Hitting the Easy Button Is NOT Showing You Care
For decades, employers have relied on BUCA (Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna) plans, believing these traditional carriers demonstrate care for their employees. But the truth is, sticking to the status quo is more about convenience than care. Rising costs, hidden fees, limited advocacy, and outdated structures aren’t just financially draining—they’re eroding employee trust and morale.
In 2025, healthcare costs are expected to rise another 6–7%, with the average employee contributing over $4,400 annually to premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs. Yet, employees are getting less in return—less access, less advocacy, and less peace of mind.
The real question is, do your benefits truly care for your employees, or are they just another line item? To build loyalty, lower turnover, and foster a thriving workforce, it’s time to rewrite the script. Let’s explore how prioritizing innovation over inertia can transform health benefits into a tool that builds genuine employee connections.
The Problem: Why the Status Quo Fails Your Employees
Traditional health plans make healthcare feel like a maze, not a resource. Employees face high deductibles, lack of advocacy, and the burden of navigating the complex system alone. Meanwhile, employers continue to pour money into plans that serve the interests of carriers more than their workforce.
A typical BUCA plan restricts care options, incentivizes high-cost services, and does little to guide employees toward affordable, high-quality care. For employers, the cost of inaction is high. A recent survey shows that nearly 78% of employees who feel supported by their health benefits remain loyal, yet many employers miss this critical connection point.
If you’re hitting the easy button by sticking with the same health plan year after year, it’s time to face a hard truth: “What BUCA carriers call premium, we call revenue.
Step 1: Care That Transforms Costs
To truly care for employees, employers must break free from outdated structures and embrace innovative cost-containment strategies. These approaches don’t just save money—they improve care quality and employee satisfaction.
Direct Contracting and Bundled Payments
Establishing direct relationships with providers can reduce costs by 30–60% per episode. For instance, instead of paying inflated fees negotiated by carriers, employers can work directly with local hospitals or providers for surgeries, imaging, and specialty care.
Transparent Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)
PBMs often act as middlemen, inflating prescription costs through hidden fees and spread pricing. By partnering with transparent PBMs, employers can eliminate these inefficiencies, reduce drug spend by 20–40%, and ensure employees receive medications at a fair cost.
Reference-Based Pricing (RBP)
RBP sets clear, upfront prices for medical services, eliminating the opaque billing practices of traditional plans. Employers using RBP report savings of up to 40% on overall healthcare spend while offering employees predictable costs for care.
These strategies aren’t just about slashing expenses—they’re about empowering employees with better, more affordable healthcare options.
Step 2: Advocacy and Access = Real Care
Healthcare benefits should remove barriers, not create them. Yet many plans leave employees feeling abandoned, expected to navigate their healthcare without guidance. Advocacy and enhanced access are the keys to showing employees you genuinely care.
Dedicated Care Advocates
Navigating the healthcare system can feel overwhelming, especially when facing a serious diagnosis. Care advocates act as personal guides, helping employees find high-quality, cost-effective providers while ensuring they don’t face these challenges alone.
Direct Primary Care (DPC)
DPC flips the traditional primary care model by offering unlimited access to personalized care without copays or deductibles. Employees benefit from longer visits, same-day appointments, and a focus on preventive care, leading to better health outcomes and reduced downstream costs.
Telehealth and On-Site Clinics
Access to care is critical for employee well-being. Telehealth services provide 24/7 virtual access to doctors, while on-site clinics reduce time away from work and make preventive care convenient. Together, these options foster healthier, more engaged employees.
Step 3: Communication = Connection
Even the best benefits plan falls short without clear, engaging communication. Employees can’t value benefits they don’t understand, and employers miss opportunities to build trust when they fail to share success stories or provide guidance.
Tell the Story
Nearly 81% of employees say regular communication improves their benefits experience. Sharing real-life examples—like an employee who saved thousands through an advocacy program—makes benefits tangible and relatable.
Personalize the Message
Generic emails won’t cut it. Use data to segment your workforce and deliver personalized messages that address specific needs, such as lowering prescription costs or accessing mental health resources.
Use Multiple Channels
Meet employees where they are by using email, video, text, and workshops. An omnichannel approach ensures no employee is left in the dark about how to maximize their benefits. Effective communication builds a bridge between your investment in health benefits and your employees’ sense of care and value.
The Result: Benefits That Build Loyalty and Connection
When employers step away from the status quo, the results are profound:
- Loyalty: Employees who feel supported are 40% more likely to stay with their employer.
- Savings: Employers save millions annually by adopting innovative strategies like RBP and transparent PBMs.
- Happiness: Employees experience better health outcomes, less stress, and more satisfaction with their benefits.
Case studies confirm the power of these changes. A Native American casino group saved $9 million over three years while offering employees free healthcare for using high-quality providers. Another organization reduced pharmacy costs by 32% through transparent PBM strategies, freeing up resources to enhance benefits further.
Final Thought: Make Love Real
“You can’t pay less for healthcare unless you pay less for healthcare.”
This year, show your employees you care by stepping away from convenience and embracing change. Health benefits are more than a line item—they’re a message to your workforce that their well-being matters.
Make 2025 the year you demonstrate real love for your employees by providing benefits that show you care—beyond the easy button.
References
• City of Arvada Case Study. (2023). Delivering results through direct primary care. Transparent Health Benefits.
• Gallup. (2023). State of the workplace 2023 report.
• McKinsey. (2024). The role of benefits in employee retention.
• Native American Casino Case Study. (2024). Cost-saving strategies for tribal healthcare. Transparent Health Benefits.
• Transparent Health Benefits. (2023). Pillar 1: Utilization management. Transparent Health Benefits.
• Transparent Health Benefits. (2024). Pillar 4: Enhanced access to care. Transparent Health Benefits.
• True Rx Health Strategists. (2023). Hospital case study: Pharmacy benefit savings.
