The past ten years have caused a negative turning point for the American health care system, specifically for consumer health care spending.

In fact, unpaid medical bills have become the largest source of debt Americans owe collections agencies, holding $140 billion in unpaid medical bills. Although many employers feel helpless in their ability to create a better system for their employees, the need becomes exponentially increased when leaders consider the lost productivity and increased medical costs that accompany today’s health care structure. Because employers insure 156 million people in the U.S., they have a more significant role than many know in driving change in the industry.

In a recent article in BenefitsPRO, OneDigital’s Executive Vice President of Organic Growth, Chris Thurin, dove into the main three drivers in need of an overhaul to create a better health care system, including the price of medications, the lack of transparency over cost and lack of open access to data.

As employers continue to reevaluate their health care plans for a post-pandemic environment, it’s a critical time to look at how we can all be a part of creating a health care system that helps patients be healthier, rather than be in debt.
 
– Chris Thurin, Executive Vice President of Organic Growth

Read the full article here.