Is My Doctor In Your Network?

How do you know what motivates your Medicare Advantage members to choose and or stick with your plan? Obviously, you ask them. And perhaps we are conditioned to expect—and they are conditioned to answer—that “is my doctor in network” would be one of the key deciding factors. But I suspect that getting their provider in the network has had an outsized weighting in the feature set pitched to seniors. While a comprehensive network of providers is undeniably important, it's worth questioning whether we are placing too much emphasis on this aspect, at the expense of more fundamental needs.

What about food, which is the most critical need in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? Have you asked your members about food?

Food Before Friends: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

In 1943, Psychologist Abraham Maslow conjured up a theory that explains human motivation, called his hierarchy of needs. Physiological needs, often referred to as survival needs, occupy the bottom rung of the Maslow’s pyramid. Those basic (or deficiency) needs include: air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, and reproduction. Sometimes, his reference to air is categorized as the need to breathe and shelter/clothing can be denoted as ways to stay warm. Safety is situated on the next rung up. Safety needs include personal security, employment, health, and property. At the very top of the hierarchy lies self-actualization; the desire to optimize one’s life, potential, and happiness.

While Maslow’s Hierarchy has been re-interpreted over the years, it has never expanded the basic needs to include creating the recipe for Crème Brulee. Nor is having your doctor in network considered a basic need that motivates humans. But food still tops the list.

In many respects, health insurers over-prioritize that need for network providers while under-prioritizing nutritious and easy-to-prepare food. What is a must-have versus a nice to have?

At Healthrageous, we align our priorities around the most basic physical needs—at the risk of overstating it, the actual needs—of Dual Eligibles and chronically ill seniors in Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans. They need food. They need food that is good for them, easy to prepare, and filling their bellies before setting their eyes on the next prize: free transportation to an in-network physician’s office for an annual wellness visit.

Meals that are low in sodium and high in protein are essential to sustaining life. By sending a box of 14 easy to heat-and-eat meals to a member’s doorstep, Healthrageous has eliminated the burden of shopping, label reading, food prep and cleanup - and minimized consumption of snacks and unhealthy convenience foods. The fact that 8 out of 10 seniors are delighted with our meals is simply “the icing on the cake.” Engage with Healthrageous and learn how to meet your members where they are in life, needing a nutritious and tasty meal that is simple to prepare and gives them strength to take the next step toward health.

Let’s talk about meeting your members where they need. Let’s talk about food as medicine. To learn more, get in touch today!

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