Health Insurers, Employers Out of Synch

Copeland suggests that employers are unaware of all their options and are reacting more to all of the industry talk surrounding wellness rather a demonstrated return on investment.

This all means health insurance plans probably need to do a better job of helping employers connect the dots between benefits, provider incentives, and outcomes and the role insurers play in bringing everything together into a single package.

That brings us back to the PPACA. Employers are much more familiar with possible penalties they might incur than they are with provisions that are designed to help reduce their healthcare costs, such as the creation accountable care organizations and the introduction of bundled payments. Insurers are touting these measures to the media and providers, but somehow employers are not getting the message.

Deloitte's survey results certainly raise questions about the role health insurers should play in educating their employer customers. There seems to be an opening here. Employers are concerned about their benefit strategies and they are not sure what steps to take to resolve cost issues. Insurers are talking to employers but there is a disconnect in the conversation that needs to be resolved.