Back to Events
Print
.png?h=515&iar=0&w=700&hash=B91067F71CAB8634F98629D083AD4ECA)
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
12:00 - 6:00 pm
Registration Open for Employer Attendees
Employer-only
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Optional Networking Activities for Employer Attendees
Employer-only
Please choose from one of the following activities located in the drop-down menu.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Optional Networking Activities for Employer Attendees
Employer-only
Please choose from one of the following activities located in the drop-down menu.
Please choose from one of the following activities located in the drop-down menu.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Bayou Swamp Tour
Sign-in at 1:45 p.m. Tour will depart from Sheraton New Orleans Hotel promptly at 2:00 p.m.
Escape the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter and explore the marshes that gave birth to Cajun culture and cuisine. Board a specially designed pontoon boat for a 3-hour bayou tour and catch a glimpse of many unique animals, an authentic Cajun “trapper’s shack” and more! Join us for a fantastic and authentic New Orleans experience!
Escape the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter and explore the marshes that gave birth to Cajun culture and cuisine. Board a specially designed pontoon boat for a 3-hour bayou tour and catch a glimpse of many unique animals, an authentic Cajun “trapper’s shack” and more! Join us for a fantastic and authentic New Orleans experience!
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Garden District Tour
Sign-in at 1:45 p.m. Tour will depart from Sheraton New Orleans Hotel promptly at 2:00 p.m.
During this 3-hour guided walking tour participants will experience the rich history and timeless beauty of the New Orleans Garden District. Just a few miles upriver from the French Quarter, this picturesque area is renowned for its stunning pre–Civil War mansions, many designed in the elegant Greek Revival style.
During this 3-hour guided walking tour participants will experience the rich history and timeless beauty of the New Orleans Garden District. Just a few miles upriver from the French Quarter, this picturesque area is renowned for its stunning pre–Civil War mansions, many designed in the elegant Greek Revival style.
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Best Employers Awards Celebration (Open to Employer Registrants only)
Employer registrants-only
Armstrong Ballroom, Sheraton New Orleans, 8th Floor
Join us as we recognize the winners of the Excellence in Health and Well-Being and Excellence in Health Care Value awards. Don’t miss the opportunity to network with and celebrate your peers!
Armstrong Ballroom, Sheraton New Orleans, 8th Floor
Join us as we recognize the winners of the Excellence in Health and Well-Being and Excellence in Health Care Value awards. Don’t miss the opportunity to network with and celebrate your peers!
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
7:00 - 2:00 pm
Registration Open for Employer Attendees
Employer-only
7:30 - 8:30 am
Breakfast
Employer-only
8:30 - 8:35 am
Welcome
Employer-only
8:35 - 9:35 am
Data That Delivers: Unlocking Cost Control and Health Engagement
Employer-only
Data is everywhere but turning it into actionable insights is the real test. In this session, three leading employers will share how they and their partners transform health and well-being data into a useful tool for facilitating better care, smarter spending and stronger engagement. Learn how they identified and closed gaps in care, optimized cost management, and tracked outcomes that matter, improving both the bottom line and vendor accountability. You’ll leave with examples and practical insights for building data-driven benefit strategies that deliver measurable results.
Data is everywhere but turning it into actionable insights is the real test. In this session, three leading employers will share how they and their partners transform health and well-being data into a useful tool for facilitating better care, smarter spending and stronger engagement. Learn how they identified and closed gaps in care, optimized cost management, and tracked outcomes that matter, improving both the bottom line and vendor accountability. You’ll leave with examples and practical insights for building data-driven benefit strategies that deliver measurable results.
9:35 - 9:50 am
Break
9:50 - 10:30 am
Employer-to-Employer Sharing Session 1
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
9:50 - 10:30 am
Employer-to-Employer Sharing Session 1
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
10:30 - 10:45 am
Break
10:45 - 11:45 am
New Frontiers in Pharmacy
Employer-only
Prescription drug costs keep climbing, but new models are rewriting the rules and showing promise to bend the curve. This session unpacks new frontiers in pharmacy, highlighting influential factors such as technology and cash-pay strategies that are reshaping access, addressing affordability and increasing transparency. Hear from leaders at the forefront of these trends and walk away with ideas that can drive change in pharmacy benefits.
