Independent survey of 1,059 Medicare beneficiaries shows that the Medicare enrollment process is unjustifiably overcomplicated and outdated. And once enrolled, many beneficiaries simply do not have a full understanding of their respective Medicare plans. You can read the report summary here.

Close to 64 million people are currently enrolled in Medicare, and a growing number of adults turning 65 – who have not chosen early retirement – need to proactively enroll in Medicare, instead of being enrolled automatically. But understanding when and how to enroll can be challenging.

Far too many older adults make mistakes when trying to understand and navigate Medicare’s confusing enrollment system. The impact of such mistakes can be substantial on their finances and overall health — including lifelong late enrollment penalties, higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and gaps in healthcare coverage and access.

Older Americans deserve optimal healthcare options, but several structural issues prevent this from being realized. Of the millions enrolled in Medicare, some may be unintentionally choosing plans that ultimately lead to sub-optimal health outcomes. Others may be enrolled in plans that come with steep out-of-pocket costs for treatments and medications unbeknownst to the recipient at the time of enrollment.

In order to understand more about how older Americans enroll in Medicare, how efficient the plan selection process is, and how beneficiaries understand their plan features after enrollment, we commissioned an independent survey of more than 1,000 current Medicare beneficiaries across the United States.

We identified several interesting findings:

40% found plan selection and enrollment the most difficult to understand aspect of Medicare overall

62% enrolled in Medicare plans using methods that weren’t online

Over 70% think the current Medicare enrollment process can be improved

Over 3⁄4 are comfortable using the internet to select their Medicare plans

72% did not fully or clearly understand their current Medicare plan features

Only 38% intend on changing their Medicare plans during the next AEP

What do these findings mean?

We have distilled them down to two broad insights:

The millions of Americans enrolled in Medicare need to be better protected and better informed. Plan selection can directly impact health outcomes, and thousands of Americans may be selecting plans that come with unnecessary out-of-pocket costs. It’s also worthwhile to note that almost half of the survey’s respondents had household incomes below the U.S. median household income.

It’s important that we continue to ask questions that help make Medicare better and it starts with taking a closer look at the issues laden across the Medicare enrollment process.

A simplified and accessible plan enrollment process has the potential to transform the entire Medicare experience for millions of Americans. The most efficient and effective way for beneficiaries to enroll is online, and our survey results prove that older Americans are ready: ¾ of respondents are comfortable using the internet to select their Medicare plans.

Medicare will soon cover 20% of the U.S. population, and the issues that continuously occur in the process today will only become exacerbated.

By asking these crucial questions, we can begin to understand which features of Medicare are in urgent need of reform. In the interim, however, those of us in the industry must make a concerted effort to simplify the enrollment process and cater to the evolving needs of today’s older Americans.

Right now, most older Americans make their choices for Medicare plans with an agent over the phone – not the best option for navigating a complex decision like selecting one of the myriads of available plans.

Medicare enrollment, a process once mundane and overcomplicated, should be as seamless as possible – and moving the process online is a perfect start.

Author Bio: Rafal Walkiewicz is the CEO and founder of Hella Health, the first 100% digital platform built to educate and enroll customers in Medicare plans. Rafal has a track record as a thought leader in the insurance industry. His innovative thinking and expertise in insurtech trends set him apart as a disruptor in a sector where change is long overdue. You can read some interviews here: https://bit.ly/3bMhGhz and https://bit.ly/3vVjzj0