National Purchaser Leadership Council members and their coalition leaders ONLY

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all coalition leaders, coalition staff, invited employers, and invited guests.

Open to all coalition leaders, coalition staff, invited employers, and invited guests.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

Originally designed to ensure safe, evidence-based, cost-effective care, prior authorization (PA) now too-often prioritizes cost-cutting gatekeeping over patient-centric care. The result: Delays in or abandonment of treatment; poorer patient outcomes; and significant burdens for patients, physicians, and employers. 

Workshop content explores the growing employer role in reshaping PA policies to support timely, appropriate care that favors patient needs. Workshop leaders will equip employers and plan sponsors to disrupt outdated practices and advance reforms that balance access and choice with payment integrity, patient safety, and affordability.

Open to all conference attendees.

Gene therapies are revolutionizing treatment for genetic diseases. While these often one-time treatments can cure or slow the progression of aggressive, debilitating, sometimes fatal conditions, they come with prices as high as $4.25 million for a single dose.

The traditional US health insurance model is not designed to accommodate significant upfront costs, leaving plan sponsors struggling to provide equitable, sustainable coverage. And because the gene therapy landscape is rapidly evolving, current financial strategies aren’t keeping up with the financial risk-management realities facing employers/purchasers.

This session will explore existing and emerging solutions, assessing how best to support employees and their families who are gene therapy candidates.

Open to all conference attendees.

While many employers are focusing on prevention to reduce the incidence and severity of cancer—a top driver of healthcare costs—there are significant concerns about how to address the consistency and quality of care for oncology patients.

Learn how a recent PCORI-sponsored initiative led to evidence-based recommendations that help benefits professionals improve coverage, communication, and education to ensure a more patient-centered approach to cancer care.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

This event is open to NHLC members, coalitions, employers, and invited guests (by invitation only)

Join us for a fireside chat with Financial Times Senior Health Care Reporter Peter Johnson and National Alliance President and CEO Shawn Gremminger. The two will have a frank discussion on the rapid market change reshaping the healthcare industry and its impact on the shifting economics of employer-sponsored benefits.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

The US healthcare system is complex, costly, opaque, and often fails to deliver value for employers and employees. Although it is incredibly difficult to overcome entrenched, counter-productive practices, change is possible—and it starts with bold leadership.

Trailblazing employers and experts are challenging the status quo and proving that a better system is within reach. Gain practical tools and to-dos from recent case studies to break through inefficiencies, demand better outcomes, lead disruptive change, and rewrite the rules of healthcare.

Open to all conference attendees.

Working families and businesses are feeling the pressure of rising healthcare costs—driven in large part by countless hospitals exercising unchecked pricing power. Some of the largest hospital systems are inflating prices, hiding true costs, and stifling competition, leading to higher premiums, lower wages, and cuts to critical community services.

This “No More Blank Checks” uprising is led by thought leaders who are challenging murky and unsustainable hospital pricing and advocating for employers to become the driving force for achieving hospital fair price.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

The 340B program has grown into a powerful force shaping drug pricing and access, with significant downstream effects for employer-sponsored plans. As the 340B program continues to evolve, employers are increasingly affected by its impact on drug pricing, plan costs, and employee access to care. This session brings together industry experts and employer leaders to unpack how 340B shapes the commercial market, what it means for pharmacy benefit strategies, and how employers can leverage their influence to drive greater transparency and value.

Open to all conference attendees.

Employers and purchasers know that PBMs, hospitals, and the 340B drug pricing program drive up drug costs for purchasers and working families. Often, we are paying PBMs and hospitals several times what drug manufacturers actually receive. But even if those abuses are curbed, Americans are likely to continue to pay more for drugs than consumers in other countries. President Trump has proposed radical changes to drug prices, including the “Most Favored Nation” (MFN) policy, which would peg drug prices to those in other industrialized countries. Shawn Gremminger and Steve Ubl will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing drug makers and purchasers, including MFN, direct-to-consumer models, and the drive toward value-based pricing, where drugs are priced according to clinical value and not how much middlemen can extract discounts and fees.

Open to all conference attendees.