Prescription drug costs keep climbing, but new models are rewriting the rules and showing promise to bend the curve. This session unpacks new frontiers in pharmacy, highlighting influential factors such as technology and cash-pay strategies that are reshaping access, addressing affordability and increasing transparency. Hear from leaders at the forefront of these trends and walk away with ideas that can drive change in pharmacy benefits.
11:45 - 12:05 pm
Break
12:05 - 12:45 pm
Employer-to-Employer Sharing Session 2
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
12:05 - 12:45 pm
Employer-to-Employer Sharing Session 2
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
12:45 - 1:45 pm
Lunch
1:45 - 2:05 pm
Innovation Spotlight Session 1
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
1:45 - 2:05 pm
Innovation Spotlight Session 1
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
1:45 - 2:05 pm
1A: A New Model for Cell and Gene Therapies
Employer-only
Learn how a new platform brings together employers, providers and drug manufacturers to manage the financial risk and clinical complexity of cell and gene therapies. Hear how pooled risk structures, curated provider networks and direct contracting are creating sustainable access to life-changing treatments.
Learn how a new platform brings together employers, providers and drug manufacturers to manage the financial risk and clinical complexity of cell and gene therapies. Hear how pooled risk structures, curated provider networks and direct contracting are creating sustainable access to life-changing treatments.
1:45 - 2:05 pm
1B: Building Workforce Resilience Amid Climate Disasters
Employer-only
Learn the practical steps employers can take during increasingly prevalent climate-related emergencies to safeguard health, maintain access to care and support employees. Understand how to integrate disaster readiness into your benefits strategy and secure resources that protect your workforce when it matters most.
Learn the practical steps employers can take during increasingly prevalent climate-related emergencies to safeguard health, maintain access to care and support employees. Understand how to integrate disaster readiness into your benefits strategy and secure resources that protect your workforce when it matters most.
1:45 - 2:05 pm
1C: Financial Well-being, Data, and AI: Driving Benefits Engagement
Employer-only
Learn how AI-driven personalization and financial education work together to help employees make clearer, more confident decisions about their benefits. Explore how integrating data, technology and financial literacy can deepen engagement, build financial well-being, and prepare organizations for an AI-enabled future of benefits design and delivery.
Learn how AI-driven personalization and financial education work together to help employees make clearer, more confident decisions about their benefits. Explore how integrating data, technology and financial literacy can deepen engagement, build financial well-being, and prepare organizations for an AI-enabled future of benefits design and delivery.
1:45 - 2:05 pm
1D: Using Price Transparency to Address Costs
Employer-only
Explore examples of how employers are turning price transparency data into a lever for real savings through data-driven network design and steering members toward higher-value, lower-cost care. Learn how these insights can also inform plan design to lower cost without compromising quality.
Explore examples of how employers are turning price transparency data into a lever for real savings through data-driven network design and steering members toward higher-value, lower-cost care. Learn how these insights can also inform plan design to lower cost without compromising quality.
2:00 - 6:00 pm
Registration opens for Health Industry Partner Attendees – access to sessions begins at 4:00 pm
2:05 - 2:20 pm
Break
2:20 - 2:40 pm
Innovation Spotlight Session 2
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
2:20 - 2:40 pm
Innovation Spotlight Session 2
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
2:20 - 2:40 pm
I2A: On-Time Detection: Turning Prevention into a Global Advantage
Employer-only
Hear why early detection of chronic conditions isn’t enough and why the next frontier is on-time detection: using biomarkers to identify risk before symptoms appear. Learn more on how biomarker-based screenings may reduce costs, improve productivity and help employees take ownership of their health.
