Stay Curious

Why asking questions may be one of your most valuable benefits strategies.

Recently, I sat through a discussion about health plan data with a group of employers. The information being presented was extremely valuable. The reports were detailed and the data held real opportunities to inform smart benefits decisions.

But something was missing. No one was asking questions. Not because they didn't care. Not because they weren't engaged.

Many simply weren't sure what the data meant or what to do with it. Call it data paralysis.

This moment stuck with me.

We live in a world overflowing with information. Employers receive reports on healthcare utilization, engagement, chronic conditions, catastrophic claims, pharmacy trends, preventive care, and more. Benefits leaders have more access to reporting tools and metrics than ever before. Yet having data is not the same as knowing your numbers. And understanding the data is what ultimately drives better decisions.

The good news? You don't need to be a data analyst to uncover trends and draw conclusions that could steer strategies to make a positive impact on health and financials. You simply need to be curious enough to start asking questions.

Numbers With a Purpose

Many organizations collect tremendous amounts of information about their health plans. Reports arrive monthly. Dashboards are updated in real time, and consultants and vendors provide recommendations. How often do we accept the numbers and move forward with decisions without fully understanding what the data is telling us?

Too often, data is treated as something to review briefly, file away, or avoid because it feels too overwhelming to understand.

But data should not intimidate us. It should empower us to dig deeper.

If healthcare costs are rising, why? If emergency room utilization is increasing, what is driving it? If preventive screenings are low, what barriers might employees be facing? The answers often point toward opportunities to improve health outcomes and plan performance.

The goal is not to memorize every metric, it’s to connect information to action.

>>The Take-Away: Asking questions about the data we acquire can help us make more informed decisions that improve the health of our workforce and the sustainability of our benefit plans.

What Is Your Population Telling You?

Every workforce has a story. Data helps reveal it. One employer may discover that spouses are driving a significant portion of healthcare spend. Another may find high utilization among employees in their childbearing years. Others may identify increasing rates of chronic disease among younger workers who appear healthy at first glance.

Our recent white paper, Managing Tomorrow’s Costs Today, highlighted several examples like this. Millennials had the highest emergency room utilization rates, the lowest primary care engagement and accounted for more than 40 percent of virtual care visits.

This insight should prompt questions.

Why are employees relying on emergency rooms instead of primary care? Are they struggling to find providers? Are they using virtual care as a replacement for ongoing care rather than as a gateway into the healthcare system? What could be done to strengthen continuity of care?

Data tells a story. The employers who benefit most are the ones willing to look beyond the numbers and understand what that story is telling them.

>>The Take-Away: Every workforce faces different challenges. Data helps employers identify where support, education, and intervention can have the greatest impact.

Curiosity Creates Opportunity

Perhaps the most important lesson is that as employers, we do not need all the answers. We do need to ask more questions.

The strongest benefits leaders are not necessarily experts in every healthcare trend, regulatory policy, or clinical program. They are people who stay curious. They ask why. They challenge assumptions and seek to understand the recommendations being placed in front of them.

Curiosity creates confidence. It helps employers better understand their populations, identify emerging risks, and recognize opportunities before costs escalate. It strengthens conversations with consultants, vendors, and partners. Most importantly, it helps us make decisions based on knowledge rather than assumptions.

Healthcare is complex. Artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and new technologies will continue generating more information than ever before. Rather than feeling paralyzed by all the data, having access to numbers should encourage us to learn.

At the end of the day, the employers who will be most successful in the years ahead are not necessarily the ones with the most data. They’re the ones who are willing to ask what the data means — and what they should do next.

Think of curiosity as a business strategy that can help you improve outcomes, manage costs, and better support the people you serve.

Not sure where to start? Join us at a Benefits Strategy Lab - stay tuned for the next one in August. These peer-driven conversations are designed to help employers ask better questions, share ideas, and learn from one another as healthcare continues to evolve. Explore upcoming sessions and other opportunities at Health Action Council Events.