Healthcare may be one of the last major consumer experiences where people are expected to make important decisions with limited guidance.
Employees are often asked to determine where to seek care, whether a service is covered, how much it will cost, and what steps to take next. As healthcare benefits become more sophisticated, those decisions can become increasingly difficult to navigate.
For HR leaders, that challenge matters. Healthcare is one of the largest investments employers make in their workforce, yet many employees still struggle to use the benefits available to them with confidence.
In my experience, most people don’t want more healthcare information. They want clarity. As organizations continue exploring artificial intelligence (AI) across the workplace, healthcare is emerging as one of the most practical areas where technology can help reduce complexity. Not by replacing human support, but by helping people navigate healthcare with greater clarity.
Healthcare has a navigation problem
Employees today expect simple, intuitive experiences in nearly every part of their lives. They can already manage finances from a smartphone, book travel in minutes, and receive personalized recommendations while shopping online.
The healthcare experience often feels different. And when healthcare feels confusing, people are more likely to postpone care, delay preventive screenings, or choose higher-cost settings when lower-cost options may be available. From an experience perspective, the problem is not that people lack information. In many cases, consumers have access to more information than ever before. The challenge is turning that information into clear next steps.
What employers should be evaluating beyond health plan design
Historically, employers have evaluated health plans based on familiar criteria such as network access, premiums, benefit design, and provider relationships.
But as healthcare becomes more complex, many organizations are asking broader questions. How well does a health plan help employees navigate the healthcare system once they are enrolled? Can employees easily understand what is covered, find providers that fit their needs, compare costs before receiving care, and access support when they are managing a chronic condition or facing a new diagnosis?
Increasingly, employers are not just choosing a health plan. They are choosing a navigation model. As benefits leaders evaluate partners, they’re looking beyond network access and premiums to understand how effectively a health plan helps employees make decisions, access care, and use the benefits available to them.
When employees receive clear guidance, they are more likely to access care earlier, follow through on recommended treatment, and make informed decisions about where and how they receive care, ultimately leading to a healthier workforce.
Moving from more choices to better guidance
Healthcare benefits have expanded significantly over the past decade. While more resources can be valuable, too many disconnected programs can create an unintended challenge: employees may not know what to use, when to use it, or how different services connect.
This is where AI-supported tools are beginning to play a meaningful role. Interest in these technologies is growing, particularly among younger consumers. Research shows that about 80 percent of adults ages 18 to 34 are willing to use AI tools for healthcare-related tasks.
Traditional AI can identify patterns, generate insights, and surface recommendations. Newer capabilities can help coordinate actions across workflows, bringing together information that has historically lived across multiple systems. Together, when used responsibly, these technologies can help create more connected experiences that reduce friction and save time.
The goal is not more technology. The goal is to simplify healthcare so people can spend less time navigating the system and more time focusing on their health.
Making healthcare easier to understand
Many organizations are focusing on making healthcare easier to navigate through a combination of digital tools and human support. Technology can help answer questions quickly and simplify routine tasks. Human support helps people feel confident in the answers and navigate more complex situations. Together, those capabilities can create a more connected experience.
For example, Elevance Health’s Sydney Health app includes a Virtual Assistant that helps members understand benefits, compare costs, and find care using plain-language questions. Nearly 9 out of 10 pilot users were able to leverage the Virtual Assistant to help them find answers to their questions. The app has also saved members an estimated 1.5 million hours by making it easier to find and compare care.
When healthcare needs become more complex, people often need more than information. They need guidance. That is where advocacy and care navigation programs can play an important role. Elevance Health’s patient advocacy programs now support more than 7 million members, helping people navigate healthcare journeys with personalized support and proactive outreach.
The most effective experiences bring both together. Digital tools help simplify routine interactions and provide information when people need it. Care teams help people navigate life’s more complicated moments with confidence.
The future of health benefits may be simpler than it sounds
As AI adoption accelerates across industries, HR leaders are evaluating where technology can create meaningful value while preserving the human experiences employees still need.
Healthcare may offer one of the clearest opportunities.
The organizations that succeed may not be the ones offering the most benefits. They may be the ones partnering with health plans that make healthcare easiest to understand, access, and navigate.
Because when people have the guidance they need to make informed decisions, they are better positioned to get the care they need at the right time and with greater confidence. And that is ultimately what a better healthcare experience should do.