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VIVA – A new study conducted by United Healthcare and Health Action Council revealed that millennials are seeking more professional help for health issues than previous generations. This study explored factors and claims data from policyholders ages 27 to 42, a total of 126,000 individuals.
It compared current data from April 2021 through March 2022 to historical data from 2021. The findings were presented in the groups’ sixth annual white paper.
Millennials with common chronic medical conditions and their children are “high utilizers” of the health care system compared to Generation X, the research found.
This includes 106% more hospital admissions for millennials with diabetes and 55% more emergency room ((ER) and urgent care (UC) visits for hypertension. Even though obesity rates for millennials are lower, there have been 31% more ER and UC visits and 29% more hospital admissions for those with obesity.
Millennials with back disorders have visited the ER and UC 22% more than Gen X, with 46% higher hospital admissions. There have been 36% higher ER and UC visits for millennials with osteoarthritis.
Behavioral health use is up 35% for millennials and their children compared to pre-pandemic levels. This includes anxiety, depression, and trauma disorders, which make up 66% of behavioral diagnoses for the generation.
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Moreover, in 2019, 31% of PTSD diagnoses were given to millennials. In 2022, that number increased to 38%. In addition, millennials and their children account for 41% of neurodevelopment disorder claims, according to the study.
The most common diagnoses include attention deficit disorder (ADD) at 43% and autism spectrum disorders at 35%. As healthcare costs continue to rise, the top clinical cost driver for millennials is pregnancy.
These costs increase with complications such as fertility treatment, high-risk pregnancies, multiple births, C-section deliveries, and extended hospital stays. Millennial parents with Generation Alpha kids have a 38% higher healthcare utilization rate than those born in other generations.
This includes 22% higher ER visits, 9% higher UC visits, and 76% higher outpatient surgeries. Millennial parents of Gen Alpha kids also scheduled virtual healthcare visits a whopping 543% more than other generations.
Dr. Mykale Elbe, director of the MSN Nurse Practitioner Program and assistant professor of nursing at Maryville University in Town and Country, Missouri, told Fox News Digital that she’s “not surprised by these findings.” She was not involved with the study.
In terms of mental health, Elbe pointed out that millennials and younger generations are “breaking down the stigma,” which is leading to more symptom awareness and sought-after help from healthcare providers.
“Since the pandemic, healthcare providers in all settings have seen a surge in patients having mental health disorders and seeking help. This surge will decrease as we move toward the post-pandemic period, but that has yet to be seen.” She explained.
“With the pandemic and (with) everyone being aware of upper respiratory symptoms, we continue to see a spike in healthcare utilization for minor disorders, as we have now trained the public that if you cough, you should be tested for COVID-19," she added.
Overall, Elbe said she is concerned with the amount of healthcare utilization and costs among millennials, as well as issues around provider shortages "With these shortages, we are seeing longer wait times for patients to be seen by healthcare providers.”
