Health Literacy Applies to Employers Too

In healthcare, health literacy typically refers to helping individuals understand their coverage, costs, and care options to make informed decisions. However, this concept should also extend to employers, particularly those who select, fund, and administer health benefits for their organization.

While many employers rely on brokers, consultants, or advisors to guide benefit decisions, being directly informed about the structure and performance of a health plan can support better financial outcomes and improve the experience for employees.

To assist employers in this effort, Healthcare Highways has developed an educational video series focused on plan strategy and decision-making. This series provides the tools and information needed to engage in more productive discussions with advisors and take a more active role in shaping healthcare benefits.

Chris Wilson, President of Healthcare Highways, outlines the key topics the series will cover and how this information can support a better benefit strategy and outcomes.

Key Questions to Evaluate Your Health Plan

Employers seeking to better understand their current plan may consider the following:

• Are the options presented at renewal meeting your organization’s needs?
• Is the current plan selected for effectiveness or convenience?
• Have you reviewed actual performance data from your plan?
• Are employees satisfied with their care experience?
• Are you leveraging available data to inform decisions?
• What trends are evident in your claims data (e.g., high ER utilization, out-of-network usage, low preventive care)?
• Do you have full access to your claims and utilization data?
• Can the network be customized to better serve your population?
• Are new plan options being presented, or are the same solutions repeated annually?
• How is your advisor using data to guide recommendations?
• Are benefit decisions made proactively or reactively?
• Do you have a clear understanding of the primary cost drivers?

Healthcare Highways will be exploring each of these questions in greater detail through our educational content. Experts in networks and healthcare benefits will provide insights to help employers better assess available options and evaluate plan performance.

Why Healthcare Highways

Healthcare Highways was established in 2013 with the objective of creating competition in the healthcare market and improving employer access to high-value provider networks. The organization brings experience from across the healthcare ecosystem, including networks, health plans, and benefits consulting.

Want to talk through your options? Connect with us. We are here to help.