By: Katelyn Bush
The Paradox of Rising Health Costs
We’ve all heard the phrase, “You get out of life what you put into it.” But can we say the same about healthcare? While employers have invested thousands in employee benefits, few have succeeded in actually improving employee health. Adding insult to injury, inflation has made it increasingly difficult for companies to manage the direct and indirect costs of healthcare. This assortment of issues, says Jack Curtis of Engagement Health Group, has dealt a crushing blow to company productivity— one that will only worsen as inflation rises. “When employers don’t provide the resources that employees need for good health and well-being, they can’t recruit, retain, and maintain the best talent or achieve optimal performance,” Curtis explains. “If this goes on very long, the employer will find it hard to compete or achieve stakeholder expectations due to excessive health-related costs and poor performance.”
As evidenced by employers' ever-increasing health spend, money alone can’t fix the issue of worsening patient outcomes. The underlying problem, says Curtis, may stem from low patient engagement: “Most employees are unable to develop sufficient motivation or to navigate the behavior changes needed for optimal health and well-being on their own. Without employee engagement in wellness and other health benefits— it doesn’t matter how good they are!”
But the million-dollar question remains: How can employers motivate plan members to invest in their well-being? According to Engagement Health Group, the answer lies not in a prescriptive solution, but in putting patients back in the driver’s seat.
A Patient-Centered Solution
With this goal in mind, Engagement Health Group’s behavioral health experts meet patients wherever they are in their health journey, providing support and accountability as they strive toward healthier habits. Crucially, EHG does not prescribe solutions, instead collaborating with patients and their personal physician to determine the best way forward. As a result, patients feel empowered to take an active role in their health journey, increasing their likelihood of engaging with their care plan.
Besides boosting patient engagement, this approach dramatically reduces downstream costs. As Curtis puts it, “EHG has proven it can consistently and sustainably help participants reverse the natural trend for health risks to increase as we age, and health costs follow health risks!”
According to Curtis, Engagement Health Group owes its success to its three pillars of health management: Behavioral Health Coaching, Condition Management, and Critical Care Management.
1. Behavioral Health Coaching forms the bedrock of all Engagement Health Group programs, beginning with individual employee EHG recognizes that employees might not participate in the program if they feel disconnected from their coach; as such, their coaches are trained in empathy as well as behavioral health sciences. In Curtis’ own words, “All our coaching programs are built on a strong foundation of Behavioral Health. Coaching that creates connection, credibility and trust.” Through this connection, EHG not only addresses the root cause of health concerns, but inspires patients to stick to their health goals.
2. Condition Management builds on Behavioral Health Coaching by empowering members with tools for chronic condition management. To that end, EHG leverages health data to identify employees with uncontrolled chronic conditions. A behavioral health coach then connects with these members, supporting them as they adopt healthier And— for extra insurance— EHG’s team of clinical pharmacists also engages the member’s primary physicians to close any gaps in care. This approach, says Curtis, addresses all aspects of condition management, from member satisfaction to medication compliance: “We integrate clinical pharmacists as part of our clinical coaching programs to engage not just the member, but also their personal physicians, to generate more meaningful collaboration. Over half of members with uncontrolled chronic conditions get them under control in the first year, resulting in a 3:1 ratio of cost avoidance to program cost.”
3. Incorporating both Behavioral Health Coaching and a team of highly-skilled clinicians, Critical Care Management provides needed support for highest-risk In addition to engaging patients, EHG brings in certified specialists and clinicians to address the member’s specific healthcare needs, whether that entails warm referrals or improving coordination between providers. More than just a case management program, this network of care dramatically reduces costly ER visits and catastrophic claims. “Our Critical Care Management is designed to help the 5% of members who are driving 60% of health plan costs,” Curtis explains.
The most meaningful takeaway from EHG’s programming is undoubtedly its transforming impact on employee lives: “Our clients that adopt our best practices average 90% true engagement, meaning they complete all essential elements of the program— and our 86% participant satisfaction ratings show employees are grateful for it.”
The Bottom Line
Yet, none of these success stories would have been possible without Engagement Health Group inspiring employees to take charge of their health. As we know now, improving patient outcomes doesn’t begin and end with health costs; for lasting results, employers must engage employees in their well-being. Engagement Health Group undoubtedly embodies this approach to care, combining empathy with expertise to motivate employees who may otherwise struggle to manage their health. Because at the end of the day, engagement holds the key to improving both health outcomes and company productivity. In Curtis' own words, “If employees don’t engage – nothing else matters.”
We are proud to feature Engagement Health Group on the Granite List.
