Working against this is the six-second attention span of the average American. Many of us have been trained in a technical type of learning that produces a linear thinking pattern. Let me explain what I mean. When someone asks a question, we often don't really think they can understand the answer until we give them all of the backing detail.

I was part of a "how to understand the ACA" presentation to room full of average citizens last week. Other benefit professionals would take a question and start answering, and I would interrupt about every 30 seconds with a translation from "benefit speak" to "plain English."

They would answer the question by saying "you need to check the STD policy for carveouts and any own-occ issues, and then wait 90, and …" I would step in at that point and turn it into plain English. "Check the Short-Term Disability fine print, which is located…"  At the end of the evening, I was mobbed with more questions, and my other presenters were ignored. They didn't speak English, they spoke jargon.

So, we need to communicate better, faster and with more impact.  

On the topic of near-death experiences, I narrowly escaped a parking-garage collapse in Portland, Ore., more than 10 years ago. It still resonates with me, and it changed my life. That moment was a turning point in my taking better care of myself.

I have seen the same of most people who survive their first heart attack and become evangelists for grilled fish and steamed vegetables, or have a tough diagnosis at the doctor's office.

Then, and only then, do they really take their diet and exercise for the powerful force for health that it is.

So, either we need to get better at communicating, or we need to start building a scary moment into every interaction with health care.