With healthcare costs for companies projected to jump 9% in 2026, the largest increase in more than a decade, ROI for digital health solutions is critical. In a recent webinar, executives from Solera Health and Premera Blue Cross discussed how they’re addressing the ROI challenges of digital health adoption and benefit design for self-insured employers. Solera Health Chief Strategy Officer Ed Liebowitz and Premera Health Vice President of Product Nathan Johnson exchanged ideas in a robust discussion moderated by MedCity News Editor in Chief Arundhati Parmar.
Sponsored by Solera Health, the webinar offered suggestions on how to improve patient engagement by selecting the right interventions that resonate with patients and improve outcomes. Artificial intelligence tools have the potential to support a more personalized approach.
Liebowitz traced the shortcomings in patient engagement to insufficient numbers of primary care physicians (PCPs) that guide the patient journey. But he noted that digital health is now at a point where it can better address employer healthcare challenges.
“We’re now at an inflection point in the market where employers [say] ‘We’d really like our health plans to help us with this because they understand benefit structures better than we do.’ And whether it’s creating plans with lower copays for going to virtual [appointments] first, going to the right specialist, personalized navigation based on the new LLM models that are out there, I think technology has now caught up to a point that can lead back to personalized navigation and fill the void of those lack of PCPs.”
Johnson offered an example of how Premera has helped employers reduce healthcare costs amidst a shortage of physicians through a collaboration with Kinwell Medical Group.
“We have 16 clinics that deliver a very concierge-like advanced primary care experience, and they’re seeing cost of care returns upwards of 10% in terms of savings against the rest of the network,” Johnson said. “So models of care matter, level of engagement matters, creating the space and time for primary care to work matters.”
Among the takeaways for viewers are:
• Clear understanding of what to look for in digital health vendors
• Insights into how to quantify ROI and outcomes for leadership
• Practical steps to simplify vendor management and increase employee engagement
• Actionable strategies to prepare for 2026 benefit planning
To access a recording of the webinar, Next-Gen Benefits: A New Tool in Containing Costs, Integrated Digital Networks, please fill out the form below.
Photo: Yuichiro Chino, Getty Images