Many consumers are unaware of the extent to which health insurers can collect lifestyle or behavior data generated by purchasing, membership or online activity, according to a MITRE-Harris poll.
The survey was conducted from June 16-18 and included 2,065 respondents. It found only 1 in 10 Americans believe health insurers have access to their personal spending and streaming habits. However, reports have found insurers and data brokers use streaming and purchasing data to predict members' health costs.
According to the MITRE-Harris poll, 60 percent of respondents said it's acceptable for health insurers to use personal data to design health promotion activities. But when it comes to social media activity or binge-watching habits, two-thirds of survey respondents said it's "unacceptable" for health insurers to buy or gather this kind of information on members.
To view the full survey results, click here.