Annual Health Benefits Conference + Expo

Effective Strategies To Manage the Cost and Risk of Diabetes and Obesity in Today's Environment

Monday, January 27 | 8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity are two of the most significant cost drivers for health plans today. Employers struggle to find the right balance between cost and health. Traditional plan designs often lead to higher health costs, higher absenteeism, lower productivity and lower employee satisfaction and morale. Attendees who join us for this comprehensive and interactive workshop will learn the drivers of the cost curve both medically (in lay terms) and economically by the players in the marketplace as well as strategies to reduce their health plan’s risk and cost while improving their employees’ health and morale.  Through group discussions, you will be able to share experiences, insights and best practices with other employers. Specifically, this session will cover:

• The scope of the epidemics of diabetes and obesity and how that relates to your workforce.
• The physiology behind both diabetes and obesity in lay terms.  Why are these diseases so difficult to manage?
• How diabetes and obesity impacts overall health plan risk and costs.
• Current treatments, therapies and technologies that help patients manage diabetes, greatly reduce complications, and even delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes.
• Impact of the new anti-obesity medications (GLP-1s) on the landscape.  What is the ROI and impact on my health plan? How could this affect employee retention?
• The role of the PBM in prescription drug pricing and the unintended impact on your employees’ pocketbooks.
• The health plan administrators’ role as a fiduciary under ERISA plans. Are you covering all the bases?
• The impact of STIGMA in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as ways it may be permeating your workplace.
• Plan design options to address these chronic conditions in a cost-effective manner.
• and more.

Top 10 Emerging Trends and Best Practices Driving Benefit Communications

Monday, January 27, 2025 | 12:30p.m.-4:00 p.m.

As benefits and wellness professionals, you have the opportunity to impact the lives of your employees and their families through the benefit programs you design and offer. Often times, members don’t fully appreciate the benefits you provide or don’t know how to leverage them appropriately at the point of care. Unlock the potential to transform your members' lives with impactful health and wellness benefit communications. In this session, we will explore the latest trends and best practices shaping the future of benefit communications. Build a blueprint for crafting and executing a communication strategy that resonates, drives engagement, and fosters action. Leave with practical tips and tangible steps to elevate your health and wellness communications and truly connect with your members.

Attendees will learn:

• Master Best Practices: Learn the essentials of a successful benefits communication strategy, from developing a compelling benefits brand to creating an accessible information hub.
• Embrace Emerging Trends: Discover how targeted messaging, audience segmentation, digital advancements, and AI can enhance engagement.
• Learn from Leaders: See real-world examples of how top employers have used best practices to improve employee/member experiences.
• Hands-On Application: Participate in exercises designed to solidify your understanding and application of key concepts.
• Overcome Challenges: Discuss common communication hurdles and explore effective solutions.
• Year-Round Communication: Learn practical steps to maintain effective benefits communication beyond Open Enrollment, keeping benefits top of mind year-round