Design with data

Every decision we made was rooted in proprietary consumer insights. We took the standard health insurance plan, broke down its distinct features (premium, copays, deductibles, network, etc.), and used quantitative research to understand the value consumers placed on each feature. With that insight, we were able to segment our target consumer, iterate on plan designs, question assumptions payors made about traditional benefits, and test new plan prototypes to gain qualitative consumer feedback.

Prioritize for price

Of course, the number one feature priority for consumers was price. We had to pull every lever we could to be able to offer the lowest monthly premium price and still deliver the low-dollar copays for everyday care (PCP, Rx, etc.) that consumers told us they needed. We pushed our actuarial friends to their creative limits. We used Aetna’s value-based provider network partnerships to control costs. And most importantly, we were committed to transparency with consumers about the trade-offs for affordable care.

Take risks for the right reasons

In a risk adverse industry, innovation can be daunting. The regulatory mandates and operational platforms of the health insurance industry can be enough to thwart any initiative that hasn’t been done before. Gaining the trust and buy-in of internal and external partners were the most critical hurdles. The Consumer became the rubric for decisions made in operations, marketing, care management, and distribution. Because of this human-centered focus, we were able bring our innovative consumer benefit plans to market, and I was fortunate to receive the Aetna Chairman’s Leadership Award for helping the team get there.