In case you missed it: we launched a new Q&A series!

We’re having conversations with experts across the healthcare and benefits space — from brokers to literacy specialists to company executives — with the goal of sharing insider industry knowledge with our readers. Every quarter, we’ll do a roundup to highlight the common themes that emerge from the latest expert interviews and use them to provide actionable insights.

This first roundup features: 

• Rachel Miner, Employee Benefit Strategist at Employee Benefit Advisors of the Carolinas
• Beccah Rothschild, Health and Adult Literacy Expert
• Topher Bates, VP at USI Insurance Services
• Eric Dreyfus, VP and Senior Client Advisor at AssuredPartners of Indiana
• Suzy Johnson, President and Owner of Employee Benefit Advisors of the Carolinas

Below are the three key takeaways from our Q&As with Rachel, Beccah, Topher, Eric, and Suzy:

1. First-generation transparency was disappointing. Now, it’s time for employers to embrace a modern solution.

“A common misconception by these employers is thinking their employees won’t understand how to shop for healthcare. Here’s the thing: everybody today shops for everything — cars, vacations, a gallon of milk, you name it. But when it comes to healthcare, employers think it’s too hard because they’re used to the clunky old websites of carriers and aren’t expecting something user friendly.” — Rachel Miner

 “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

“When you go to buy a car or fridge, you always ask how much it costs, how long it will last — and you negotiate on the price. But when it comes to healthcare, people don’t know that the price of filling a prescription varies widely depending on where you go. They don’t know that you can negotiate costs with a hospital if you’re paying out-of-pocket or with cash. They don’t know that the quality of care varies wildly. And it’s all because they don’t think of healthcare as a consumer good, so they don’t ask the important questions.” — Beccah Rothschild

 2. Brokers need to have healthcare cost conversations with their clients year round — not just during open enrollment.

“Many employers believe that rates provided at renewal time determine the value of their broker partnership. In actuality, evaluating the effectiveness of a broker/consultant should not be limited to a one-time annual event or transaction. Any organization offering employee benefits should annually uncover what they’re paying for and how it impacts their employees. While keeping insurance on auto-pilot is easy and perceivably prevents disruption, I challenge employers to prioritize a financially transparent, ongoing relationship with their broker/consultant.” — Topher Bates

3. High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) alone aren’t going to create behavior change.

“I used to think the solutions to lower healthcare costs would come from things such as consumer-driven health plans and tax incentives. However, we’ve had Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) since 2004 and it hasn’t been until recently — through companies like Amino — that access to usable transparency data has been available too, so consumers have been unable to determine which specialists and facilities will produce the best result at the lowest cost.” — Suzy Johnson

 “...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. 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.” — Eric Dreyfus

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