What if There Was a Simpler Way to Reduce Your Healthcare Costs?

What if reducing healthcare costs wasn’t about pushing harder, but about making change easier?

That was the central idea behind a standout keynote from Jonah Berger, Ph.D., at The Alliance’s 2026 Spring Symposium. A bestselling author of The Catalyst, Contagious, and Invisible Influence, and a professor at The Wharton School, Berger has spent his career studying how to influence behavior and drive meaningful change. Recognized globally for his research, Dr. Berger has advised organizations like Apple, Google, and Nike.

His message for employers and healthcare leaders was clear: the biggest barrier to lowering healthcare costs isn’t a lack of options; it’s human behavior.

Instead of trying to force change, organizations should focus on removing the barriers that keep people stuck. That’s where Berger’s REDUCE method comes in.

What is the REDUCE method?

The REDUCE method identifies key barriers that prevent change and offers a framework to overcome them.

People tend to stick with the status quo, not because it’s the best option, but because it feels familiar and safe. In healthcare, that might mean employees continue seeing the same providers, even when more cost-effective, high-quality options exist.

The perceived cost of switching, whether it’s time, effort, or risk, often outweighs the potential benefits.

Reactance: The Pushback Problem

When people feel like they’re being told what to do, they resist.

This is known as reactance, and it shows up often in healthcare consumption. When employers say, “You should go to this provider,” employees may immediately push back, even if the recommendation is in their best interest.

What to do instead:

• Give people a sense of agency.
• Offer real choices.
• Replace directives with questions.

When employees feel ownership over their decisions, they’re far more likely to follow through.

Endowment: The Power of Familiarity

People place higher value on what they already have. In healthcare, that often means valuing long-standing relationships with providers.

Even if a new provider offers better value or outcomes, employees may hesitate to switch simply because they’re attached to what they know.

What to do instead:

Reduce the perceived risk. Introduce new providers in low-risk ways, like onsite visits or meet-and-greets, so employees can build familiarity before making a change. Instead of highlighting how much employees could save by switching providers, point out the cost of inaction.

Distance: Timing is Everything

Healthcare decisions don’t happen during open enrollment; they happen in real time, and often under stress. Concepts like high-value healthcare or bundled pricing may feel removed from real-life choices. Without clear, accessible guidance, employees will struggle to see how to apply these ideas in real life, like deciding where to get an MRI.

And if employees only receive information months before they need care, they’re unlikely to remember it when it matters.

What to do instead:

Shrink the distance between information and action. Provide guidance at the point of decision by highlighting savings and quality differences when employees are actively choosing where to seek care.

For example, in the provider directory, clearly label what tier in the benefit plan specific providers are in and group them into easy-to-understand price categories, such as low, medium, and high.

Uncertainty: Navigating a Complex System

The healthcare system is complicated, and employees often don’t know where to start.

That uncertainty leads to inaction, defaulting to familiar providers and care settings even if there are more high-value options.

Additionally, employees may worry that a lower-cost provider means lower quality, or that trying something new will have negative consequences.

What to do instead:

To combat uncertainty, employers should offer care navigation support. Help employees understand their options and guide them toward high-value care. When uncertainty decreases, confidence and action increases.

Provider directories, like Find a Doctor, can help employees know their in-network healthcare options.

Corroborating Evidence: Trust Matters

People look to others when making decisions, especially in uncertain situations. This is called social proof.

In healthcare, word of mouth, testimonials, and provider recommendations can significantly influence behavior.

What to do instead:

Leverage trusted voices. Share real employee experiences. Highlight positive outcomes and satisfaction from others who have made similar choices.

Understand the Real Barriers to Care

Employers often assume that providing more information will lead to better decisions. In reality, information alone rarely changes behavior.

The real challenge is identifying and addressing the “parking brakes” that keep employees from taking action.

These barriers often fall into three categories:

• Ease: Even if a new option is better, people tend to stick with what’s easier.
• Attachment: Familiar options feel safer and more valuable.
• Risk: New options feel uncertain, even if they offer better outcomes.

This is known as status quo bias, and it’s one of the most powerful forces in healthcare decision-making.

Rethinking How We Influence Healthcare Decisions

To drive meaningful change, employers need to rethink how they guide employees through healthcare decisions.

Shift from Telling to Asking Statements like “You should use this provider” often trigger resistance. Instead, ask questions: “What matters most to you when choosing a provider?” “What would make switching easier?” “What is stopping you from receiving care?” Questions invite participation and reduce defensiveness, making employees more open to change. Good questions also allow employers to get information on the main barriers and pain points employees face.

Provide Real Choices Choice matters, but only if it’s authentic. Offering one “good” option and one clearly inferior option doesn’t build trust. Instead, provide a manageable menu of high-quality, viable choices that empower employees to decide.

Highlight the Cost of Inaction Many organizations emphasize potential savings, but that’s only part of the story. People are often more motivated by what they stand to lose than what they might gain. Show employees the real cost of staying with the status quo: Higher out-of-pocket expenses Lower quality outcomes Missed opportunities for better care This reframes the decision and makes inaction feel riskier than change.

Bring Healthcare Closer to Employees Reducing friction is key. Consider strategies like: Hosting onsite or virtual meet-and-greets with Preferred-Value Providers Embedding savings information directly into provider directories Offering real-time support through care navigation programs The easier it is to explore and access new options, the more likely employees are to use them.

Use Traffic Directors to Guide Decisions Employees don’t make healthcare decisions in isolation. They rely on traffic directors to guide them, including: Primary care providers Provider directories (like Find a Doctor) Care navigation services Recommendations from family and peers By strengthening these touchpoints, employers can influence decisions in a more natural and effective way.

Two Practical Next Steps

If you’re looking to reduce healthcare costs while improving employee experience, start here:

Identify the Barriers What’s stopping employees from choosing high-value healthcare options or engaging with primary care? Is it confusion? Lack of trust? Lack of time or access? Pinpoint the specific barriers, or “parking brakes,” that are holding them back. The more we understand the challenges people are facing, the more effectively we can influence change.

Remove or Reduce Them Once you understand the barriers, focus on eliminating them: Simplify choices Improve timing and customization of communication Increase transparency Provide tailored guidance and support Small changes can have a big impact when they directly address what is preventing action.

The Bottom Line: Make Change Easier

There’s a science behind why people change, and why they don’t.

Reducing healthcare costs isn’t just about better provider networks or smarter plan design. It’s about understanding human behavior and making it easier for employees to make better decisions.

When organizations shift from pushing change to removing barriers, they unlock a more effective and sustainable path to lowering healthcare costs.

If you’re ready to be a catalyst for change in your organization, start by asking a simple question: What’s getting in the way, and how can we make it easier to move forward?

Get inspiration from the 2026 Healthcare Transformation Award recipients.