Anthem Study Shows Majority of Employers Experiencing Value of Integrating Their Employee Benefits Portfolio

The 2020 findings show integrated health care has become the norm amongst employers

A recent study by Anthem shows a trend over the last several years is here to stay as the majority of employers are integrating healthcare benefits to create a more efficient, effective and affordable benefits package for their employees.

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“Offering employees a cost effective solution that integrates medical care with pharmacy, dental, vision, disability and other benefits programs will provide them with the personalized support they need to improve their overall wellbeing, satisfaction and productivity.”

The recently published fourth edition of the biennial “Integrated Health Care Report,” shows a continued upward trajectory in the adoption of integrated health care benefits by employers since research began in 2014. More than half (56 percent) of the 300 employers surveyed are now actively integrating their medical, pharmacy and ancillary benefits under their employer’s health and wellness programs. This represents a 10 percent increase from the previous study conducted in 2018. Also, an additional 40 percent are considering or potentially considering integrating benefits, demonstrating that an overwhelming 96 percent of employers surveyed are trending towards the integrated health care approach.

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“At Anthem, we’re committed to improving lives and communities, which takes an integrated ‘whole person health’ approach where doctors, data, analytics, insights and member engagement tools work together to create better health outcomes. I’m optimistic that as more employers continue implementing integrated health benefits, we will continue seeing healthier and happier employees,” said Jeff Spahr, vice president, Specialty Business Development, Anthem. “Factoring in ‘whole person health’ helps us better identify and share information, and create opportunities that will positively and proactively impact employees’ overall wellbeing, simplify their health care experience and lower their health care costs.”

The Anthem study demonstrates that delivering medical, pharmacy, dental, vision and disability as individual benefits with little-to-no coordination between them prevents employees and health care providers from gaining a holistic view of total body health. When using an integrated health care approach, benefits data is connected to the employer’s health management program and establishes a fuller picture of a person’s health, which provides a clear path to improved outcomes and cost efficiencies.

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