Hear why early detection of chronic conditions isn’t enough and why the next frontier is on-time detection: using biomarkers to identify risk before symptoms appear. Learn more on how biomarker-based screenings may reduce costs, improve productivity and help employees take ownership of their health.
2:20 - 2:40 pm
I2B: Mental Health and AI: Safety, Trust, and What Employers Must Know
Employer-only
Explore what works, where caution is critical and how to evaluate AI-powered mental health tools with rigor. Hear considerations on how to prepare your organization for the next wave of AI in mental health care.
Explore what works, where caution is critical and how to evaluate AI-powered mental health tools with rigor. Hear considerations on how to prepare your organization for the next wave of AI in mental health care.
2:20 - 2:40 pm
I2C: Reframing Serious Illness Care for Today’s Workforce
Employer-only
Learn how home-based serious illness support, including early palliative care, can reduce costs and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. Explore how predictive analytics, whole-person care, and integrated provider networks help identify rising-risk members, deliver care in the home when appropriate, and support patients with serious illness and those transitioning from acute events—reducing avoidable ED visits and hospitalizations while improving the care experience.
Learn how home-based serious illness support, including early palliative care, can reduce costs and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. Explore how predictive analytics, whole-person care, and integrated provider networks help identify rising-risk members, deliver care in the home when appropriate, and support patients with serious illness and those transitioning from acute events—reducing avoidable ED visits and hospitalizations while improving the care experience.
2:20 - 2:40 pm
I2D: Leveraging the Potential of Value-Based Health Plans
Employer-only
Discover how value-based health plans align employers, providers and members around better care at lower costs. Explore how a modern platform, real-time data and advanced analytics reduce waste, improve quality and restore trust and transparency in health care.
Discover how value-based health plans align employers, providers and members around better care at lower costs. Explore how a modern platform, real-time data and advanced analytics reduce waste, improve quality and restore trust and transparency in health care.
2:40 - 3:00 pm
Break
3:00 - 3:40 pm
Employer-to-Employer Sharing Session 3
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
3:00 - 3:40 pm
Employer-to-Employer Sharing Session 3
Employer-only
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
3:00 - 3:40 pm
3:00 - 3:40 pm
3:40 - 4:00 pm
Break
4:00 - 7:00 pm
Conference Open to All Attendees
4:00 - 4:05 pm
Welcome Remarks
4:05 - 5:00 pm
Keynote: Futureproofing Your Strategy: Understanding the Global Trends Reshaping Health and Well-being
Unprecedented scope and speed of change, innovation and mounting economic pressures demand that we take a future focused look at health and well-being. This session will offer a futurist’s view of the forces that may reshape the health and well-being, including new technologies, evolving workforce expectations and global economic shifts. Walk away with insights on what tomorrow will hold to anticipate disruption and build programs that meet the needs of a fast-changing world.
5:00 - 5:30 pm
Break
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Welcome Reception (Open to all Attendees)
Armstrong Ballroom, Sheraton New Orleans, 8th Floor
Kick off the 2026 Annual Conference at our Welcome Reception. Across one gathering space, attendees will experience the flavor of four unique New Orleans environments - Garden District, French Quarter, Cajun Bayou and Mardi Gras. Enjoy them all while networking with fellow attendees.
Kick off the 2026 Annual Conference at our Welcome Reception. Across one gathering space, attendees will experience the flavor of four unique New Orleans environments - Garden District, French Quarter, Cajun Bayou and Mardi Gras. Enjoy them all while networking with fellow attendees.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
7:30 - 5:30 pm
Registration Open
7:45 - 8:15 am
Yoga
Waterbury (2nd Floor)
Start your day with a morning yoga session. Light refreshments will be provided.
Start your day with a morning yoga session. Light refreshments will be provided.
