Employers' Frenemies

The cost of employer-sponsored health insurance has been rising faster than inflation and wage growth leaving employers confronting a series of challenging tradeoffs. Improving affordability versus managing costs? Testing new solutions versus doubling down on existing partners? Enhancing access while confronting the significant disparities in unit prices and quality across providers? These and other realities have placed employers and their health plans in a bit of a frenemy situation. There is no perfect answer, but let’s put all our cards on the table to reimagine the future of benefit design and cost management. Mix innovation with practicality and we may just get optimal outcomes for both employees and employers.