ROI First, VOI Next: Helping Health Plans Deliver What Employers Really Want

Health plans are under increasing pressure to prove ROI to their employer clients, but the reality is, true ROI doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with delivering real Value on Investment (VOI) through simplicity, integration, real-time insights, and customizable solutions. In this blog, we explore how prioritizing VOI lays the essential groundwork for demonstrating measurable ROI. 

When it comes to employee health benefits, employers are at a breaking point. In 2025, employer healthcare costs are expected to increase by at least 6%. As employee engagement decreases and wellness remains a top priority  employers are searching for ways to lower benefit costs while improving outcomes and strengthening the employee experience.   

A key focus of many employer healthcare strategies is managing and reassessing their health plan vendors. Today, traditional health plan models no longer meet employers’ evolving needs. To help Human Resource leaders drive their corporate strategy, retain employees and stay within budget, health plans must know what employers want — or risk getting overlooked.   

Member Engagement Platforms That Reduce HR Burden  

While many digital health tools, like provider directories, benefits portals, and mental health apps, are available, adoption remains low. Most of these tools operate outside the core health plan experience, leaving employees confused about where to go for help. As a result, they often turn to overburdened HR teams or face long wait times with health plan customer service. 

One reason for this disconnect is that existing tools often fall short of the seamless, user-friendly experience employees expect. They're difficult to find, hard to navigate, and rarely promoted effectively, leading to poor awareness and low engagement. 

Instead, employers want a unified platform that offers personalized and intuitive healthcare solutions for their employees through their health plan— one, clear front door that not only drives engagement but reduces the administrative burden and burnout of their HR team.   

A Simplified Experience That Integrates Benefit Resources 

Another reason employees don’t use the benefits tools available to them is vendor fatigue. Health plans tend to add new tools from different vendors without integrating these various tools with each other. Disconnected vendors, apps, and portals lead to redundant experiences and duplicative communications that confuse and overwhelm employees.  

According to a 2024 survey of 500 employees, 59% said that digital tools added to their workplace stress. In the same survey, 83% of respondents agreed that a “super app” to pull multiple tools into one interface would make their lives easier. Employer groups are in search of a simplified experience that connects care, wellness, and benefits in a way that’s easy to navigate.  

Actionable Analytics for ROI Transparency 

Now more than ever, employers feel the effects of rising benefits costs. Healthcare spending in the United States has been increasing at its fastest rate in 20 years, according to the American Medical Association.  

In survey findings from WTW, 63% of employers reported they are planning to adjust how much they spend on benefits, compared to 8% of employers the previous year. With added cost pressures, benefits leaders must justify every dollar, with proof of return on investment (ROI).  

Traditional health plans typically provide delayed or siloed reporting that doesn’t connect programs with outcomes. Most models aren’t equipped to show cost avoidance, care gap closure, or usage trends in real time.  

Employers are in search of actionable analytics. They need dashboards that connect care decisions to cost, quality, and outcomes. With this data, HR becomes empowered to make informed decisions about healthcare plans that demonstrate value.  

Flexible Solutions That Meet Segment-Specific Demands 

Many health plans design solutions for the “typical employer.” In 2025, this category no longer exists. Different segments have different experiences that require different solutions. For example: 

Large employers with 10,000 or more employees prioritize: 

• Ability to customize tools across regions and business units   

• Deep integration with internal systems 

• Full integration with their health plan's systems 

• Real-time dashboards

 Mid-market employers with 2,000 to 10,000 employees prioritize: 

• Clear ROI 

• Fewer vendors with less oversight requirements 

• Simplicity, with added support and bundled experiences 

The same benefits platform can’t serve both segments effectively unless it’s modular, integrated, and flexible.  

A New Mandate for Health Plan Providers 

As employers prepare for 2026, their priorities are clear: greater employee engagement, better cost control, and meaningful ROI from every health benefit offered. With open enrollment approaching, they’re actively seeking partners who can deliver connected, data-backed solutions, not more disconnected tools or support that adds administrative burden. Health plans that can’t demonstrate ongoing value and measurable outcomes risk being replaced by those that can. 

To meet the moment, health plan providers must: 

• Be strategic connectors, not just processors 

• Deliver tailored, human-centered design experiences 

• Equip HR teams with the insight, control and simplicity they need to work efficiently 

Are you ready to transform how you support employers?

Let’s talk. Learn how Pager Health℠ partners with health plan providers to deliver world-class solutions to their employers. Check out our digital health solutions that power connected care. Schedule a free demo and consultation for more information.