Health Care Management Conference

Opening Session: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Health Benefits

The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has had a substantial impact on health care. This session will address:

• Current and future capabilities
• Impact on the member experience
• Impact on transparency and efficiencies
• Impact on medical decision making
• Overview of HHS strategic plan
• Future risks and opportunities.

Health Care Legal and Legislative Update

Attend this session to learn about updates in the legislative and regulatory environment for health and welfare plans. Topics will include:

• Federal and state implications
• ERISA preemption
• Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act
• Implications of recent federal elections.

The State of the Union of GLP-1 Drug Coverage

A recent study states that the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs increased 40-fold between 2017 and 2021. This increase has had a massive impact on patients, health care providers and funds. How did we get to this point? What are the benefits and drawbacks to coverage? The session will address the needs of funds that cover GLP-1 drugs, those that do not and those that are considering offering coverage. Topics will include:

• Level setting—How did we get here?
• Coverage considerations
• Cost-containment strategies (utilization management, step therapy, maximums and more)
• Role of rebates
• Role of provider shortages
• Safety considerations.

Prescription Drug Pipeline Update

The introduction of new prescription drug therapies in the fields of diabetes, cancer and genetic testing have been top of mind for plan participants and decision makers. How will these new therapies impact your plan? What is coming down the pipeline? This session will cover:

• Precision medicine update
• Genetic testing implications
• Cost-containment considerations (biosimilars, interchangeability and more).

Provider Landscape Update

The provider landscape is marked by several conflicting forces impacting the cost, quality and availability of health care services. How does this rapidly changing environment impact your plan and its participants? This session will cover:

• Provider shortages
• Impact of industry consolidation
• New entrants
• Role of private equity
• Role of technological innovation
• Changes in regulatory attention
• Overview of the point solutions landscape and other technology.

Panel Discussion—The Future of Health Care

A panel of experts will discuss a number of emerging trends in the health care arena. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the discussion and ask pressing questions.

Effective Health Literacy Approaches

A recent study noted that improved health literacy could prevent over one million hospital visits and save over $25 billion per year. How can you best utilize these concepts to ensure that your plan participants are making the best possible decisions for their own health, as well as the health of the plan? Topics will include the following:

• Where to start: Initiatives for leadership, staff and plan participants
• Communicating plan information
• Communicating the “language of health care” to plan participants
• Case study examples of success

Supporting Women in the Workforce

Women represent 47% of the current U.S. workforce. However, they still face significant barriers not faced by men in similar fields. This panel will discuss the programs, policies and benefits that are key to keeping women’s well-being at the forefront as well as attracting and retaining their talent in your workforce. Topics will include:

• Overcoming gender-based stigma in your funds
• Menstrual health benefits
• Family-forming benefits
• Menopause-related benefits
• Caregiving benefits
• Paid leave offerings.

The State of the Union of GLP-1 Drug Coverage— Next Steps

This panel discussion will build on Monday’s session, addressing next steps. Topics covered will include:

• Utilizing a holistic approach to weight management
• Fraud prevention initiatives
• Long-term implications
• Future implications for the industry
• Next steps for your fund.

Providing Care for an Aging Population

The average age of the U.S. workforce continues to increase, hitting 40 years old in 2024. Is your plan equipped to deal with this demographic reality? This session will address:

• Understanding age-driven health care costs
• Caregiving needs
• Meeting the needs of the sandwich
• The impact of mental health and the loneliness epidemic
• Retiree health care considerations.

Case Study Approaches to Cost Containment

Providing high-quality care while containing escalating costs is the primary goal of health plan trustees and administrators. This becomes increasingly difficult in an environment of double-digit medical inflation. This session details several examples of funds moving from concept to practical application. Potential topics include:

• Reference-based pricing approaches
• On-site/near-site clinics
• Preventive care/screenings
• Impactful data analysis initiatives
• Role of member advocacy
• Identifying your future high-cost claimants through data analysis.

Identifying and Addressing Your Key Cost Drivers

This session will serve as a recap of the conference sessions. Identify the prevailing drivers that are most impacting your plan and review key takeaways from the previous sessions.