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Prioritizing whole-person health

Whole health is a simple concept: everything has an impact on a person’s well-being. Putting whole health into practice on a larger scale isn’t always so simple. At Skai, we understand what it takes to address all the ways that biology, lifestyle, behavior, the environment and other factors contribute to a person’s health—and how to break through the complexity to support members in all the ways they need it.

How Skai prioritizes whole-person health

  • Treating each facet of health as part of a collective care journey, not in siloes
  • Providing real, live support from real humans who meet member needs with compassion and equity 
  • Offering community support and curated solutions that help members get the best care for their whole health
  • Understanding the impact of nontraditional modalities—such as complementary and integrative health—and how they complement overall well-being

Medical care only affects 20% of health outcomes. The remaining 80% stem from social drivers of health.

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Celeste makes point solution integration a reality

5 min read

Too many solutions, not enough time (or money)

Employers today have plenty on their plate, yet rising healthcare costs continue to top their list. In response, the market has flooded with point solutions that strive to be the silver bullet for health ailments, health management, member engagement and cost reduction. It’s good business, with half of the nation’s employers contracting with four to nine point solutions, but it means even more work for human resource leaders, who are left to contend with a dizzying amount of vendor vetting, performance analysis and ongoing management. That work doesn’t come cheap. One study found that the direct cost of employers sorting through the complexities of health and benefits administration was approximately $21.57 billion.

Workers don’t have it much easier. Already responsible for managing their own complex health needs in today’s healthcare system, they’re forced to navigate a siloed medical landscape littered with point solutions—a frustrating experience that can feel like a full-time job in itself.

It’s been clear for some time that a solution for employers would be by integrating point solutions and other healthcare touchpoints into a single, cohesive system. But while it might make for an easy buzzword, the truth is that real integration—which requires the meticulous coordination and alignment of countless parties—has proven elusive.

Making integration a reality

Skai Blue Cross Blue Shield’s health solution Celeste makes integration a reality and allows employers and members to get the most out of their point solutions. Through a three-step process, Celeste solves the problem of integration where other approaches have failed.

1. Break through the clutter

While it’s great to have choices, an overwhelming number of employers want or need help understanding and narrowing down the vast array of point solutions available to them. A carefully chosen selection of high-quality point solutions is like a wardrobe that’s been hand-curated by a personal shopper: everything you need, nothing you don’t and none of your precious time lost in the search. That’s why our Market Solutions team has vetted more than 300 solutions across multiple clinical categories to provide a curated, comprehensive hub to meet every employer’s needs.

2. Streamline the process

The more point solutions an employer decides to offer, the more work for them on the backend. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors, Celeste manages everything on the employer’s behalf, increasing point solution effectiveness for employers and members alike, unburdening employers of a huge, expensive and time-consuming administrative responsibility.

3. Optimize member engagement

While individual point solutions are often developed and touted as though they exist in a vacuum, the truth is that they’re only one of many health benefits that an employee has access to. Moving between them can be a chore at best; at worst, it never even happens. That’s why Celeste brings it all together with a frontline team of Care Advocates who can help guide members toward the correct benefit at the correct time—point solution or otherwise—in the context of their healthcare plan more broadly. Or, if members prefer, they can manage these point solutions themselves through the Celeste with Accolade app, an intuitive hub and “single front door” that brings their benefits all together in one place.

Who benefits? Everyone.

While point solutions continue to provide innovative remedies to healthcare challenges, cashing in on their full potential is difficult for employers and members alike.

Having a partner who can remove decision fatigue, provide an integrated hub of highly curated options, deliver tailored consultation, ensure optimal engagement and make the administrative process easy is extremely powerful for employers. Not only does it free up time, but it also leads to better point solution ROI.

For members, having convenient health solutions that cover their spectrum of needs and help them navigate and utilize their benefits to the fullest has a substantial impact on their experience and their health outcomes.

To learn more about Celeste, visit MeetCeleste.com.

