say that they will give their patronage to businesses based on their stances regarding social issues, the business’s contributions to community health, and a third of respondents based their spending on the company’s values. Meanwhile, these considerations were important to 19, 27, and 24 percent of White seniors, respectively.

Humana experts emphasized that these data points have significant meaning for payers in particular.

“Seniors have every right to expect that their health plan not only supports their personal health, but also the greater health of their community,” said J. Nwando Olayiwola, MD, chief health equity officer at Humana.

Respondents answered the poll a month before 2022 Medicare open enrollment started. At the time, seniors reported three key priorities related to choosing a health plan: adequate coverage (69 percent), access to their healthcare providers (67 percent), and low out-of-pocket healthcare spending (64 percent).

Looking to the future, seniors intended to reverse their social isolation. Three-quarters of seniors planned to boost their time with family and friends, nearly seven out of ten seniors said that they will prioritize activities that they enjoy, and over half of all seniors intended to travel.

With 2022 Medicare open enrollment season underway, payers seem to have heard seniors’ call for adequate coverage at lower cost. More payers are offering social determinants of health benefits in zero-dollar premium health plans.

However, high healthcare costs remain an influential factor in seniors’ financial health, according to a MedicareGuide.com survey.

Going forward, lowering costs, honing coverage adequacy, and connecting seniors with mental healthcare resources will continue to be essential elements of payers’ member engagement strategies in Medicare.