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Now’s the time of year when companies predict what they think will happen in the health insurance industry in 2022, but you don’t need us to do that. You’re seeing the changes take place in every conversation you have with your clients. They’re concerned about rising prescription costs, trying to figure out how to get their employees back to work, wondering how to leverage virtual care, and worried about how to make health insurance equitable for their workers.

Let’s look at each of these issues and dig a little into how to mitigate them for your clients in 2022.

Cut down rising healthcare costs

A recent Congressional investigation discovered something most of us already knew: prescription drug prices are high. Combine that with a predicted rise in medical costs resulting from treatment deferrals, poor health behaviors, and other factors, and many of your clients will struggle to cover the increasing costs.

That’s not to say healthcare can’t be affordable, but—surprise—making it affordable isn’t in the best interest of carriers. And that’s what is keeping your customers up at night.

At EVHC, we’ve always felt it’s best to drive down health insurance costs as much as possible, so we do little things to make it happen. For instance, we’ll send out complimentary test strips and lancets, along with glucose monitors, for employees who need to monitor their hypoglycemic levels. Proactively monitoring these levels can help them make choices that allow the levels to stay down—and keep the cost of medication manageable for both them and their employers.

Decrease healthcare inequity

In 2021, the American Medical Association began including social determinants of health in medical decision-making calculations. Caregivers are required to categorize patients with certain ICD-10 codes for factors related to education, employment and unemployment, and other social determinants. Understanding and addressing social determinants of health can lead to better and more equitable treatment, reducing all-too-common healthcare disparities.

That’s important to your clients because providing equitable healthcare options for employees is the right thing and it gives them a competitive advantage to attract talent. As such, they’ll undoubtedly be turning to you in 2022 to help them develop healthcare plans that are affordable and benefit everyone. We can help you identify and create plans to make insurance more affordable for your clients, and our experts can help you better understand how the ICD-10 rules may impact your business.

Increase use of telehealth

The use of telemedicine and virtual care took off in 2020 and 2021, proving that it wasn’t necessary to physically see a doctor to receive exceptional care. That trend is here to stay and will likely intensify in 2022 as people continue to leverage telehealth for physical well-being and mental health services, which will also continue to be important to employers and employees in 2022.

But while all major carriers support telehealth, it’s usually not integrated directly into the patient’s care plan. That can create issues for your clients’ employees. They might sign into their doctor’s visit, thinking it’s covered, only to be surprised by a bill a few weeks later.

EVHC integrates telemedicine directly into our offering, so when a member logs in, they can immediately see if they met their deductible for the year, what they currently owe, and more. If the visit requires payment, they can do so upfront without any nasty surprises later.

We’re one of only two companies in the entire United States that provides this value-added benefit. It’s the kind of upfront transparency that sets our kind of insurance apart and that employers appreciate.

Rebuild trust in healthcare

Do you know what most employers don’t appreciate? Insurance companies. They don’t like their hidden fees, their obfuscation, or the run-around they get when dealing with them.

Indeed, it’s no secret that the health insurance industry has long been one of the most mistrusted and disliked industries in America, but the problem is now seeping into the healthcare sector as a whole. Forrester predicts that, in 2022, healthcare will no longer be considered a “trusted category” thanks to misinformation, cyberattacks, and other factors.

But what’s bad news for the industry could be good news for you. Employers want and need someone to trust, especially these days. That person can and should be you. After all, you know what’s best for them. You know how to deliver the plans and solutions they need, particularly now as employers navigate workforce safety amid a return-to-work environment. Most of all, you understand the need to deliver quality and value.

In short, you’re not a salesperson shilling for insurance carriers. You’re a trusted consultant who has your clients’ best interests at heart.

That’s the attitude to take into 2022. Turn your clients’ concerns and fears around and make it the year to build trust—and your business.

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