Millennials and their children are experiencing chronic health conditions at unexpectedly higher levels than older generations and are utilizing medical resources in significantly different ways, according to a white paper commissioned by Health Action Council and United Health Group.
These shifting trends are a signal for employers to address the evolving needs of millennials and their families to better align with their healthcare preferences. Millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1996, depend more on the healthcare system and experience greater disease burdens than even their closest Generation X counterparts, who were born between 1965 and 1980. Not only are millennials the dominant generation covered in employer health plans today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that age group’s labor force size will increase by nearly 4.5 million by 2029 — the largest gain for a single age group.