In 2019, the Teamsters Health & Welfare Fund of Philadelphia and Vicinity implemented an aligned, transparent pharmacy benefit management (PBM) model to improve service and control pharmacy costs for its more than 15,000 members across 450+ employers in three states. With the introduction of unified pharmacy and medical claims processing and the opportunity to leverage Judi Health™, they are taking a bold step toward a unified benefits experience.

Panelists will discuss the potential for greater control and predictability of total health plan costs leveraging a unified model, as well as how this paradigm shift will improve plan members' overall benefits experience.

Open to all conference attendees.

Hear from current innovators and vote for National Alliance Innovator of the Year 

Innovator - Outcome Referrals, Inc. Unlock Better Behavioral Health Outcomes for Your Workforce with Express Access

Reducing time to mental healthcare and total cost through seamless integration with current health plans and vendors through a neutral, outcomes-based, bias-free infrastructure once seemed futuristic. The future is now.

This compelling case study demonstrates how the Outcome Referrals health platform is improving outcomes by up to five times. Rather than an owned or promoted network, mental health providers compete based on real-world results, transforming referrals from volume to value driven. The result is speedier access, better matches, and lasting recovery.

Innovator - CheckMySpot® - Direct Access Platform™ for Early Skin Cancer Detection: Empowering Access, Eliminating Expense, Enhancing Outcomes

CheckMySpot® is a transformative Direct Access Platform™ that accelerates skin cancer diagnosis and treatment, improving survival rates, surgical outcomes, and reducing disease-related costs. By empowering employees with immediate access to skin cancer experts, this digital health solution enables earlier cancer detection, leading to less anxiety, lower costs, and fewer catastrophic claims. It also helps uncover hidden costs associated with delayed diagnoses, such as absenteeism, reduced productivity, or disability—delivering real savings to employers and healthier outcomes for their employees.

Validated by the Validation Institute, the platform delivers measurable ROI including over 7% reduction in skin lesion-related healthcare spending, fewer and less severe claims, and higher employee productivity. With seamless HR integration, zero-lift deployment, and straightforward pricing, CheckMySpot® fills a vital gap in the care continuum, helping employers and healthcare purchasers build a smarter benefit infrastructure and lower direct healthcare costs.

Innovator - Fresh Tri: The Triple Threat Against GLP-1 Cost Overruns

GLP-1 drugs are transforming obesity and diabetes care—but they’re also blowing up healthcare budgets. Fresh Tri is a behavioral science platform purpose-built to tackle the GLP-1 cost crisis on three fronts: As a utilization management tool; as a medication companion to improve outcomes and reduce dropout; and as a long-term lifestyle solution to sustain weight loss off-medication. In this 10-minute innovation pitch, learn how Fresh Tri addresses payer pain, provider friction, and patient sustainability, all without increasing complexity.

 

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

As the US workforce continues to age, an estimated one million women will enter various stages of menopause each year. Without the right support, the symptoms can significantly affect quality of life, drive up healthcare costs, and reduce workplace productivity through both absenteeism and presenteeism. Implementing cost-effective, supportive solutions such as menopause-inclusive health benefits, flexible work arrangements, and awareness training strengthens employee wellbeing while also delivering long-term value to organizations by improving retention, engagement, and overall performance.

Open to all conference attendees.

The advent of anti-obesity medications (GLP-1s) has triggered seismic shifts in employer-sponsored health plan coverage considerations, with the current model focused on variables such as, adherence, relapse, side effects, and costs. 

An enlightening employer case study examines cost pressures and tradeoffs that come with covering anti-obesity treatments; the benefits of working with an integrated team; and the power of socializing solutions with employees and their families. Going deep, the discussion will also include workers compensation exposures; safety/OSHA considerations; disability severity/return to work; comorbidity disease burden; and employee turnover, which are foundational to any ROI calculation. 

Open to all conference attendees

Join us for a discussion with coalition leaders who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership to drive meaningful progress in healthcare. The discussion will explore how their collaborative efforts and vision have transformed challenges into lasting impact for their employer members and the communities they serve.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

Despite clear laws requiring equal treatment for mental health and physical health conditions, glaring disparities persist. Abysmal mental health provider-to-patient ratios masked by “ghost networks” lead to long wait times and access denials. But this isn’t just an employee healthcare issue. It presents serious financial and legal risk for employers.

