Designing effective employee health care benefits is a significant challenge for U.S. employers. They must address rising health care costs, employee burnout, and obesity, among other issues. However, a test-and-learn approach, as demonstrated by a Walmart pilot, can help find the most effective health and wellness options to achieve multiple goals.
The Challenge of Health Care Benefits
With the cost of health care in the United States continuing to outpace inflation, reducing health care spending is a pressing issue for employers. This is especially true for large self-funded employers who assume financial risk for their employees’ health care. At the same time, employee well-being is more important than ever. Health risks, such as burnout and obesity, are widespread in the workforce, impacting health outcomes, costs, and productivity. Meeting the current and emerging health care needs of today’s dynamic and diverse workforce requires an institutional agility that employers historically lack.
The Test-and-Learn Approach
Walmart Inc. has demonstrated the efficacy of a test-and-learn approach in designing better health care benefits. By applying this approach, they have succeeded in finding the most effective health and wellness options that address the myriad problems confronting them. Designing effective health care benefits is a complex task. However, a test-and-learn approach, as demonstrated by Walmart, can help employers find the most effective solutions to address the health and wellness needs of their employees.
