“Surely, you’re not serious?”…… “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley”

Airplane! is still one of my favorite movies of all-time. The slapstick comedy makes me laugh every time I watch it. Sometimes I just need a little comic relief. This particular line from the movie always stands out to me though because it makes me think about a very common reaction I get when I speak to prospective clients about strategies and solutions that lower healthcare costs and improve benefits at the same time.

Disbelief is an obstacle, I, and other healthcare consultants work to overcome with many potential clients. Many simply do not believe there is much to be done to lower healthcare costs. If I’ve heard, “It is what it is” once, I’ve heard it a hundred times. “10% increases are just the new normal”…..boy, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that. Many employers have simply given up hope that anything can be done to lower healthcare costs without completely compromising the quality of benefits they offer employees.

I get it. Healthcare is tough, it’s complicated, and yes, it’s frustrating as hell! Not to mention, I’m probably not the first person that’s ever come along and told them I can help them reduce costs and maintain quality benefits too.

But in fairness, what if you’ve never even heard of the solutions we deliver? What if you’ve never been shown the strategies we use? What if you are simply unaware of what I really want to show you? I certainly understand skepticism, and would likely agree you should be skeptical….IF I were offering you more of the same. But what if I’m not?

According to legend, Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they’d have told me faster horses.” Now, whether Ford ever said this or not, it’s a powerful statement. Ford didn’t invent the car, he didn’t invent the idea of interchangeable parts, and he didn’t even invent the assembly line, but he took those solutions and applied them to manufacturing automobiles at a much lower price point. Ford went on to sale 15 Million Model T’s to buyers between 1908 and 1927. Point being, Ford invented nothing new, he simply saw the opportunity to improve upon processes, and deliver something everyone wanted, a more affordable car.

The same principle applies to what we do. I’m not saying we’ve invented some new strategy, or that we’ve discovered some mystery. I’m saying that there are proven and practical solutions in healthcare that the status quo has buried for far too long. They were unknown to me up until a few years ago, and I’ve been working in this business for more than a decade, and I never knew…..

It’s time to restore hope and optimism in healthcare and employee benefits. Let us show you how we’re different, what we’re doing differently, and why it matters. Together, we can influence our healthcare system, and we can improve employee benefits for employees.

A little bit later in Airplane!, the Shirley line surfaces for the second and final time in the movie…..

“Surely there must be something you can do?”….. “I’m doing everything I can, and stop calling me Shirley.”

Josh Butler

Josh is the President of Butler Benefits & Consulting. Passionate about healthcare reform and helping employers save money while improving the quality of employee benefits.

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