A medium-sized employer met with their broker’s RN clinical consultant for an initial meeting. The team’s data analysis uncovered a critical health trend amongst the group’s truck drivers: the drivers suffered with 10x the expected incidence of cardio-metabolic disease, high levels of sleep apnea, and high musculoskeletal risk. Many drivers were not passing their mandatory Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals, and some were dying of cardiac disease years before retirement. Preventive care rates were low, and there was no driver engagement in traditional well-being offerings. Over four years, the client and clinical consultant team engaged both data science and design thinking to design a benefit ecosystem that works. Solutions included a diabetic management benefit that tied Rx cost waivers to adherence to a diabetic health action plan; a wellness coaching solution that promoted healthy lifestyle on the road while concurrently coaching before DOT physicals; and access to virtual acute care, preventive care and mental health care with limited member cost share. To promote vendor awareness of the benefit ecosystem, the team hosted Vendor Summit design sessions. The vendors learned about the chronic illness trends affecting the employees and engaged in conversation about opportunities to work together in support of the members. After the first summit, the wellness coaching doubled from 100-200 drivers; the diabetic participation grew from 1 member to 54; and the virtual care participation jumped 25%.
Learning Objectives
After completing this session, participants will be able to:
1. Connect how a person’s lifestyle on the job can present increased risk for chronic illness - and the employer’s responsibility to mitigate such risk.
2. Conduct a design thinking exercise using an “empathy map” as a step towards human centered benefit design.
3. Lead benefit and incentive planning strategies with a diversity mindset vs. a one-size-fits-all mentality.
4. Recognize the intrinsic and extrinsic values of gathering partners in a vendor summit with the shared goal of serving the same members.