Dr. Drew Oliveira discusses surprising trends in millennial health on Portland Business Journal’s Thought Leadership podcast

This month Dr. Drew Oliveira, senior executive medical director at Regence BlueShield, was featured in the Portland Business Journal’s Thought Leadership podcast. The episode focused on surprising health trends among millennials, defined as people 21 to 36 years old.

Millennials are the largest demographic group in today’s workforce and, as Oliveira notes, would be expected to be at peak health given their young age. Data used as part of a larger Health of America report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), however, tells a much different story. The study includes anonymous data sets from 2014 and 2017, representing 42-million members from both local and national populations.

Some highlights include:

• Despite its proven impact on health care outcomes and lifespan, many millennials do not have a usual source of care, such as a primary care physician.
• Within the millennial population, eight of the top 10 health conditions saw double-digit increases from 2014 to 2017, including major depression, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
• The overall health of older millennials (34-36) is 11 percent worse compared to their Generation X counterparts at the same age.

Oliveira explains how Regence is addressing these issues and providing resources to help improve a wide range of health outcomes. Listen to the full Thought Leadership podcast online to learn more.