The healthcare industry faces several challenges, with the top ones being cost and quality. And healthcare costs continue to increase, requiring employers to think beyond providing just standard health plans. One avenue being pursued is alternative health plans.
Alternative health plans replace traditional high-deductible health plans and preferred provider organization plans. They provide simpler plan designs that focus on reducing healthcare costs by encouraging members to choose higher-quality, lower-cost providers within the network.
How can alternative healthcare plans help lower costs?
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Alternative health plans utilize data-driven approaches to identify high-value providers. Offering financial rewards and implementing payment models that align provider incentives with better member health outcomes and reduced costs incentivizes members to choose these high-value providers. Additionally, alternative health plans can help reduce healthcare costs through:
Provider Network Optimization
By carefully selecting a network of providers based on quality metrics and cost data, members can be steered toward high-value providers who deliver quality care at a lower cost.
Transparency and Patient Education
Healthcare can be confusing, and members have different levels of health literacy. Providing members with clear information about provider costs and quality ratings is critical to helping them make informed choices about their care while reducing their healthcare costs. By having all of this information in one place, members can better determine the quality of their providers and the appropriateness of their care while having confidence in their healthcare choices.
Value-Based Payment Models
Alternative health plans shift away from fee-for-service models toward payment structures, such as bundled payments or accountable care organizations, that reward providers for achieving positive health outcomes. With these types of payment structures, providers are incentivized to coordinate care and deliver lower-cost, high-quality treatment instead of receiving payment for each service performed. This leads to more efficient care delivery and reduced healthcare costs for members.
Care Coordination
If providers don’t communicate effectively with each other regarding a patient’s care and treatments, it can have several negative impacts. This includes unnecessary tests and procedures, negative health outcomes, or even conflicting or unmanageable health issues. However, when providers work together and share information about a patient, this information can be used to provide effective and appropriate care. As a result, patients can better manage chronic conditions.
Telehealth Integration
Utilizing telehealth services for routine consultations and follow-ups is a more cost-effective and accessible way for members to receive the care they require. By using telehealth for these types of appointments and cutting down on the need for in-person visits, members can save on the healthcare facility’s fees, transportation costs, and lost work time.
Member Engagement Tools
Providing members with digital platforms to access their medical records, schedule appointments, and communicate with providers can empower them to have a more proactive and engaged role in their health management. To further engage members, employers can add engagement reward incentives to their benefit offerings to encourage members to have an active role in their healthcare and seek high-value providers.
How can you tackle costs and quality with Bluebook Plan Design+?
According to research performed by the Winston Group on behalf of the American Benefits Council and the Alliance to Fight for Healthcare, the top three health plan concerns are information on provider cost and quality, healthcare costs, and inflation. Healthcare Bluebook’s alternative health plan, Bluebook Plan Design+™, can solve all of these concerns.
Bluebook Plan Design+ integrates engagement rewards directly into the health plan, thus providing savings right when the claim is processed. This helps direct members toward high-quality, lower-cost providers. By integrating incentives directly into the health plan, employers can experience the following results:
- Increased member engagement
- Improved efficiency
- Savings for both members and employers
- Improved employee health
Explore next-level incentives.
Helping members improve their health and increase engagement with their care while saving on costs can seem like a tall order. But it’s possible with alternative health plans that have baked-in incentives, such as Bluebook Plan Design+. Learn how to elevate your rewards with Bluebook Plan Design+, now made even more powerful by our partnership with Vālenz Health®.
