For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Forrester's Industry Marketing Decision Tool   (174 KB XLS)

by Ellen Carney, Bradford J. Holmes, Emily Van Metre, December 19, 2007

This workbook is designed to help industry marketers rank their industry opportunity based on their understanding of the industry, the competitive landscape, and their internal capabilities. Users can also change relative weights, based on their own characteristics . . .

For Consumer Market Research Professionals

Reaching The Online, Uninsured Healthcare Consumer

Which Health-Related Web Sites Are The Uninsured Visiting, And What Do These Consumers Research?

by Julie Snyder, Bradford J. Holmes, February 14, 2007

The millions of uninsured consumers in the United States constitute a market that no plan can ignore. In fact uninsured consumers are online, and they are actively visiting health-related sites to research numerous health-related topics. Forrester found . . .

For Consumer Market Research Professionals

Retail Health Clinics: Convenience Trumps Service And Quality

Convenience, Not Level Of Service, Draws Consumers

by Bradford J. Holmes, Julie Snyder, January 26, 2007

Retail health clinics, offering consumers basic healthcare services at low, fixed prices, are cropping up nationwide. While only a small percentage of consumers have used these clinics, retail giants such as CVS/pharmacy, Target, and Wal-Mart Stores are . . .

Which Consumers Share Medical Information?

Sharing Is Linked To Consumer Attitudes Toward Medical Community And Basic Trust

by Bradford J. Holmes, Julie Snyder, January 8, 2007

The virtue of consumers who share their medical information, through applications like personal health records, is clear. These pioneers ease communications among themselves, payers, and physicians and enable their own path toward better health and wellness. . . .

For Consumer Market Research Professionals

Profile Of Five Large Health Plans  (212 KB PPT)

by Julie Snyder, Bradford J. Holmes, December 22, 2006

Topic Overview: Consumer Marketing In Healthcare

Smart Segmentation And New Tools Are Keys To Winning Consumers' Favor

by Bradford J. Holmes, June 15, 2006

This Topic Overview of consumer marketing in healthcare distinguishes healthcare consumers from the average Joe and reviews the tools and techniques of Social Computing. It also delivers the consumer data to pinpoint which segments are the ripe targets . . .

Healthcare: Did Our Predictions Survive 2005?

by Katy Henrickson, Bradford J. Holmes, Eric G. Brown, January 5, 2006

Last year, many healthcare firms made significant IT investments for 2006: Health plans built quality improvement programs and implemented consumer-directed vendor partnerships; pharma firms supported ever-higher levels of eDetailing (even though they . . .

Forrester's Top 10 Healthcare Predictions For 2006

by Laura Ramos, Bradford J. Holmes, Eric G. Brown, December 9, 2005

In 2005, the rising cost-shift from employers and governments to consumers set banks and plans on a collision course to provide HSAs and personal healthcare finance services. Medicare drug discount cards fell flat, providers began rolling out regional . . .

Employers' Disease Management Growth Plans

Fuzzy Benefits Cloud Disease Management's Opportunity

by Bradford J. Holmes, December 8, 2005

With two-thirds of employers currently or planning to include disease management (DM) programs in their health benefit offerings, health plans — employers' go-to source for DM services — should be elated. But health plans know this is not a done deal, . . .

Blue Healthcare Bank Bets On Service, Not Returns

by Katy Henrickson, Bradford J. Holmes, December 6, 2005

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is stepping up the Blues' commitment to the emerging consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) market with a new banking initiative. Forrester believes that the Blues' focus on service integration is the right move to . . .

Employers Want Benefits Portals To Deliver ROI

by Laura Ramos, Bradford J. Holmes, November 7, 2005

While employers of differing sizes vary in their interest in employee benefits portals, they all have the same expectations out of them: Portals need to show savings and value. Early experiences have left employers justifiably skeptical of portal vendors' . . .

Topic Overview: Healthcare Consumerism

by Bradford J. Holmes, October 20, 2005

In this overview of healthcare consumerism, Forrester delivers trending information and forecasts of how consumerism will shape the industry through the next 10 years, consumer data to best pinpoint which segments of the population are most interested . . .

WellPoint/WellChoice Value Is In The Integration

Platforms, Networks, And Products Must Come Together To Serve Big Buyers

by Bradford J. Holmes, September 28, 2005

WellPoint has announced a deal to purchase fellow public BCBS plan parent-company WellChoice for $6.5 billion — ending the rampant speculation that the two companies would come together. On paper, the big numbers are impressive: 33 million end customers, . . .

