Canada (EN)
Employers face a growing challenge: rising healthcare costs are causing employees to delay care, skip coverage and make treatment decisions without understanding costs. Healthcare navigation helps address these issues by providing personalized guidance, cost transparency and support that can improve health outcomes while reducing healthcare spending.
Concern about the rising cost of healthcare has been at the forefront for consumers, employers and providers for decades—and it’s only getting worse. U.S. healthcare affordability has reached a “crisis point,” according to a recent American Heart Association Presidential Advisory, as skyrocketing costs, driven largely by chronic disease, are forcing Americans to delay or avoid care altogether.
Meanwhile, large U.S. employers are projecting a 9% rise in overall healthcare costs for 2026, the highest level since 2010. So, while a growing number of people are striving to lead healthier lives, more than half of employees say doing so requires more money than they are willing or able to spend, according to the upcoming 2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study.
While employers remain committed to subsidizing employee healthcare, declining enrollment rates, even among those earning up to $80,000 a year1, are proof that today’s workers are viewing insurance premiums as unaffordable. Nearly one-third (30%) of eligible employees aged 18 to 64 who opted out of employer-sponsored health coverage say they did so because it’s too expensive. This trend is most pronounced among lower-wage earners and young workers, who likely have been covered by a parent’s plan and are feeling shell-shocked by the price of premiums when tasked with selecting a benefits plan of their own for the first time.
Healthcare navigation helps employees manage costs
Just 61% of non-HR employees know where to go to figure out healthcare costs, according to 2026 Mindset data. This presents a tremendous opportunity for employers to provide personalized guidance to help employees sort out premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs so they can make the best choices for themselves and their dependents. Healthcare navigation is a service that helps employees understand their benefits, compare costs and quality, find appropriate providers and make informed healthcare decisions.
Healthcare navigation support is emerging as a critical employee benefit, with only one-quarter of workers not having some type of personalized assistance available to them, according to the 2026 Mindset Study. The best of these services go beyond providing basic information and include comprehensive support, like provider recommendations, cost estimates, prescription reviews, billing advocacy, program referrals and appointment scheduling assistance. This support is offered through various channels, with 23% of workers having electronic access, 19% having face-to-face options via phone or virtual meetings and one-third having both available.
Healthcare navigation services combine AI-powered tools to provide cost comparison calculators displaying side-by-side differences in premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, with human-centric decision support and guidance to make the experience personal and relevant, ensuring employees are empowered to select the care they need at the right point and improve healthcare outcomes . Healthcare navigation is highly prized among employees, with 83% of those who have used personalized navigation for health and costs finding it valuable, according to 2026 Mindset data.
Available on the Alight Worklife® platform, Alight Healthcare Navigation improves the quality, cost and experience of care. Using advanced analytics, our platform provides tailored recommendations for high-quality, low-cost options across all types of care, resulting in better outcomes at a lower price.
Case in point: a doctor orders an MRI for an employee or their dependent. Often considered the gold standard, this painless noninvasive test is a powerful tool for diagnosing various medical conditions. However, MRIs can be expensive and an employee may decide the cost is too great. Healthcare navigation can help them identify a lower-cost imaging facility where the same exact scan can be obtained at a much lower price.
Another employee may be given a new prescription at their annual vision screening, but their new glasses carry a hefty price tag at the optometrist’s office. Rather than trying to make do with their outdated prescription, they can use the health navigation service to identify an alternate eyeglass provider where they can upgrade to a new pair of glasses without breaking the bank.
The goal is to get people the care they need, manage costs and claims, eliminate regrets and empower confidence in their healthcare decisions throughout the year. Alight Healthcare Navigation also guides employees through their most complex healthcare needs with solutions ranging from clinical guidance and surgery decision support to cancer guidance and expert medical opinion to behavioral health guidance and SmartSelect MD. Meanwhile, their personal Health Pro is there to help navigate confusing healthcare lingo, sort out billing issues and provide individualized support throughout their healthcare journey.
1. Analysis of 9.5 million users of Alight Worklife®
