Future Now
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Artifact from the Future: REHIX
This Artifact from the Future is an example of products, services, and experiences that may play out in the future based on the forecast perspective COOPERATION: Transcending Traditional Boundaries from our 2013 Reworking Health: New Authorities in a Well-Being Economy research.
REHIX
WHAT:
You’re turning 26 years old next week and you need to select a plan from the state’s insurance exchange. You know nothing about benefits plans and have no idea how to select one over another. But one of your classmates from your undergrad years at Hamline told you about a different way to do things. ReHix lets self-defined groups get together and decide what kind of coverage they want and the price they are willing to pay and then lets the companies come to them. Luckily for you, other Hamline alums have already figured out the kind of coverage they need, and all you have to do is add to their ranks! Together, you demand a low rate, 40 dollars a month, but your average age and socioeconomic status make you a great buy.
SO WHAT:
The health insurance exchanges that opened in October 2013 were designed to be a marketplace for individuals to compare, choose, and buy affordable health insurance. While they allowed individuals to compare health insurance options based on cost, the expectation was that people would chose their plan independently. Younger adults faced with the task of navigating the exchanges will employ networked-based, cooperative strategies to gain leverage in the marketplace. They will find others with similar goals for health care coverage and comparable budgets and will bring an element of group purchasing to the individual health insurance market.
This Artifact from the Future is a snapshot of what might emerge if forecasts about the future materialize. It was developed as part of our 2013 Reworking Health: New Authorities in a Well-Being Economy research, which explored the new tools and resources that are challenging traditional roles of patients, consumers and providers and empowering new authorities to emerge and engage people in their health.
Like all of IFTF’s Artifacts from the Future, this image offers insights into future everyday lives and is intended to give you an immersive look at a possible future change.