We had the chance to connect with Eric Dreyfus, a pro in the employee benefits space whose goal is to help employers successfully navigate the complex healthcare problems that keep them up at night.

In this Q&A, he discusses a variety of topics, including the many ways technology is affecting the healthcare space and how he’s helping his clients adjust to the new world of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs).

Can you tell us a little more about your company and role?

I’m a Vice President and Senior Client Advisor in employee benefits at AssuredPartners of Indiana, which is a national consulting firm specializing in Property & Casualty, 401(k), and employee benefits. My main role is to produce new business opportunities and manage my own book of business.

What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about your job?

How impactful our services, capabilities, and recommendations can be for many Americans across the country. Healthcare is one of the hottest national topics today. This is reflected by the fact that the majority of U.S. citizens focus a lot of their attention on what healthcare coverage they can receive and how much it’s going to cost them when they seek out employment.

What recent news or trend has you most excited about the healthcare benefits space?

The technology made available to many Americans when it comes to healthcare is really exciting. Everything from increasingly sophisticated online enrollment, managing your health savings account (HSA), navigating the complexities of the industry via artificial intelligence advocacy, and using cost transparency to be a better consumer of healthcare has really advanced in the last few years. 

Also, I’m very excited to be part of the movement to fix our broken U.S. healthcare system through many progressive, creative, and cutting-edge strategies that will drastically lower costs and mitigate future long-term risk — all while improving the overall benefits experience for participating members.

What’s a common “myth” in the healthcare benefits space that you’d like to debunk?

That employers have little to no control in better managing their healthcare costs and overall risk. There’s definitely a long-term sustainable path that employers can reach through hard work (i.e., some elbow grease), rolling up their sleeves, and not settling for the status quo. By using creative strategies and slick tools made available to participating members, employers can experience an immediate and significant drop in their healthcare expenditures while eventually flattening their future healthcare cost trend line.

So instead of cost shifting back to members with higher copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums, employers can achieve better results by enhancing their health insurance plans while incorporating these “out-of-the-box” strategies and making these useful resources available.

With HDHPs on the rise, how are you helping clients adjust to these new plans?

If we expect citizens to be better consumers of healthcare, we need to make sure they have the appropriate cost and quality information at their disposal to make the best informed decisions. Also, if members are participating in HDHPs and have HSAs, they need real-time access to account information in order to manage their own money and the dollars provided by their employer.

“If we expect citizens to be better consumers of healthcare, we need to make sure they have the appropriate cost and quality information at their disposal to make the best informed decisions.”

Eric Dreyfus
Vice President and Senior Client Advisor

We always make sure our clients have top-of-the-line and technologically advanced tools and advocacy resources made available to their participating members since they’ll have significant “skin in the game” from an annual out-of-pocket exposure standpoint.