7:45 - 8:45 am
Breakfast
8:45 - 9:45 am
Bold Moves That Break Barriers: Transforming Care, Costs and Accountability
Escalating costs and systemic flaws in health and pharmacy benefits demand more than incremental change from employers and their partners — they call for bold, immediate action. Hear two case studies of how employers have implemented transformative strategies to improve workforce health and to lower costs, supported by partners committed to accountability and innovation. Learn what drove their bold moves, how they overcame barriers, and what it took to challenge the status quo.
9:45 - 9:50 am
Break
9:50 - 10:20 am
Uncovering the Hidden Toll of Caregiving in the Workplace
This session will explore the pervasiveness and the toll of caregiving by showcasing key trends and uncovering caregiver intensity, including among the Annual Conference audience. Discover tools to identify real needs caused by financial strain, time scarcity, and emotional stress, and understand the lasting impact.
10:20 - 10:50 am
Break
10:50 - 11:35 am
Breakout Session 1
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
10:50 - 11:35 am
Breakout Session 1
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
10:50 - 11:35 am
1A: Scalable Population Health Management
Gain insights on how employers are managing high-cost drivers by leveraging advanced primary care and providing comprehensive support for employees living with multiple chronic conditions. Discover how two companies have moved from reactive cost management to creating health care journeys that are prevention-focused, familiar and unfragmented, delivering better health outcomes and driving cost savings.
10:50 - 11:35 am
1B: Smarter Women’s Health Benefits Through AI, Data and Wearables
Explore how AI, real-time data and wearable technology are transforming women’s health, from fertility to menopause. Hear how one employer is building data-driven, personalized benefits that close care gaps, boost engagement and deliver measurable results for women and their organization.
10:50 - 11:35 am
1C: Vendor Accountability: New Analyses to Validate Impact
Gain insights on measuring program value in high-cost categories: fertility and digestive health. Hear from two employers that each conducted an analysis of the effectiveness of their vendor, and how they’re holding their partners accountable and making data-driven decisions that deliver both value and impact.
10:50 - 11:35 am
1D: Bridging the Distance: Reaching Employees Where They Are
Learn how two employers reimagined access to care for even the most hard-to-reach populations using on-site and near-site clinics and virtual orthopedic care. Hear the strategies they deployed to reduce costs and boost employee engagement by prioritizing reaching every employee in need of care, no matter where they are.
11:35 - 12:05 pm
Break
12:05 - 12:45 pm
Breakout Session 2
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
12:05 - 12:45 pm
Breakout Session 2
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
12:05 - 12:45 pm
2A: Rethinking Menopause in the Workplace
Gain insights from menopause research surveying more than 900 women working in large U.S. organizations to understand the realities of menopause at work and the cost of inaction. Walk away with the business case for menopause support and hear strategies from an employer on how to cultivate a culture that normalizes conversation and improves well-being for all employees.
12:05 - 12:45 pm
2B: No More Guesswork: The Power of Transparent Pricing
Learn how an alternative health plan approach implemented by one employer is giving employees upfront transparent pricing, provider quality scores and incentives to make smart choices, all without restricting access. Unpack the framework, data and practical steps that enabled the company to build a benefit strategy that improves affordability and preserves quality.
12:05 - 12:45 pm
2C: High-Quality Specialty Care: A Strategy for Cost Control
Explore how an employer is steering their “on the go” employees toward top-performing providers to reduce unnecessary care, improve employee experience and achieve measurable savings without sacrificing quality. Walk away with the understanding of how they are working with their partner to guide employees toward the most effective and patient-centered care at the time of greatest need.
12:05 - 12:45 pm
2D: Health and Well-Being Front Door Reimagined
Discover how an employer and their partner re-designed the benefits experience across four pillars of health on one platform to support all members. Learn about simplified access, tailored communication and data driven engagement strategies tailored to the unique needs of a diverse and dispersed workforce.
