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Elevance Health

Diamond Flex: A Next-Generation Commercial Health Plan

Redesigned commercial insurance from opaque, deductible-first to transparent, wallet-funded, and income-equitable — for one of America's largest health insurers.

33+members, employers, and brokers in research
2026Flex Wallet pilot with a national carrier partner
Day 1members funded from the first day of coverage
My role
Guide & Relationship Lead
Timeline
Nov – Dec 2025
Status
Flex Wallet piloting with a national carrier partner in 2026
People
  • IDEO team across research, business design, and product strategy
  • Elevance Health commercial plan and actuarial teams

The challenge

Commercial health insurance still runs on century-old conventions: opaque pricing, deductible-first design, and out-of-pocket structures that hit lower-income members hardest. Elevance asked us to break the model.

My role

Guide and relationship lead on the largest sprint in the Elevance Growth Studio program I originated.

The work

Research with 33+ members, employers, and brokers exposed pain points across enrollment, care-seeking, cost-sharing, and benefit utilization. The Diamond Flex Plan answered with three structural moves: a Universal Flex Wallet that funds members on Day 1, transparent Diamond Provider pricing, and income-adjusted out-of-pocket maximums.

The impact

Elevance is piloting the Flex Wallet concept with a national carrier partner in 2026 — a structural experiment in making commercial insurance more transparent and more equitable.