Business Group on Health

Registration is now open for the Business Group on Health Latin America Regional Meeting on November 7, 2024. Health and well-being leaders responsible for the region are invited to join us in-person or virtually to discuss some of their biggest challenges, including how to improve health outcomes, meet the well-being needs of a diverse workforce and enhance the employee experience. Register Now. https://okt.to/GmW15B #Globalbenefits #globalworkforce #employeebenefits

The intensity of mental health challenges can ebb and flow over a lifetime, due to triggers or phases in life. In our latest podcast, we sit down with Dr. Karen Swartz from John Hopkins Medicine to explore the continuum of mental health, lesser known triggers like regret and loss, the youth mental health crisis, parental stress, and more. This is a must-listen for employers who want to more deeply understand the mental health challenges of their employees and families and learn how to lower the barriers to care. #mentalhealthawareness #EAP #workplacewellness https://okt.to/tm0BfI

Lisa Woods, a nationally recognized benefits and well-being professional, has joined the board of Business Group on Health. In her role as Walmart vice president, Physical & Emotional Wellbeing, she ensures that the company’s 1.6 million U.S. associates have access to benefits which are comprehensive, affordable and competitive. “It is an honor to be named to the Business Group on Health’s Board of Directors,” she said. “Expanding access to affordable, quality health care is core to my mission, and I am looking forward to partnering with the Business Group’s robust community of members to continue to drive progress and create solutions in this space.” https://okt.to/isOTok #benefits #wellbeing

Preparing for the spread of an infectious illness may soon be as straightforward as reading a weather forecast. Listen to our latest podcast to learn how the advanced modeling tools from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA) can help predict and manage disease outbreaks. Dr. Dylan George, Director of the CFA shares real-world examples of data-driven health interventions and the role of analytics in workplace safety. https://okt.to/dR3T8q

The 2025 Best Employers Award: Excellence in Health & Well-being application is now open! This award celebrates employers for their outstanding commitment to advancing workforce health and well-being through comprehensive and innovative benefits and initiatives. There are just over two months to apply. Don’t miss your chance to be recognized for your company’s outstanding commitment to advancing workforce health and well-being and driving health care value. Learn more: https://okt.to/UwLNal

The majority of Americans receive health and well-being benefits through their employer. In fact, employer-sponsored health programs cover 165 million Americans - making employers the largest payor in aggregate compared to other insurance options. A key underpinning enabling these offerings is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) which allows employers to offer comprehensive and consistent benefits to their workforce across multiple states. The influence and impact of ERISA cannot be understated. Protecting ERISA preemption is the highest policy priority of employers, as revealed in Business Group on Health’s 2025 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey. As the preeminent and longest standing organization representing employers, Business Group on Health celebrates the 50th anniversary of ERISA. Join us in marking this milestone and learn more about how we work together to support and recognize employers as we drive change together. https://okt.to/d3whyj

Due to stigmatizing experiences and discrimination, the LGBTQ+ community is traditionally less inclined to participate in health research. In an effort to change this, The PRIDE Study, a research initiative that assesses the health of over 29,000 sexual and gender minority adults in the U.S., takes a community-engaged approach to create inclusive surveys, paving the way for health equity advancements. In our latest podcast episode, Mitchell R. Lunn, MD, MAS, FACP, FACP, co-director of The PRIDE Study and Stanford University physician and professor, shares more details on this groundbreaking study along with the disparities in health and health care facing the LGBTQ+ community. Tune in to find out what this means for employers and how to support LGBTQ+ employees through informed health benefits and initiatives. https://okt.to/T4bvyJ

MedCity News: 'Employers’ projected healthcare cost trend, reflecting the expected annual percentage increase in patient treatment costs, rose from 6% in 2022 to nearly 8% by 2025, according to a new survey from the Business Group on Health.' Learn more below.

Employers are steadfast in their desire to provide comprehensive offerings to their workforces, despite an almost 8% projected health care cost trend for next year, according to Business Group on Health’s 2025 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey. Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of the Business Group, said “the foreboding cost landscape has accelerated the need for bold transformation, and employers seek partners who will make that happen.” Access the survey’s executive summary to learn about other insights for the coming year. #employer #healthcare https://okt.to/oadYLf

Projected health care cost trend jumped to almost 8% for next year, the highest amount in more than a decade, according to Business Group on Health’s 2025 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey. The predicted surge in employer health care spending – actual health care costs have grown a cumulative 50% since 2017 – is influenced by inflation, heightened demand for expensive drugs such as GLP-1s, and the ongoing burden of treating cancer and other chronic conditions, among other factors. Employers also revealed in the annual survey their concerns about vendor partnerships, health equity, mental health and the need for ERISA pre-emption. #employer #healthcare https://okt.to/k7xABI