Healthcare is eating the economy. Over 20% of U.S. GDP now goes to healthcare, and employers are picking up a large portion of the tab.
Yet despite the spend:
- Costs keep rising.
- Plans get more complex.
- Employees still feel underserved.
Too many employers are stuck in the same cycle: renewals, spreadsheets, and check-the-box plans that do little to improve outcomes or satisfaction.
In today’s environment, doing the same thing as last year is expensive.
What’s Changing? Friction Is Being Replaced with Flexibility
The most powerful trend in employer-sponsored healthcare right now is simple:
Reduce friction. Reduce costs. Improve health.
New models and tools are making healthcare more personalized, more proactive, and more affordable for both employees and employers.
Let’s look at how.
Empowering Employees with Tools They Actually Use
Modern employees don’t want more complexity, they want care that fits their lives. That’s why we’re seeing a surge in platforms that empower individuals to take ownership of their health:
- InsideTracker & Function Health: Affordable lab testing and personalized, data-driven health plans.
- Nourish: Registered dietitians covered by insurance—bringing real nutrition guidance into the mainstream.
- BetterHelp: On-demand therapy available via chat, video, or phone—meeting mental health needs without barriers.
- Levels: Real-time glucose tracking for metabolic health and smarter eating decisions.
This isn’t traditional insurance, it’s high impact, consumer first care. And it works: healthier employees lead to lower claims, better retention, and higher productivity.
Smarter Models of Insurance Delivery
Just as care is changing, so is how employees access and pay for it.
Enter ICHRA (Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement)—a game-changing model where employers provide tax-free dollars and employees choose their own plan. It’s flexible, portable, and more aligned with how people expect to shop for services today.
Innovative platforms like Venteur and Thatch are raising big rounds of venture funding to make this model seamless—for HR teams and employees alike.
There’s also renewed interest in PEOs (Professional Employer Organizations), which offer a bundled approach to HR, benefits, and compliance—often at a fraction of the cost and headache of traditional group plans.
HSA/FSA Are Getting Smarter Too
Preventive care is finally getting its due. Companies like Truemed are unlocking the full potential of HSA and FSA dollars by making it easier to use those funds on evidence-based wellness—think fitness programs, healthy food, and therapy.
This shift isn’t just about treating illness. It’s about investing in long-term health and resilience—before high claims show up.
What’s Missing from Most Strategies? A Trusted Advisor
You shouldn’t have to figure this out alone. The real gap in the market isn’t more tools, it’s more the right process and partner.
Most businesses need a partner who can help them:
- Understand where their dollars are going
- Explore modern insurance models like ICHRA and PEO
- Align benefits with real employee engagement
- Cut waste, not care
That’s where we come in.
At Pursuit Health, we help companies get off the renewal treadmill and start making benefits work for them, not against them. Whether you’re evaluating your options for the first time or finally ready to break out of the spreadsheet loop, we’re here to guide the way.
The Bottom Line
Your team doesn’t want more networks and copays. They want real support to live healthier lives. And your business doesn’t want to throw money at rising premiums. It wants value and control.
The future of health benefits is flexible, employee-first, and focused on results, not red tape.
Let’s pursue that future together.
