Point solutions certainly add value to any health plan. But as the market floods with new products, it begs the question—can you have too much of a good thing? With solutions somewhere in the thousands, the sheer number of vendor options can be overwhelming for employers. This feeling is better known as “point solution fatigue”. It occurs when too many applications and too much data leave decision makers feeling confused—and employees feeling exhausted.
At Meritain Health®, we’ve given this problem much consideration. In this article, we’ll share our best advice and pointers for overcoming point solution fatigue, including a comprehensive solution we recommend for employers to narrow the field and find better-fitting programs.
Why point solutions are important
For health plans, point solutions are vital to enhance existing benefits and address potential gaps. They offer specialized services that can address precise health needs beyond what other benefits or wellness programs may provide. They also help with targeting specific employee populations and addressing prevalent conditions and risks.
Overall, point solutions aim to improve employee well-being, productivity and satisfaction, while reducing health care spending.
What do common ones address?
Today’s point solutions can address nearly every aspect of health and wellness. Plus, more continue to emerge to help employers tackle their changing needs and biggest pain points. Common ones span categories like:
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- Mental and behavioral health.
- Chronic condition management.
- Musculoskeletal health.
- General wellness and men and women’s health.
- Cost management solutions.
- Telehealth and virtual care delivery.
Right steps for evaluating solutions
But how many is too many? Most employers currently manage at least four to nine separate solutions. Some can try to juggle as many as 20. That’s why having a strategic plan to evaluate solutions is so important. It’s also the right first step in overcoming point solution fatigue.
Where should employers start to ensure the greatest impact? An ideal strategy for optimizing point solutions should incorporate these three areas:
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- Assessing vendor capabilities. It’s important to do a thorough review to assess a vendor’s full capabilities. In this stage, you may want to examine whether a solution is geared toward groups of a certain size. You should also look at potential cost savings, returns data and user feedback. In addition, take time to consider what cost driver or problem the solution will address and if it’s the vendor’s primary focus or one of many offerings.
- Establishing the right fit. Make sure to review specific pain points or issues within an employee population to determine need. For instance, a gap analysis can reveal if you’re seeing high spend in specific categories or with certain chronic conditions that aren’t being addressed with existing benefits. It’s also essential to consider how solutions will mesh with your current benefit ecosystem and recognize barriers which could prevent a smooth experience for members.
- Creating a pathway for success. After choosing solutions to implement, you’ll need a comprehensive plan to communicate with employees, educate them and promote programs. You should regularly review reports to track what’s working and identify areas for improvement. When point solutions are optimized within your benefits plan, they’ll drive member engagement, improve health outcomes and deliver cost savings.
Our thoughtful, crafted approach
As a consultative partner, we regularly work with employer groups to make recommendations on innovative point solutions based on real plan performance, our own market intelligence and research. We also proactively work with producer partners to understand population needs. We do this by utilizing claims data, demographic information and member needs to see if point solutions are performing as expected—and benefits are aligned. Our extensive experience led us to develop a thoughtful, data-driven approach, useful for overcoming point solution fatigue and simplifying options.
Here’s an overview of how it works:
Using actual medical claims data for existing customers and benchmark data for potential customers, we offer a comprehensive evaluation. This shows employers whether they’re strong candidates for the specific solutions within our curated OnPoint Solutions portfolio. It provides a clear picture of spending over a multi-year timeline to immediately assess whether plans are eligible for these popular solutions. We can provide this detailed analysis for an expanding list of solutions, currently including ones like Hinge Health, Maven, Condition Management from Teladoc Health® and Healthcare Bluebook (to name a few).
Additionally, we created a digital platform to foster and improve employee engagement. This enhanced digital platform—aptly named Meritain Go—was designed to streamline how users access their programs and benefits (we think it creates excitement from the word “go”). With its modern interface, members can easily explore employer-sponsored benefits, participate in health programs and engage with selected point solutions. So, members and their families can stay healthy, motivated, connected and also save money on care. Meritain Go is available as a standalone product or as part of the Meritain Health OnPoint Solutions bundle.
Ready to learn more?
Hungry for more ideas for overcoming point solution fatigue? Our teams help employers cut through the noise everyday. We can assist you in finding solutions that move the needle and make real health care impacts. If you’d like more information on OnPoint Solutions or Meritain Go, contact your local Meritain Health representative for a consultation.
Contact us now to get started.
This material is for information only and is not an offer or invitation to contract. Health benefits and health insurance plans contain exclusions and limitations. See your plan documents for complete description of benefits, exclusions, limitations and conditions of coverage. Plan features and availability may vary and are subject to change. This material is not meant as medical advice.
