We asked industry leaders about healthcare in the post-Covid-19 world. Here is what they anticipate in the coming years:
Mental Health
"I believe the more pressing area of opportunity is mental health. Specifically, aiming to serve the workforce with resources related to anxiety and depression that has been pushed to new limits with an ever-changing world." - Nic Patee, Work Right NW
"I see this as one of our biggest opportunities due to the changing nature of our workforce (work from home) which causes social isolation added to social distancing. Employers that embrace this and work to create innovative options for their employees in particular to their mental health will likely thrive in the coming years. Those that don’t will have it tough." - Greg Paulus, Cohort Clinical Sciences
"I think these times create a wonderful opportunity for an employer to demonstrate a high level of care and interest in employee welfare and that of their families. Even simply asking for a welfare check in, but importantly offering support when or if an employee has issues, health or financial. A small investment of time or even capital could play out disproportionately well in the future. Cultural and care communication could and should be a new foundation, that could easily be enhanced in these times." - Mark Heaysman, Longitude6
"Employers should be looking for a holistic return-to-work solution that helps employees get back on the job site safely and with confidence. The best thing an employer can do now is to provide an affordable and accessible mental health solution."- Kyle Williams, MeMD
New Spaces for Negotiation
"The pandemic has caused significant disruption to healthcare facilities. Employers should capitalize on their increased ability to steer and negotiate better terms with facilities that need new patients to support their systems. Employers working with us are seeing significant reductions in medical spend, improving their ability to weather the storm and maintain a healthy balance sheet." - Mark Wilcox, Partners Health Alliance
"Financial pressures due to COVID19 have squeezed budgets for businesses, municipalities and associations that provide healthcare benefits for their members and employees. Now is the time to look for cost effective alternatives for "flattening the curve" of healthcare costs." - Arthur Chapman, Reliant Health Partners
"People are returning to work unfit and not hardened to their normal levels of activity. They are returning on reduced shifts and income, having major personal distractions which create potential for injury. The opportunity is to look at all facets of workplace medical and worker compensation costs as one. Have your risk team and medical teams work together. Reimagine your people and their capacity to be efficient and safe with a strategic lense, consider gradual build up of work tasks and workload, look at true job rotations and communicate your plans."- Mark Heaysman, Longitude6
"High performance plans have given an opportunity to show how flawed the fully insured model is. Our solutions and strategies now emphasize examples of how to better manage the costs and outcomes of healthcare by defending against abusive medicine." - John Clay, Better Source Benefits
Addressing Socio-Economic Inequity
"It is important that employers facilitate developments that facilitate care for their members from high quality lower cost providers that are available. Plans that assist members to access care at no or reduced out of pocket costs helps employees at all levels of social and economic status leveling the playing field and improving outcomes, financial and emotional wellbeing of all members." - Mark Wilcox, Partners Health Alliance
"Many employers are trying to stay afloat. They find themselves looking for any cost savings opportunities so they are not faced with downsizing their team, cutting benefits or raising premiums. Employees are their greatest asset, and PBM seems to be the easier change to digest and the lowest hanging fruit. This brings to the forefront, carving out specialty or those programs geared toward significant specialty savings." - Jennifer Johnson, Southern Scripts
"We believe that open markets and competition are the answer to driving out waste and this is especially important as we prepare to return to work in a weakened but strengthening economy. When seeking solutions, remember that there is no security, only opportunity." - Arthur Chapman, Reliant Health Partners
Telehealth
"In the last few months, organizations have been much more open to technological solutions to health and wellness. This has been born out of necessity but is an advantage moving forward as digital health solutions scale much more readily than our current model." - Nic Patee, Work Right NW
"The telehealth industry was elevated to the forefront since the start of the pandemic. Telehealth is crucial for Covid-19 and Return to Work. Employees can now be treated from home, if needed, instead of going to a hospital, Emergency Room, Doctor’s Office, etc. to infect others." - Kyle Williams, MeMD
"[I] definitely have seen an uptick in telehealth via the national vendors we use. Most surprising is the local providers now offering telehealth. We are hoping that this trend continues. In particular, mental health counseling via Zoom has been welcomed by remote communities that have no services available." - Lori Fearon, PayneWest Insurance
