If you missed the Texas Association of Health Underwriters Conference this year don’t worry! A few of our PointHealthTech team members went, and we’re going to break down our key takeaways.

This was our first in-person conference to attend, and we have to say it was an excellent one to kick off with! We got to meet a lot of great people at our booth, we learned several insights from the sessions and panels, and it was a privilege to have our CEO, Matt Dale, give a presentation during the Legislative Luncheon.

Let’s dive into what our team members’ main takeaways were from the TAHU Conference.‍

Takeaway One.

COVID and technology were huge topics at TAHU. Primarily, how COVID sped up the adoption of tech and solidified its place in healthcare. As Brock Purslow, Market Vice President for Humana put in in the Carrier Panel:‍

“The world has changed and we have to continue to change with it and increase our utilization of technology.”‍

Because of the speed at which technology has now been implemented into healthcare, members expect convenience and speed now more than ever. Moving forward, health plans of all types will need to implement tools and strategies to keep up. If they aren’t careful they may go the way of the dinosaurs as newer entrants come in with shiny new technology.‍

Takeaway Two.‍

“This moment is the perfect storm for change in benefits administration…employees don’t want to be another number. They want to feel understood.” - Becky Crutchfield, Clarity Benefit Solutions.‍

We’re all about personalization, so we were very excited to see this session on personalized benefits. The ideas proposed on how to shift from traditional benefits to personalized benefits were insightful and unique. 

Plans like ICHRAs which allow employers to decide how much they want to spend towards employee benefits and each employee gets to choose how they spend it are becoming more popular. Instead of deductions being taken from paychecks, employees pay for qualified medical expenses, including monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs, like copayments, then request reimbursement from their employer through their paycheck. 

And this is just one example of how employee benefits can be personalized; for employers that aren’t ready for that kind of complete overhaul, there are other solutions to personalization too. 

Ultimately, providing more personalized options will help patients find the coverage that works best for them.‍

Takeaway Three.‍

Consumers are frustrated with health insurance and are looking for simpler, transparent, authentic plans.

We heard more than once that health insurance has to evolve as consumers (who have become accustomed to the “Amazonification” of most industries) are no longer willing to accept the subpar healthcare experience. Meredith Davis Duncan, President, Texas Market at Bright Health reiterated the need for simplicity:‍

“As Bright enters the individual market in Texas, consumers are frustrated with health insurance so we are trying to bring simple plans to market.”‍

Brock Purslow, Market President-Texas at Humana pointed to new “virtual plans” that provide the technology and simplicity consumers demand:‍

“We are bringing simple, authentic plans. Humana launched a completely virtual plan that allows unlimited virtual health and other creative plans so consumers have primary care relationships and know there are other ways to access healthcare.”

‍Final Thoughts.‍

There were several great sessions and panels at TAHU, and our team walked away feeling encouraged and more informed from the sessions we attended. Moving forward, it’s clear that personalization, easy-to-use technology, and price transparency will continue to be demanded in healthcare. And if your health plan or organization needs help with making those changes, we can help!