A full 50 years after the advent of managed care, and more than 20 years since consumerism design was introduced, benefits professionals find themselves in an all too familiar place. Rising health care costs, lackluster outcomes, and plan member frustrations all remain stubborn obstacles that refuse to budge.

Worse yet, recent economic conditions have exacerbated the most weighty issues impacting  health care: high inflation, a tight labor market, rising interest rates, the rising cost of care, provider contraction, and inequitable access to care.

Consider these unwelcome data points:

• Health care spending now accounts for 17.8% of the U.S. gross domestic product, almost twice as much as other nations in the highly industrialized world.
• Among these countries, the U.S. has the lowest life expectancies at birth, the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions, and the highest maternal and infant mortality rates.
• What's more: the average Net Promoter Score for health care organizations in the U.S. is a measly 58, far below many organizations in other industries 

Of course, there's no magic bullet when thinking through these challenges, but most industry experts have determined that a series of strategically placed interventions that are highly customized, thoughtfully executed, and carefully measured will provide the greatest chance of achieving success.