Every year, businesses across all industries try to understand where the market is moving. This year is no exception – and perhaps requires this type of forward thinking more than ever. While 2020 was unpredictable to say the least, we in the health benefits industry have an opportunity to take its challenges and turn them into positives for the coming year. Here's what's top of mind for me entering 2021.

Consumer engagement gap will continue to shrink

Health care expenses are becoming more like retirement, where the responsibility falls on the consumer. The challenge is that 88% of consumers don't know how to best save and spend on their health care, and this hasn't changed much over the past five to 10 years. The premise of health care consumerism is that, if given more financial responsibility, consumers will feel empowered to make better choices that lead to improved health outcomes and decreased costs. However, for this strategy to work, consumers need the right education, tools and technologies.

With more people working from home and the health care system forced to change how it delivers care due to COVID-19, we've seen providers and benefit administrators invest in tools and technology like never before. We've also seen consumers more focused on their health care and more willing to use technology. We expect employers to take advantage of this willing client base and make a strong push for engagement in the coming year. This includes rethinking how they deliver educational content to improve consumer fluency and taking a more active role in promoting available technology (like smart apps) that guide consumer health care decisions.