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Now that 2018 is drawing to a close, it’s time to take a look at the topics that captured employers’ attention at events and on our website.

If you missed them the first time around, use the links below to see the highlights from the past 12 months.

Events Start the Conversation

Elisabeth Rosenthal signing a book
Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal signs copies of her book at The Alliance Annual Seminar (May 2018)

Our Annual Seminar on “Diagnosing an American Sickness” drew more than 300 people to the Monona Terrace in May.  Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, a physician and journalist, explained why Americans are too often trapped into “Paying Till It Hurts” for health care.

Sally Welborn, a consultant who was previously the senior vice president of global benefits for Walmart Stores Inc., told employers to stop waiting for “white knights” to fix health care and start working together to make a difference in health benefits.

The Opioid Epidemic Summit captured the impact of opioids in the workplace. Former Judge Jodi Debbrecht Switalski provided a powerful keynote about the need for employers to change their approach to address opioid addiction, while Robert Poznanovich, vice president at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, offered steps to get started.

Other speakers at the opioid event addressed the need for culture change, complementary pain therapy and communication. The Alliance Health Policy function tracked opioid legislation as it developed in 2018 to keep employers informed.

Clicking on Employer Stories

Employers continued to be interested in blog posts that shared other companies’ tactics. For example, roughly 400 readers explored Promega’s story about “Engineering a Successful Self-Funding Plan.”  It also drew many “likes” on social media, making it a lively part of the conversation about how employers use self-funding to meet the needs of their workforce.

Another case study that drew attention came from Zimbrick’s Vikki Brueggeman, who drew almost 250 readers when she shared how to “Use Open Enrollment to Educate Employees about Preventive Services Visits.”

Ideas That Matter

Employers also look to The Alliance for information about trending topics. Guest blogger Ian Shea explained why “Well-Being in the Workplace is Now More Important Than Ever” and drew more than 200 readers.

Experts from Michael Best Strategies dived into “Onsite Clinics and HSAs:  Convenient, High Value Health Care or Taxable Income,” again drawing more than 200 readers.

The Alliance also saw steady growth in the number of people exploring information about advanced primary care on its website and The Alliance blog.

Sharing on the National Stage

Cheryl DeMars testifies before the U.S. Senate H.E.L.P. Committee (Nov. 28, 2018)
Cheryl DeMars testifies before the U.S. Senate H.E.L.P. Committee (Nov. 28, 2018)

Of course, the website isn’t the only option for sharing information and ideas. Alliance President and CEO Cheryl DeMars testified about “Employer Innovations that Reduce Health Care Costs” before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in November 2018.

Other information was shared with smaller groups, but still has the opportunity to make a significant impact on employers nationwide. For example, The Alliance recently received positive comments for sharing its benefit insights on  “How to Hold a Vendor Summit” on the Member Connect service where employer coalitions that belong to the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasers offer information and ideas.

What Can We Share With You?

The Alliance wants to share its expertise in employer-sponsored health benefits, health care transformation, using data to pursue high-value care and other topics.

You can tap into our self-funding knowledge by:

We’re happy to share our insights and analysis with employers who are self-funding or considering self-funding their health care benefits.

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On My Mind

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Members & Employers

Tags:

On My Mind

Categories:

Members & Employers