12:45 - 2:20 pm
Lunch and Charitable Activity
2:20 - 3:20 pm
Five Generations, One Workforce: Rethinking Health Benefits for All
Today’s workforce spans five generations — each with unique health and well-being challenges, communication preferences and expectations. This session offers practical ideas to tailor benefits by life stage, integrate AI for personalization and reduce turnover and costs. Speakers will showcase how employers are moving away from one size fits all approaches and creating health and well-being programs to meet every generation where they are.
3:20 - 3:50 pm
Break
3:50 - 4:35 pm
Breakout Session 3
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
3:50 - 4:35 pm
Breakout Session 3
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
3:50 - 4:35 pm
3A: Beyond Maternity: Building Benefits for Every Stage of Women’s Health
Dive into how employers are addressing the full spectrum of women’s health needs, from maternal risk prevention to chronic conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS, and menopause. Learn how two companies are embedding virtual specialty care, coordinating providers and enhancing engagement to reduce unnecessary procedures and time to diagnosis and improve outcomes. Leave with actionable steps to create benefits that support women’s health across life stages.
3:50 - 4:35 pm
3B: When the Unimaginable Happens: Helping Employees Through Caregiving and Loss
Understand how two organizations have sought to address life’s toughest moments for employees, including caregiving demands and the complex process that follows a death. Explore strategies employers have used to ensure consistent support across cultures, regulations and resource differences, as well as how to reduce administrative burden and deliver compassionate, high-touch assistance when employees and their families need it most.
3:50 - 4:35 pm
3C: Meeting Complex Conditions Head On: How Personalized Care Can Make an Impact
Learn how two employers are partnering with vendors to address autoimmune conditions and obesity, including managing the growing cost of prescription drugs. Identifying and treating these diseases is often complex and successful treatment must be personalized, with wrap-around services that ensure patients are supported holistically for the long term; join this session to hear how it’s done.
3:50 - 4:35 pm
3D: Financial Well-being as a Health Strategy: Lessons from Leading Employers
Hear real-world examples on how to redesign a well-being strategy to reduce hidden financial risks, boost financial well-being and protect access to health care. Gain practical insights from employers on how they helped their workforce manage short-term financial disruptions without sacrificing necessities like preventive care or prescriptions.
4:35 - 4:50 pm
Break
4:50 - 5:35 pm
From Promise to Practice: AI in Health and Health Care
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how employees engage with their health and health care—but where does it help, and where might it hurt? The session will explore how AI is fundamentally changing the way patients seek and consume health-related information. Speakers will offer practical insights based on real-world applications of AI in navigation, mental health and well-being, helping you identify opportunities, avoid risks and apply AI to improve employee experience and outcomes.
5:35 - 6:00 pm
Break
6:00 - 6:30 pm
Second Line Parade to Big Easy Party
Rhythms Foyer (2nd Floor)
Grab a beverage and become part of the festive, traditional second-line parade from the Sheraton to Generations Hall! The procession will feature a local marching band, Mardi Gras beads, revelers and stilt walkers. Get in the Big Easy Party mood! The parade will begin at 6:30 pm rain or shine!
Grab a beverage and become part of the festive, traditional second-line parade from the Sheraton to Generations Hall! The procession will feature a local marching band, Mardi Gras beads, revelers and stilt walkers. Get in the Big Easy Party mood! The parade will begin at 6:30 pm rain or shine!
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Big Easy Party
Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70130
Celebrate new connections and old friendships in this historic setting with creole specialties and live jazz music.
Celebrate new connections and old friendships in this historic setting with creole specialties and live jazz music.
Friday, April 24, 2026
7:30 - 11:00 am
Registration Open
7:30 - 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 - 9:45 am
Focused Learning Sessions
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
8:30 - 9:45 am
Focused Learning Sessions
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
8:30 - 9:45 am
Focused Learning Session A: Mental Health
Learn about mental health care models that tackle specific challenges: substance use disorders, cultural relevance across the globe and youth-focused support. Leverage employer insights for identifying existing and emerging gaps in mental health strategy and what addressing them can mean for your workforce.
