We recently joined an inspiring crowd of industry innovators at the InsurTech 2025 Spring Conference where, to no one’s surprise, AI dominated the conversation—and set the stage for some interesting discussions around its role in navigating health benefits.
Our CEO, Guy Ezekiel, joined industry experts Dr. Kevin Morgan (VP, Prudential Financial) and Austin Browning (CEO, Faros Health) for a panel that explored the role of health navigation in the broader healthcare benefits picture. Here are five key themes that emerged during the conversation:
More often than not, people are dropped into the insurance shopping process and asked, “What plan do you want?” This assumes they not only know what they need from their coverage, but what they would prefer in a plan. The better question is, “What problem are we solving for you?”
Are you underinsured despite employer coverage? Are you stuck choosing between plans that don’t serve your region or health profile? Or are you overpaying for a low-deductible, high-premium plan that doesn’t fit your actual usage?
The reality is, many people don’t know what their problem is when it comes to insurance—and they’re rarely presented with the options or guidance to find out. That guidance is essential, though. It does more than help individuals make a choice. It helps them make the right choice for their needs.
Deductibles. HMOs. Coinsurance. PPOs. The list of industry jargon goes on, and the average person typically doesn’t understand what the terms mean. Nor should they have to. And yet, they’re the foundation of how most coverage is communicated today.
That needs to change.
Instead of speaking insurance, start by meeting people where they are and translating benefits jargon into language that makes sense within the context of the average person’s life.
More importantly, listen first. What are their health concerns? What’s keeping them awake at night? What kind of benefits do they value—and which ones do they really need?
Ultimately, insurance exists to serve the person behind the plan. If we want to build a system that works, we need to put the person—not the policy jargon—at the center of the conversation.
AI plays an important role in the insurance shopping process, but its job is to support human decision-making, not replace it. This is especially true with decisions that will impact a person’s physical, mental, or financial well-being—like choosing a health insurance plan.
Insurtech should function like a GPS: Input your destination—your top priorities, concerns, and preferences—and have AI map out the smartest routes. Whether it’s a high-deductible plan for someone open to more risk or supplemental coverage for an individual worried about their medical history, the goal is the same: to make the path clearer, not narrower.
Insurance carriers are great at getting people in the door, but they often fail to show individuals where they’re headed when they choose a plan. And even the best plan design can fall short if the policyholder doesn’t understand their coverage or know how to use their benefits.
Real support begins with clarity: helping policyholders understand what a plan will really cost over the course of the year—not just what their premium is. It means guiding them toward providers that are high-value—not just in-network. And it means offering clear, timely guidance when someone has a question or faces a bill they didn’t expect—because, at some point, every policyholder will have to pay a bill.
Plan selection is just the beginning. The real opportunity is to support people throughout their benefits journey and to provide clear, actionable guidance grounded in both their plan structure and their unique health profile.
Health navigation can go a long way in helping individuals understand which products are right for them—but it’s crucial to provide options and not an opinion.
Human-centered Insurtech should be driven by what’s right for the specific individual. Rather than aligning with certain carriers, providers and Insurtech companies should instead align themselves with the needs of the person shopping for a plan.
By understanding the need first, technology can then support the shopping journey and help individuals make the best decision based on their health profile and priorities. Those priorities will vary from person to person—whether it’s ongoing access to a trusted doctor, seamless prescription coverage, or the right in-network specialist for chronic disease management. Regardless, this personalized, carrier-agonistic approach is a clear example of how Insurtech can reshape insurance: addressing the individual first, and building smarter, more personalized experiences to direct instead of select.
It’s time to flip the script on how we approach health benefits. Instead of starting with, “What insurance product do you want?”, let’s build a new system that starts with, “What problems can we help you solve?” Because, at the end of the day, the benefits journey doesn’t end when someone enrolls in a plan. Instead, the journey evolves, offering industry leaders the opportunity to support, educate, and engage with individuals every time a claim is submitted, a question is asked, or a change is required.
That’s the kind of experience people expect when they choose a benefits plan, and the one they deserve. Let’s work together to build a benefits ecosystem that meets that moment.
Want to learn more about how personalization and navigation fit into the bigger picture of health benefits? Watch the full panel discussion, or book a th our team to learn how Zorro is driving that future forward.
Our CEO, Guy Ezekiel, joined industry experts Dr. Kevin Morgan (VP, Prudential Financial) and Austin Browning (CEO, Faros Health) for a panel that explored the role of health navigation in the broader healthcare benefits picture. Here are five key themes that emerged during the conversation:
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