Challenge: Plan-it worked with Boston Children’s Hospital on an initiative related to new health care regulations that could negatively impact the hospital. Children’s wanted to insure that employers understand the ramifications of how some new mandated plans could influence patient care and access as employers make their health care plan/payer decisions.

Objective: To understand the decision process and the key players involved in selecting the new tiered plans and limited network plans. Ultimately to understand employers’ knowledge of these new products, perceived advantages and disadvantages, and how well they understood the ramifications of tiered and limited network plans on employees’ access to specific health care providers, including Children’s.

Solution: In-depth group discussions among senior level human resource executives explored these issues in-depth, and how Children’s can most effectively convey its value proposition to these decision makers, to ensure continued access to the hospital. As part of the methodology, C-level members of Children’s participated in a Q&A at the end of the groups to provide a free flowing exchange, given the critical nature of the decision.

Result: Learning and insights from this exploratory study drove development of an optimal approach for Children’s Hospital to connect with large employers, including critical messages, method of approach, and key players within organizations that must be targeted in communications.