8:30 - 9:45 am
Focused Learning Session B: Cancer
Focus on a comprehensive cancer strategy by understanding what’s changing in cancer screening, how new payment approaches can support sustainable coverage, the potential of AI in diagnostics, and the importance of supporting caregivers. Walk away with practical insights from employers on improving outcomes and embracing innovation.
8:30 - 9:45 am
Focused Learning Session C: Pharmacy
Expect real world examples from employers and their partners on leveraging alternative PBM models, focusing on pharmacy under medical and the changing role of specialty consultants. Hear about strategies that are transforming pharmacy benefit management and consider what is right for you.
9:45 - 10:05 am
Break
10:05 - 10:50 am
Breakout Session 4
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
10:05 - 10:50 am
Breakout Session 4
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
10:05 - 10:50 am
4A: Putting Reference-based Pricing in Action Through Alternative Health Plans and Direct Contracting
Learn how employers have navigated the challenges of implementing reference-based pricing driven plan design and direct provider contracts. Gain insights from employers on how they gained executive buy-in, tracked results and created health care infrastructure that improves cost and retention.
10:05 - 10:50 am
4B: Reducing Pharmacy Spend through Active Clinical Management
Learn how active utilization management and clinically driven formulary oversight can drive meaningful savings in pharmacy. Hear how improved benefit structures, clinical expertise, data-driven decision-making have worked together to control pharmacy trend and walk away with practical examples of successful pharmacy benefit management strategies.
10:05 - 10:50 am
4C: Driving Smarter Benefits Engagement: Making AI Work for HR and Employees
Explore how employers are using AI to provide confidential answers to sensitive benefits questions and simplify and personalize benefit interactions, while saving money on administrative tasks. Real-world examples will show how data and automation have reduced friction and created a more engaging benefits experience.
10:05 - 10:50 am
4D: Addressing Hidden Cost Drivers Through GI Care
Hear how one employer identified a set of conditions that were negatively impacting employee health and increasing health care costs — and that were previously under-the-radar. Learn how they implemented a solution to address gastrointestinal issues, why engagement in GI care has surpassed expectations, and the ways early identification and navigation to effective clinical programs can improve outcomes and decrease costs.
10:50 - 11:10 am
Break
11:10 - 11:50 am
Breakout Session 5
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
11:10 - 11:50 am
Breakout Session 5
Choose from the following sessions located in the drop-down menu.
11:10 - 11:50 am
5A: Beyond Treatment: Building Lifelong Cancer Support for Employees
Go beyond cancer care treatment and learn how employers are supporting survivorship - the overlooked phase of cancer care. Hear firsthand from an employer about how support across the entire cancer continuum can reduce hidden costs, improve quality of life, and walk away with practical steps to make survivorship the next frontier in your cancer strategy.
11:10 - 11:50 am
5B: Alternative Health Plans with Advanced Primary Care at the Core
Learn how primary–care-centered health plans can deliver better outcomes and stronger employee engagement. Hear both the implementation challenges and opportunities based on real-world employer experience and the results achieved to date.
11:10 - 11:50 am
5C: From Crisis Response to Prevention: Building a Resilient Workforce
Gain insight on how to build a more resilient workforce through proactive mental health strategies. Learn about employer-tested approaches for building resilience through coaching and early intervention that can prevent burnout and mental health crises, lower costs, and strengthen retention.
11:50 - 12:05 pm
Break
12:05 - 1:05 pm
Closing Plenary: Improving Health Across the Workforce: Personalizing Care and Driving Better Outcomes
Addressing the health care cost crisis requires interventions that scale easily and reach a large portion of the population in need of better health and well-being support. In this session, discover how advanced primary care models, data-driven insights and personalized guidance come together to improve health at scale. Speakers will offer tactics to close care gaps, improve chronic condition management and strengthen workforce health while reducing avoidable costs.
1:05 - 1:10 pm
Closing Remarks
1:10 - 1:30 pm
Grab-and-Go Lunch
Clear All