Radically effective engagement

Engagement is one of, if not the most important factor in driving better health outcomes. At Skai, we’re transforming traditional approaches to engagement to help turn passive members into active healthcare consumers.

How Skai fosters better engagement and outcomes

  • Leveraging data in newer, smarter ways to connect with members through relevant and rewarding outreach
  • Tailoring messaging and care strategies to populations and sub-segments down to the member level
  • Understanding member communication preferences and reaching out via channels they are most receptive to
  • Fostering an ongoing relationship by ensuring a reliably positive healthcare experience 
  • Using next-level integration to create a seamless member experience

65% of Americans say coordinating and managing their health and the healthcare system is overwhelming and time-consuming.

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Celeste makes point solution integration a reality

5 min read

Too many solutions, not enough time (or money)

Employers today have plenty on their plate, yet rising healthcare costs continue to top their list. In response, the market has flooded with point solutions that strive to be the silver bullet for health ailments, health management, member engagement and cost reduction. It’s good business, with half of the nation’s employers contracting with four to nine point solutions, but it means even more work for human resource leaders, who are left to contend with a dizzying amount of vendor vetting, performance analysis and ongoing management. That work doesn’t come cheap. One study found that the direct cost of employers sorting through the complexities of health and benefits administration was approximately $21.57 billion.

Workers don’t have it much easier. Already responsible for managing their own complex health needs in today’s healthcare system, they’re forced to navigate a siloed medical landscape littered with point solutions—a frustrating experience that can feel like a full-time job in itself.

It’s been clear for some time that a solution for employers would be by integrating point solutions and other healthcare touchpoints into a single, cohesive system. But while it might make for an easy buzzword, the truth is that real integration—which requires the meticulous coordination and alignment of countless parties—has proven elusive.

Making integration a reality

Skai Blue Cross Blue Shield’s health solution Celeste makes integration a reality and allows employers and members to get the most out of their point solutions. Through a three-step process, Celeste solves the problem of integration where other approaches have failed.

1. Break through the clutter

While it’s great to have choices, an overwhelming number of employers want or need help understanding and narrowing down the vast array of point solutions available to them. A carefully chosen selection of high-quality point solutions is like a wardrobe that’s been hand-curated by a personal shopper: everything you need, nothing you don’t and none of your precious time lost in the search. That’s why our Market Solutions team has vetted more than 300 solutions across multiple clinical categories to provide a curated, comprehensive hub to meet every employer’s needs.

2. Streamline the process

The more point solutions an employer decides to offer, the more work for them on the backend. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors, Celeste manages everything on the employer’s behalf, increasing point solution effectiveness for employers and members alike, unburdening employers of a huge, expensive and time-consuming administrative responsibility.

3. Optimize member engagement

While individual point solutions are often developed and touted as though they exist in a vacuum, the truth is that they’re only one of many health benefits that an employee has access to. Moving between them can be a chore at best; at worst, it never even happens. That’s why Celeste brings it all together with a frontline team of Care Advocates who can help guide members toward the correct benefit at the correct time—point solution or otherwise—in the context of their healthcare plan more broadly. Or, if members prefer, they can manage these point solutions themselves through the Celeste with Accolade app, an intuitive hub and “single front door” that brings their benefits all together in one place.

Who benefits? Everyone.

While point solutions continue to provide innovative remedies to healthcare challenges, cashing in on their full potential is difficult for employers and members alike.

Having a partner who can remove decision fatigue, provide an integrated hub of highly curated options, deliver tailored consultation, ensure optimal engagement and make the administrative process easy is extremely powerful for employers. Not only does it free up time, but it also leads to better point solution ROI.

For members, having convenient health solutions that cover their spectrum of needs and help them navigate and utilize their benefits to the fullest has a substantial impact on their experience and their health outcomes.

To learn more about Celeste, visit MeetCeleste.com.

