Health Trends 2024
The fine balancing act for employers and healthcare insurers in 2024 is cost containment — but not at the expense of quality and inclusivity.
In their recent ‘Three steps to keep health and benefits plan costs under control’ 2022 publication, Mercer Marsh is categoric:
‘Misdiagnoses, complications, and hospital-borne infections are just some of the consequences of poor initial care that add unnecessary cost and degrade the patient experience and outcomes. Not only is the employer paying for medical wastage, disability, and absence, but employees are left worse off….’
Even the best benefit plans are less effective when built on these shifting foundations of poor-quality care.
In their 2022 follow up Health Trends Report on ‘Managing the cost & risk of employer provided healthcare in a changing world’, 75% of 210 insurers in 59 countries listed as their top strategic priorities:
- Data/data analytics – 34%
- Provider management – 21%
- Quality care focused benefits design – 20%