Don’t wait for a complaint or class action to expose non-compliance issues. Gain clarity around fiduciary duty under ERISA to ensure benefit plans, third-party administrators, and vendor partners comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Experts will walk through National Alliance MHPAEA audit tools that empower employers to assess parity, demand transparency, and take corrective action when needed. 

Open to all conference attendees.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear population health decision-makers and benefits leaders share how they’ve evaluated and integrated obesity management medications (OMMs) into their plans. You’ll gain insight into the steps they took, stakeholders involved, analyses that informed their decisions, and strategies used to track utilization and measure outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

• Real-world examples of how benefits leaders evaluated and implemented obesity support
• Practical steps for considering OMM coverage at your organization
• Opportunities to design a truly comprehensive obesity management strategy 

Open to all conference attendees.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent threat—draining workforce health, productivity, and employer resources. The good news: early detection and the right interventions can prevent kidney failure, reduce costs, and protect employees’ well-being. This session brings together patient advocates, policy experts, and innovators in kidney care to share real-world insights, emerging treatments, and actionable strategies to close critical care gaps.

Attendees will gain the knowledge and tools to make an impact—not just in their workplaces, but with policymakers—advocating for meaningful reforms that improve kidney care for all. Join us to learn, be inspired, and take action.

Open to all conference attendees.

Despite investing in both navigation and onsite care, ArcBest wasn’t seeing desired engagement or outcomes—until its primary care clinic was brought under the same umbrella as its navigation partner.

The result is a fully integrated care ecosystem where navigation now drives smarter clinic use, closes care gaps, and delivers a simpler, more engaging experience for employees.

Get the practical blueprint for maximizing the value of healthcare benefit investments through seamless, strategic integration.

Open to all conference attendees.

The private sector is bringing new expertise and momentum to an effort once thought impossible—the end of the HIV epidemic in the US. Employers/ purchasers working together are changing the trajectory of HIV in the US by leveraging their reach and influence and shattering barriers to testing and treatment.

Join top influencers and employers who will share what they are doing to vanquish new HIV infections and ensure people living with the disease receive the care and support they need to lead healthy, productive lives.

Open to all conference attendees.

Vaccinations remain one of the most powerful tools in preventive health, safeguarding millions of lives and reducing health disparities. Employer leadership is needed to support access to vaccines, communicate their value, and prevent illness within their population.  

This panel highlights how employers can support timely and targeted vaccination efforts to improve health outcomes and reduce risk among high-priority populations. Speakers will share employer insights from two U.S. regional surveys, an employer case study, and practical strategies to enhance vaccination impact.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees.

Open to all conference attendees. 

Join representatives from both the Big 3 and mid-sized PBMs as they share insights into their unique programs, operational models, and strategic priorities. This interactive panel offers attendees a rare opportunity to ask direct questions and gain a deeper understanding of how different PBMs approach business, client engagement, and industry challenges.

Open to all conference attendees.

The complex anatomy of healthcare benefits contracts, both medical and pharmacy, can be confounding. Yet with the right tools, learning to dissect the structure, recognize risks, and address hidden pain points is achievable.

Bring along a medical or pharmacy contract in progress, or a past example, to review during the facilitated break-out session, with input from colleagues and trusted experts. Interactive polling, takeaway checklists, and networking time round out the experience to ensure the next contracting process can be faced with courage, confidence, and conviction.  

Open to all conference attendees.

As healthcare regulations evolve and cost pressures intensify, self-insured employers face growing fiduciary responsibilities in managing their health plans. This session offers a roadmap for building a strong fiduciary committee equipped to oversee vendor performance, ensure legal compliance, and protect plan assets.

Experts will break down key components—from pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) contract oversight and plan audits to navigating the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process under the No Surprises Act (NSA).

Gain insights into the latest CMS data trends, legal challenges affecting IDR enforcement, and practical strategies to reduce exposure to rising costs tied to arbitration outcomes.