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The High Performance Health Plan
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Chapter 15

The Roadmap From Renewal to Management

A durable roadmap sequences foundational visibility and governance before more complex purchasing and care-delivery changes.

Core idea

From concept to management action.

A roadmap sequences the work so employers build capabilities before asking the plan to produce durable results.

The move from renewal management to healthcare management is not a single initiative. It is a sequence of choices that builds transparency, governance, purchasing discipline, care pathways and measurement over time. A roadmap keeps the organization focused on the next capability rather than an overwhelming list of possible programs.

Begin with diagnosis. Establish the baseline, identify the highest-value decisions, clarify ownership and understand what data or contract rights are missing. This phase creates the evidence needed to avoid premature solutions.

Then design the future state. Choose the operating model, preferred care pathways, vendor responsibilities and measurement approach that fit the organization’s goals and execution capacity. Design should connect financing, care and employee experience rather than treat each as a separate project.

Buy and implement with accountability. Evaluate partners against transparent criteria, document commitments and make member support part of the transition plan. A signed contract is the start of performance management, not the end of strategy.

Review and improve in deliberate cycles. Use quarterly evidence to adjust the work, then revisit the roadmap as capabilities mature. The next 90 days should have a named owner, a concrete decision and a measure of progress.

Chapter knowledge base

Implications for the people who lead the plan.

This companion provides a sequenced management approach—diagnose, design, buy and improve—so employers can build a high-performance plan without trying to change everything at once.

For CEOs

For CEOs, the roadmap creates a manageable investment sequence and a durable leadership rhythm around a critical workforce system.

For CFOs

For CFOs, it prioritizes foundational visibility and risk decisions before committing resources to downstream interventions.

For HR

For HR leaders, it ensures implementation includes communication, navigation and practical employee support.

Questions to ask your advisor

  1. 01What capability must be built before the next major plan decision?
  2. 02Which priority belongs in diagnosis, design or buying—not all three at once?
  3. 03What 90-day result would prove that the roadmap is moving?
Explore the three-year health-plan roadmap

What employers commonly misunderstand

The Roadmap From Renewal to Management is a one-time project.

The strongest improvements require a regular management cadence, documented decisions and follow-through beyond a single meeting or renewal season.

A vendor report is the same as oversight.

Reports matter when leaders agree on the questions, test the evidence and use the answers to make or adjust a decision.

More activity means more progress.

Focus on the few actions that materially improve roadmap, not a long list of disconnected initiatives.

The answer is identical for every employer.

The right next step depends on workforce needs, risk tolerance, data availability and the organization’s ability to execute.

Questions for leadership

  1. 01What evidence do we have about roadmap today?
  2. 02Which leader has clear decision rights and accountability for this work?
  3. 03What assumption should we test before the next significant plan decision?
  4. 04How will employees experience a better result if we get this right?
  5. 05What would credible progress look like in the next 90 days?

Key terminology

Decision rights
Documented clarity about who recommends, approves and owns a material health-plan decision.
Management cadence
A recurring schedule for reviewing evidence, making decisions and tracking commitments.
Leading indicator
A measure that signals whether the work is moving in the intended direction before final outcomes are known.
Active stewardship
Year-round employer oversight of plan strategy, partners, evidence and member experience.

Related Score questions

  • Can leaders explain the current approach to roadmap and its intended outcome?
  • Do we have timely information to evaluate performance and adjust course?
  • Are responsibilities and next decisions clear across the employer and its partners?

Download the Executive Reading and Action Guide

Use this companion guide to turn Chapter 15's leadership questions into a focused discussion and practical next steps.

Download the guide

Take the next step

Find the work that matters most now.

Use the Health Plan Score to identify where your organization has the clearest opportunity to move from renewal management to active stewardship.

Take the Health Plan Score

Put the methodology to work

Apply the HPHP methodology with Employer Benefits IQ.

Employer Benefits IQ is the practical application platform for employers who want to use education, tools, data, vendor intelligence and decision support in real-world benefits decisions.

Use Employer Benefits IQ tools and decision support