As nearly anyone who has had to interact with our health care system in recent years knows, that system is in dire need of reform. And as anyone who works in the health care benefits space knows (or reads BenefitsPRO, for that matter), the best solutions won't come from legislators or even health insurers. The key to changing our health care system is coming, more and more, from innovators from outside the industry: Amazon, Apple, Google, Walmart and Best Buy. These companies not only understand what drives today's health care consumers, but they've built their businesses around collecting and utilizing consumer data to deliver a superior experience. Related: 10 most profitable companies in the health care sector That's not to say there aren't any companies within the health care space that are also making significant progress. But it's hard to create change within the system, especially when there are so many stakeholders invested in keeping the status quo--and their profits. This past year has seen some significant breakthroughs in health care transparency, as well as the alignment of key pieces to set the stage for some major innovations in the years to come. Check out the slideshow above to learn about some of the key disruptions in the health care industry that have unfolded over the past year. Read more: |

• Employers' disruptive purchasing strategies are, well, disruptive
• The disruptive health care startups you should be watching
• Where do benefits brokers fit in Amazon's new health care venture?