How Skai cultivates transparency and trust

We’re not only people-first at Skai—we’re partnership-first. We work closely with each national employer, tailoring through a strategic lens based on our clients’ best interests.

How we prioritize transparency and trust at Skai

  • Structuring our operations to be more nimble and customizable to national employer needs
  • Establishing flexible, direct contracting with any point solutions, meaning zero administrative burden for clients
  • Diving deep into our clients’ needs and providing strategic solutions based on those needs—not on larger trends alone
  • Giving our clients the same level of transparency members expect from their health plan—and more—so they always understand the true value of what they’re getting
  • Providing an interdisciplinary team of experts to cater to each client

Health plans must shift from a one-size-fits-all approach, to a more tailored strategy that addresses individual preferences and requirements.

Related insights

View more

Celeste makes point solution integration a reality

5 min read

Too many solutions, not enough time (or money)

Employers today have plenty on their plate, yet rising healthcare costs continue to top their list. In response, the market has flooded with point solutions that strive to be the silver bullet for health ailments, health management, member engagement and cost reduction. It’s good business, with half of the nation’s employers contracting with four to nine point solutions, but it means even more work for human resource leaders, who are left to contend with a dizzying amount of vendor vetting, performance analysis and ongoing management. That work doesn’t come cheap. One study found that the direct cost of employers sorting through the complexities of health and benefits administration was approximately $21.57 billion.

Workers don’t have it much easier. Already responsible for managing their own complex health needs in today’s healthcare system, they’re forced to navigate a siloed medical landscape littered with point solutions—a frustrating experience that can feel like a full-time job in itself.

It’s been clear for some time that a solution for employers would be by integrating point solutions and other healthcare touchpoints into a single, cohesive system. But while it might make for an easy buzzword, the truth is that real integration—which requires the meticulous coordination and alignment of countless parties—has proven elusive.

Making integration a reality

Skai Blue Cross Blue Shield’s health solution Celeste makes integration a reality and allows employers and members to get the most out of their point solutions. Through a three-step process, Celeste solves the problem of integration where other approaches have failed.

1. Break through the clutter

While it’s great to have choices, an overwhelming number of employers want or need help understanding and narrowing down the vast array of point solutions available to them. A carefully chosen selection of high-quality point solutions is like a wardrobe that’s been hand-curated by a personal shopper: everything you need, nothing you don’t and none of your precious time lost in the search. That’s why our Market Solutions team has vetted more than 300 solutions across multiple clinical categories to provide a curated, comprehensive hub to meet every employer’s needs.

2. Streamline the process

The more point solutions an employer decides to offer, the more work for them on the backend. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors, Celeste manages everything on the employer’s behalf, increasing point solution effectiveness for employers and members alike, unburdening employers of a huge, expensive and time-consuming administrative responsibility.

3. Optimize member engagement

While individual point solutions are often developed and touted as though they exist in a vacuum, the truth is that they’re only one of many health benefits that an employee has access to. Moving between them can be a chore at best; at worst, it never even happens. That’s why Celeste brings it all together with a frontline team of Care Advocates who can help guide members toward the correct benefit at the correct time—point solution or otherwise—in the context of their healthcare plan more broadly. Or, if members prefer, they can manage these point solutions themselves through the Celeste with Accolade app, an intuitive hub and “single front door” that brings their benefits all together in one place.

Who benefits? Everyone.

While point solutions continue to provide innovative remedies to healthcare challenges, cashing in on their full potential is difficult for employers and members alike.

Having a partner who can remove decision fatigue, provide an integrated hub of highly curated options, deliver tailored consultation, ensure optimal engagement and make the administrative process easy is extremely powerful for employers. Not only does it free up time, but it also leads to better point solution ROI.

For members, having convenient health solutions that cover their spectrum of needs and help them navigate and utilize their benefits to the fullest has a substantial impact on their experience and their health outcomes.

To learn more about Celeste, visit MeetCeleste.com.

