I Didn't Choose This Benefit. Five Years Later, I'd Choose It Again.

By Myea Curry, PHR, SHRM-CP, CPSP

Senior Manager, Benefits & Compliance, Agero

As benefits professionals, we're often tasked with evaluating new programs and vendors. What's discussed less often is what happens when you inherit an existing benefit.

When I joined Agero's benefits team, our pharmacy navigation program was already in place.

By then, I had already spent more than a decade with the company in HR and People Operations roles. I knew our workforce well, understood the challenges our employees faced, and had seen firsthand how important it is for benefits programs to work in the real world—not just on paper.

That perspective shaped how I approached the program. I wasn't involved in the original decision to implement it, so I evaluated it the same way I would any inherited benefit: Was it helping employees? Was it delivering value? And was it something worth continuing?

Five years later, the answer is still yes.

Understanding Our Workforce

Agero supports approximately 1,400 employees across a 24/7/365 operation. Our workforce includes both call center and enterprise populations, each with very different day-to-day experiences and communication preferences.

Like many employers, we're also balancing a mix of benefit plans and working to provide meaningful support to employees while responsibly managing healthcare costs.

That means solutions can't just look good on paper. They have to work in the real world.

The Challenge We Were Trying to Solve

When the program was originally implemented, the goal wasn't simply to reduce pharmacy costs.

We needed a solution that could help employees identify prescription savings opportunities without disrupting their care, limiting access, or creating additional administrative burden.

We were also looking for something that could deliver value relatively quickly while continuing to produce results over time.

Most importantly, we wanted employees to view the program as a benefit—not a restriction.

Meeting Employees Where They Are

One thing I appreciate about the program is how it evolved alongside our workforce.

It originally launched with our call center population. Because many of those employees weren't sitting in front of a computer all day, personalized savings opportunities were delivered through mailed reports.

As our needs changed, the program expanded to our enterprise population and introduced electronic communications, allowing employees to choose how they wanted to receive information.

That flexibility mattered.

Different employee populations engage differently. The more we were able to meet employees where they were, the more effective the program became.

My Personal Experience

At one point, I received a savings report myself.

As a benefits leader, I understood the concept behind the program. But as a member, I experienced it differently.

What gave me confidence was that the recommendation wasn't simply focused on cost savings. The alternative had been clinically reviewed and presented as an appropriate option to discuss with my physician.

Because of that, I felt comfortable bringing the recommendation to my doctor and having a conversation about whether it made sense for my situation.

Ultimately, I made the switch and reduced my own prescription costs.

That experience reinforced something important for me: employees are much more likely to engage when recommendations are actionable, personalized, and supported by clinical expertise.

What Five Years of Results Have Shown

Every employer evaluates success differently, but for us, consistency has been one of the most compelling outcomes.

Over the past five years, the program has helped generate:

• 2,137 medication switches

• More than $808,000 in cumulative savings

• A 6.77x average lifetime ROI

Just as importantly, those results were achieved without reducing benefits or taking choices away from employees.

The savings came from helping employees make more informed prescription decisions alongside their healthcare providers.

Lessons for Other Employers

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that pharmacy savings and employee experience don't have to be competing priorities.

A few principles have guided our approach:

Design around workforce realities.

Different employee populations require different engagement strategies.

Prioritize choice over restrictions.

Employees are more likely to engage when they're presented with options rather than mandates.

Make savings actionable.

Clear recommendations and next steps drive behavior change.

Measure long-term value.

The most meaningful outcomes often emerge over time, not just in the first year.

Final Thoughts

As benefits leaders, we're constantly evaluating programs, vendors, and investments.

When I inherited this program, I approached it the same way I would any other benefit: by asking whether it was creating value for employees and the organization.

Five years later, the answer is still yes.

Not simply because of the savings, but because it has helped employees make more informed decisions about their prescriptions while preserving the choice and access that matter to them.

And that's a result worth continuing to invest in.