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Since 2005, Deft Research has provided insurance carriers, agencies, consultants, and marketers with the information they need to improve their member acquisition and retention, product development, and quality ratings. With our full suite of market research services, you can gain greater clarity into the senior and commercial markets to drive better business decisions.
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Select a quarter to explore our recent and upcoming syndicated studies and custom research solutions in the senior and commercial markets.
National Dental Benefit Design Conjoint Study
Publishes Jan. 15, 2024 | Senior Market
With dental access, design, and cost-share structure remaining as dominant factors in overall selection criteria, this national conjoint study will help product developers design a dental benefit that drives the most value — whether embedded in MAPD plans or as a stand‑alone dental offering.
National Dual Eligible Benefit Design Conjoint Study
Publishes Jan. 15, 2024 | Senior Market
For 2024, Deft is offering a second national benefit design study to better meet designers’ needs. This additional conjoint study examines the supplemental benefit tradeoffs that are dominating the fastest growing segment in the Medicare market: Dual Eligibles.
Medicare Shopping and Switching Study
Publishes Jan. 31, 2024 | Senior Market
Over the last 16 years, our Medicare Shopping and Switching Study has been the gold-standard industry report for senior consumerism during the AEP. Product managers, marketers, distributors, agencies, and consultants eagerly anticipate its publication because it traditionally signifies the start of next year’s decision making.
Medicare Part D Addendum Study
Publishes Jan. 31, 2024 | Senior Market
2024 signifies the start of two years’ worth of significant changes to Part D design based on the Inflation Reduction Act. This study will examine how consumers dealt with Part D changes in their coverage during last AEP, and will provide a guidebook for carriers and agencies as we look toward 2025 and the $2,000 Part D MOOP.
Individual and Family Plan Shopping and Switching Study
Publishes Feb. 29, 2024 | Commercial Market
The 16.3 million ACA consumer total from 2023’s OEP may continue to rise this year as new carrier participants hit the market, enhanced subsidies stay in effect, and federal spending is in play for these individual market plans. This study examines the traditional OEP, the channels that best connect with consumers, how these individuals shopped for coverage, and how they chose to enroll for 2024.
Dual Eligible Acquisition Study
Publishes Mar. 29, 2024 | Senior Market
Today, the D-SNP market is nearing almost six million strong. And with an equal number in straight Medicaid, others in non-D-SNP MA plans, and another nine million beneficiaries close to Medicaid status, the Dual Eligible market is poised for long-term growth. Our study is the industry guidebook for organizations who want to best service this rapidly growing senior segment.
Medicare OEP and Disenrollment Prevention Study
Publishes Apr. 30, 2024 | Senior Market
This is a supplemental study to the Medicare Shopping and Switching Study. Quality enrollment and tenure are more important to carrier financial performance than ever before. In this study, we help all industry stakeholders better understand the touchpoints and events that will provide the best chances for driving enduring membership.
Medicare Age-In Study
Publishes May 31, 2024 | Senior Market
Employer Group Retiree plans are on the decline. Plus, recent AEP switching has generally hovered at 12% or less. As a result, it’s become more important than ever to engage consumers at or around age 65 who are transitioning from Commercial to Medicare coverage. Our Medicare Age-In Study helps industry insiders understand the ideal cadence of touchpoints, messaging themes, and enrollment preferences that today’s Boomer seeks when considering Medicare Supplemental or Medicare Advantage coverage for the first time.
Commercial Group and ICHRA Study
Publishes Jun. 28, 2024 | Commerial Market
The Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) option got off to a slow start in the COVID years of 2020 and 2021, but some estimates have the program accounting for more than two million of the ACA member total today. As employers struggle with unpredictable healthcare costs in a wobbly economy, Deft’s inaugural Commercial Group and ICHRA Study illuminates how current Commercial Group members feel about the potential move to the ACA and how that compares to the experiences of those already in ACA coverage through ICHRA.
