Research Digital Products for Connecting to the US Health Insurance Marketplace

• How does the US healthcare system work?
• Given the high cost of medical care, how do people actually afford treatment and services?
• How do health insurance carriers control their costs?
• What is the responsibility of individuals and families to have health insurance? How are these expectations reinforced?
• What are the responsibilities of employers to provide workers with health insurance coverage?
• What is the responsibility of the state? What types of state-sponsored coverage is available, and to whom?
• What is the estimated proportion of the US population is adequately insured? Underinsured?
• What are the primary reasons for being uninsured or underinsured in the US?
• What are the barriers to having adequate health care coverage?

• How do individuals “shop” for health insurance coverage for themselves and their families?
  • What channels and networks do they use?
  • How often/when?
• What types of health insurance plans are available to consumers? How are they differentiated? For instance:
  • Are all health care services covered under health insurance plans?
  • What are the major differences between types of health care coverage?
  • Is there a common classification scheme that helps you to differentiate between the types of coverage and their associated features?
  • What types of restrictions limit patient choice in terms of where and from whom and what facilities they receive health care services? What do the terms “in-network” and “out-of-network” refer to in the insurance model?
  • What about co-insurance, co-payment, and out-of-pocket baselines and limits? Deductable and premium costs?
• What factors do people take into consideration when deciding upon health insurance coverage for themselves and their families? How do these rank in terms of priority?
• What are the problems and challenges that consumers face when researching and deciding upon the health care coverage that is the best fit for them and their family?
• What information and tools do customers looking for health care coverage to purchase need?

• What digital applications are available to consumers seeking to find the best fit insurance company and coverage for their health care needs?
• What is the cost of those applications and the range of packages they offer?
• How do they help customers to match their situation and need to health care coverage options?
• What kind of information do they collect about the individual(s) applying for coverage?
• What types of features and tools are included with the free and fee-based packages?
•  What problems or challenges do they help consumers solve? What needs are met?
• What do customer reviews, consumer reports, and other sources tell you about the quality of these digital tools?
  • What do customers use and like?
  • What are the drawbacks and limitations of these applications?

What are your recommendations for a digital application that would allow customers to seamlessly research their health insurance coverage options, narrow down their options and preferences, and complete the necessary steps for securing and purchasing a health care policy?

Can you develop and propose a product roadmap that outlines the development of this product?