How Skai prioritizes cost containment and innovation

At Skai, we know sustainable cost-containment requires continual research and innovation. We always lean on forward-looking strategies that embrace proactive, whole-person support and factor cost-containing strategies into all solutions. 

How we prioritize cost containment and innovation at Skai

  • Providing unmatched access, choice and discounts for high-quality, in-network providers
  • Embracing progressive value-based care strategies like shared downside risk and collaborative decision-making
  • Customizing medical policies to each population's needs
  • Providing personalized, proactive whole-person, whole-population support focused on improving health while lowering long-term costs
  • Prioritizing engagement models that improve outcomes and maximize benefits usage
  • Addressing rising medical pharmacy costs through a comprehensive, whole-system approach

60% of Skai network providers participate in value-based contracts.

Related insights

View more

Celeste makes point solution integration a reality

5 min read

Too many solutions, not enough time (or money)

Employers today have plenty on their plate, yet rising healthcare costs continue to top their list. In response, the market has flooded with point solutions that strive to be the silver bullet for health ailments, health management, member engagement and cost reduction. It’s good business, with half of the nation’s employers contracting with four to nine point solutions, but it means even more work for human resource leaders, who are left to contend with a dizzying amount of vendor vetting, performance analysis and ongoing management. That work doesn’t come cheap. One study found that the direct cost of employers sorting through the complexities of health and benefits administration was approximately $21.57 billion.

Workers don’t have it much easier. Already responsible for managing their own complex health needs in today’s healthcare system, they’re forced to navigate a siloed medical landscape littered with point solutions—a frustrating experience that can feel like a full-time job in itself.

It’s been clear for some time that a solution for employers would be by integrating point solutions and other healthcare touchpoints into a single, cohesive system. But while it might make for an easy buzzword, the truth is that real integration—which requires the meticulous coordination and alignment of countless parties—has proven elusive.

Making integration a reality

Skai Blue Cross Blue Shield’s health solution Celeste makes integration a reality and allows employers and members to get the most out of their point solutions. Through a three-step process, Celeste solves the problem of integration where other approaches have failed.

1. Break through the clutter

While it’s great to have choices, an overwhelming number of employers want or need help understanding and narrowing down the vast array of point solutions available to them. A carefully chosen selection of high-quality point solutions is like a wardrobe that’s been hand-curated by a personal shopper: everything you need, nothing you don’t and none of your precious time lost in the search. That’s why our Market Solutions team has vetted more than 300 solutions across multiple clinical categories to provide a curated, comprehensive hub to meet every employer’s needs.

2. Streamline the process

The more point solutions an employer decides to offer, the more work for them on the backend. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors, Celeste manages everything on the employer’s behalf, increasing point solution effectiveness for employers and members alike, unburdening employers of a huge, expensive and time-consuming administrative responsibility.

3. Optimize member engagement

While individual point solutions are often developed and touted as though they exist in a vacuum, the truth is that they’re only one of many health benefits that an employee has access to. Moving between them can be a chore at best; at worst, it never even happens. That’s why Celeste brings it all together with a frontline team of Care Advocates who can help guide members toward the correct benefit at the correct time—point solution or otherwise—in the context of their healthcare plan more broadly. Or, if members prefer, they can manage these point solutions themselves through the Celeste with Accolade app, an intuitive hub and “single front door” that brings their benefits all together in one place.

Who benefits? Everyone.

While point solutions continue to provide innovative remedies to healthcare challenges, cashing in on their full potential is difficult for employers and members alike.

Having a partner who can remove decision fatigue, provide an integrated hub of highly curated options, deliver tailored consultation, ensure optimal engagement and make the administrative process easy is extremely powerful for employers. Not only does it free up time, but it also leads to better point solution ROI.

For members, having convenient health solutions that cover their spectrum of needs and help them navigate and utilize their benefits to the fullest has a substantial impact on their experience and their health outcomes.

To learn more about Celeste, visit MeetCeleste.com.

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