AEP Gut Check Study
Publishes Jul. 16, 2024 | Senior Market
There’s a lot of planning that goes into AEP preparation during the winter and spring months, but it’s not enough if marketers and sales managers don’t “take the temperature” of seniors before executing their AEP strategy. Our AEP Gut Check Study allows them to do just that by acting as a “Pre-AEP” report for the 2025 benefit year. We assess seniors’ pain points, service failures, and their experience of buyer’s remorse during the summer months. Knowing what seniors are seeking to improve with their Medicare coverage allows marketers and sales professionals to connect with seniors — and improves their approach during the fall selling period.
Dual Eligible Retention Study
Publishes Aug. 8, 2024 | Senior Market
The growth explosion in the D-SNP space is tempered only by the frustration associated with members who can (and do) switch throughout the course of the year. Holding onto these members is more challenging than maintaining those outside of the Dual Eligible space. In this second edition of our Dual Eligible Retention Study, we will chronicle the experiences that provide the best chances for long-term membership. We will also examine the services and benefits correlated with consumers who face detrimental Social Determinants of Health (SDoH).
Medicare Digital Tools Study
Publishes Aug. 30, 2024 | Senior Market
Carriers, agencies, and consultants must focus on engaging healthcare consumers digitally as all stakeholders seek to reduce costs, improve care, and broaden access. By harnessing the full power of digital tools, they can more fully reach these very connected Boomers. Our study will review how seniors feel about shopping for Medicare plans online and whether they find the amount of information overwhelming.
Individual and Family Plan Digital Tools Study
Publishes Sept. 30, 2024 | Commercial Market
Health insurance that is built for digital exchanges also means that coverage, service, and healthcare must be focused on digital delivery. This study examines all aspects of digital healthcare, including online shopping (public and private exchanges), portal management, e-brokers, virtual care, and virtual-first plans.
Medicare Member Experience Study
Publishes Oct. 31, 2024 | Senior Market
In this 2024 study, we will help stakeholders understand the specific touchpoints that set up seniors to renew coverage — as well as those that motivate them to disenroll. We also examine how various experiences are associated with higher and lower CAHPS scores, as well as advise carriers and agencies how to better engineer member communications and customer service for higher scores during out years.
Individual and Family Plan Member Experience Study
Publishes Nov. 29, 2024 | Commercial Market
Greater competition in the ACA market means that consumers are no longer “stuck with” the few carriers that participate. The average state has at least six carriers now, meaning all on-exchange participants must focus on retention more than ever. This study will identify the experiences that either inflate or depress loyalty so that carriers can hold onto ACA members like Medicare carriers do today.
Watch the presentation with Deft on Demand.
Let Deft’s leading experts walk you, step by step, through our most timely and respected studies in the senior health insurance market. Access the presentation video and Executive Research Briefs when you purchase any of these 2023 studies:
- Medicare Shopping and Switching Study
- Dual Eligible Study
- OEP and Disenrollment Prevention Study
- Medicare Age-In Study
- AEP Gut Check Study
Research and Market Intelligence Offerings
Senior Market Insights Service
Our acquisition- and experience-focused Senior Market Insights Service (SMIS) reports have become the industry standard for anyone developing, marketing, or selling within the senior health insurance product landscape. Discover how SMIS can help you meet your objectives.
Commercial Market Insights Service
Our Commercial Market Insights Service (CMIS) reports focus on consumers in non-government health insurance programs. Our in-depth reports identify ACA market trends and provide timely, actionable insights to help you make critical business decisions.
Packaged and Custom Research
In addition to fully customized studies, Deft also offers packaged research solutions that allow a degree of customized research to be added to our industry-leading syndicated studies. With both packaged and custom research, you can optimize your product design, retain members, quantify market opportunities, and help your marketing dollars go further. Make better-informed, bolder decisions with packaged research or a custom study that helps reduce uncertainty and financial risk. Packaged research options include:
- List Scoring Service
- CAHPS and NPS Diagnostic and Tracking Services
- Product Design and Attribute Studies
- Medicare Market Assessment Service
- Message and Ad Testing
Explore Our Blog
Navigating Medicare Disruption
In August of this year, the U.S. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which promises to lower costs and improve outcomes for American seniors. Beginning in 2026, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will choose a selection from the most expensive Part D drugs each year to come under negotiated price restrictions. Other changes are pending.