United Goes Downmarket With PacifiCare Deal

Older, Less Affluent Members Will Test United's Service Model

by Bradford J. Holmes, July 12, 2005

Last week, United HealthCare announced a deal to buy PacifiCare, building on its 2004 purchases of MAMSI and Oxford Health Plans. The deal bodes well for United's and PacifiCare's clients — both gain the advantage of a strengthened national network. United . . .

Health Plans' Advocacy Opportunity

Trust, Service, And Simplicity Make Consumers Loyal

by Bradford J. Holmes, July 8, 2005

Health insurers face a daunting new phase in the evolution of their industry. A new set of products, sales, and service requirements, focused on individual members instead of employers, will test plans' abilities to maintain the high level of profitability . . .

WebMD Buys The Quality-Data Leader

HealthShare Gives WebMD The Goods On Hospital Performance

by Bradford J. Holmes, March 18, 2005

Forrester spoke with Roger Holstein, CEO of WebMD Health, to learn how the company plans to monetize its recently announced acquisition of HealthShare Technology. Holstein sees great potential in taking a "content-neutral position that allows us to help . . .

Healthcare: How Did We Score In 2004?

by Laura Ramos, Bradford J. Holmes, January 4, 2005

In the past year, Forrester expected that the importance of IT would increase among health plans, providers, and pharma. While we correctly anticipated advances in clinical data quality and online drug promotions to allied health professionals, we missed . . .

Who Is To Blame For Healthcare Costs?

Consumers Name Industry Players Before Themselves

by Lynne "Sam" Bishop, Bradford J. Holmes, October 27, 2004

Most US consumers are resigned to paying more for healthcare in the next couple of years, and nearly half consider that to be a major financial concern. So whom do consumers blame for the pain they feel today and expect to feel more sharply in the future? . . .

Trends 2005: Health Plans

The Feds Jump On The Consumerism Bandwagon

by Katy Henrickson, Bradford J. Holmes, Eric G. Brown, October 26, 2004

The government has stepped up its role in support of healthcare consumerism, driving a new set of efforts to collect and communicate provider quality and price data to individual consumers. In addition, as costs continue to rise, employers are demanding . . .

Trends In Healthcare Consumer Technology Adoption

by Bradford J. Holmes, Eric G. Brown, Elizabeth Boehm, Lynne "Sam" Bishop, July 15, 2004

Healthcare consumers are embracing technology and want access to even better online tools and resources, such as more-sophisticated online drugstores and health plan Web sites. This 81 page research collection addresses this emerging trend — it . . .

Oxford Gives United Attractive Consumers

Oxford's Members Are The Most Educated And Affluent

by Bradford J. Holmes, April 27, 2004

UnitedHealth Group's planned purchase of Oxford Health Plans will shake up the New York metro market as the Midwestern heavyweight brings its robust business and product portfolios into Anthem's and Empire BCBS' backyards. Along with the opportunity to . . .

Healthcare Consumerism's Second Act

The Masses Aren't Getting The Message

by Bradford J. Holmes, March 24, 2004

With Aetna and Humana reporting positive early consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) results, employers and plans have increasingly compelling business reasons to roll out CDHPs. But today's engaged consumers who are beginning to treat healthcare decisions . . .

Benefits Portals Don't Deliver On Their Potential

by Bradford J. Holmes, March 15, 2004

As healthcare premiums continue to climb, HR and benefits managers have latched onto employee benefits portals to reinforce employees' accountability for their health choices — and ultimately control costs. Is the benefit portal strategy working? Forrester's . . .

Who Wants Consumer-Directed Health Plans

by Bradford J. Holmes, Lynne "Sam" Bishop, December 31, 2003

Nearly a third of US consumers profess healthcare cost-consciousness and a desire for greater control over their benefits - making them ripe for consumer-directed health plans (CDHP). CDHP vendors vying for ascendancy must design their product - and Web . . .

Elderly Consumers Lead Online Drug Buying

by Bradford J. Holmes, Lynne "Sam" Bishop, December 17, 2003

A quarter of the US population aged 65 and older has both Net access and a need to buy prescriptions regularly - and they're choosing to do so online. In fact, these wired seniors are nearly 40% more likely than their non-elderly counterparts to have . . .