Employers, Are You Investing In The Right Healthcare Innovation?

The time is right for employers to invest in value-based primary care solutions, while leaving behind flawed, fee-for-service methods. Rising healthcare costs are driving this necessity, alongside a growing awareness that fee-for-service models don’t necessarily deliver the best health outcomes.

The Vera advanced primary care (APC) model offers a different approach with a radical realignment of focus. Rather than treating symptoms, it provides whole-person care, increasing access to preventive care, emphasizing the patient-provider relationship, and providing patients with a medical home. This model is based on the philosophy that holistic care leads to better employee health outcomes and reduced total cost of care.

It’s a disruptive perspective on healthcare with the potential to create enormous change. How can employers, who are interested in potentially shifting their benefits packages to value-based care, be certain it’s the right disruptor for them and their employees? 

There is a lot at stake. Benefits play a key role in employee satisfaction and retention, while keeping workforces healthy and productive. Rising healthcare costs are also increasingly putting a strain on both employers and employees. A new solution is necessary, but it needs to work as promised. And it needs to be forward-thinking and technologically sophisticated enough to offer the flexible, personalized, and convenient experiences employees need both now and in the future.

According to an article published by The Health Care Blog, investors have to start becoming more discerning about which disruptors they put their faith in.

Which innovations will create true change?

Healthcare has seen a massive and sustained influx of investment  — much of it in pursuit of bold and speculative promises. Many investors are picking up on the trend towards transformation — but healthcare firms seem able to attract funding through big ideas, bold promises, and little proof of performance.

As Brian Klepper and Jeffrey Hogan write in The Health Care Blog, “Few investors critically evaluate a venture’s broader design elements to gauge its chances for success. Many startups have great ideas and some even operationally execute those ideas well, but … a viable venture must also integrate with its clients’ workflows and connect with existing players in the larger health care management ecosystem.”

When employers are making their own decisions about which healthcare models will bring value to their benefits packages, they cannot afford to take a purely speculative approach. Big ideas and bold promises can only stretch so far. Employers should search for a primary care partner whose approach is driving needed and proven change.

So, what sets the bonafide innovators apart from the rest?

Why performance data is an essential indicator

Employers need access to proof that the healthcare innovation they’re considering will actually live up to the claims made. Performance data allows them to examine key indicators, including whether the model demonstrated:

• A total reduction in healthcare costs
• Lowered inpatient and specialist claims
• Strong patient engagement and levels of satisfaction

Vera’s APC model is an excellent fit for organizations that are increasingly considering healthcare from the perspective of value. Taking a holistic approach to health isn’t just a trendy, new innovation but a proven strategy that reduces total cost of care and keeps employees happy and well.

Cutting-edge digital capabilities are a necessity

The digital revolution in healthcare has affected every aspect of the industry, from the growth and adoption of virtual care, to the evolution of new digital technologies, products, and mobile experiences. As reported by StatPearls in the National Library of Medicine, “The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the need for more responsive and timely platforms for health care information, delivery, and management.” 

Data orchestration is also becoming more sophisticated than ever, and genuine innovators must be able to harness its power to improve member health. Disruptors who are unable to do so will find themselves failing to make a true impact on health outcomes or keep up with the pace of change.

This is why we’ve combined our proven APC model with Castlight Health’s cutting-edge digital navigation technology. Together, we’re making healthcare decisions easier by improving awareness and access and creating a more personalized experience. This approach uses data-driven insights to get people the care they need at the right place and time. By doing this, we can close even more gaps in care and empower members to have greater confidence and control over their own health and wellbeing.

Healthcare disruption that actually delivers

In the coming era, it will no longer be enough to simply introduce disruptions into the healthcare industry. Promises need to be backed by more than good intentions, because the stakes are high when it comes to benefit planning.

It’s not easy or simple to design a benefit strategy that controls costs while keeping employees invested in their care, productive at work, and healthy. It takes real creativity and innovation. APC is a fresh, new approach to healthcare that challenges the status quo but with validated results. An integrated digital front door only extends its impact, increasing engagement via personalization and convenience. The numbers don’t lie. Giving your employees access to a supportive, medical home improves their health outcomes and reduces the total cost of care.

Editor's Note: This is an updated version of the original post published on December 9, 2021.