2025 Annual Benefits Forum

Registration, Lunch and Networking

Polaris Ballroom

Welcome

The View From Washington: Legislative and Regulatory Outlook

Hear from Kerri Willis, senior counsel, health policy at the American Benefits Council, as she provides an overview of:

• Key health care policies emerging from the Trump administration and federal administrative agencies;
• Legislative and regulatory environments related to employer-sponsored health benefit plans;
• State-based benefits legislation and the impact on ERISA federal preemption.

Kerri Willis, J.D.
Senior Counsel, Health Policy, American Benefits Council

A Shared Opportunity: Understanding the Future of Cell and Gene Therapy

Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are revolutionizing how diseases are treated by addressing conditions at the genetic or cellular level. With the potential to not just manage symptoms but cure or significantly alleviate certain conditions, CGT’s don’t come without challenges. In this session, attendees will hear from Lisa Kallenbach, MD, MPH, and Jenny Jarboe as they explore the potential of CGTs to improve health outcomes, attract and retain talent and reshape employer-sponsored health plans. They’ll cover:

• The crucial role employers have in expanding access to CGTs and strategies to incorporate CGTs in your organization;
• The patient experience before and after treatment;
• Firsthand insights from Johnson & Johnson and its partner in navigating the evolving CGT landscape.

Lisa Kallenbach, M.D., MPA
Group Medical Director for U.S. Medical Affairs, CAR-T at Johnson + Johnson Innovative Medicine

Jenny Jarboe, MBA
Senior Manager, Deloitte Life Sciences Strategy and Analytics

Break and Networking

Larry Morgan Award

This award is presented each year for outstanding support and contributions to Employers Health. It has been presented annually since 1988. It recognizes the effort and service rendered to Employers Health.

Learn more about the award and past recipients at https://www.employershealthco.com/who-we-are/awards/larry-l-morgan-service-award/.

Pharmacy Benefits: Perspectives from Leading Consultants

Drawing from their collective experience, pharmacy benefit consultants will participate in a panel discussion sharing how they work with plan sponsors to mitigate rising pharmacy costs while also improving health outcomes by ensuring plan participants get the right drug, at the right price, at the right time.

Jeff Eichholz, PharmD
Vice President, Pharmacy Solutions, McGohan Brabender

Christina Ha
Vice President, Pharmacy Practice Leader, Lockton

Jason Wenzke
President, Ringmaster Rx

Moderator:

Eric Dublikar, MBA
Vice President, Business Development (East), Employers Health

Patient and Employer Perspectives Related to Alternative Funding Programs

As specialty drug costs continue to rise, so do the use of alternative funding programs (AFPs). In this panel discussion, you’ll hear benefits researchers and patient/provider advocates share key insights for employers considering these programs, including:

• How AFPs impact employers and the potential effects on employees;
• Key factors for self-funded plan sponsors when evaluating AFPs;
• Financial, regulatory and compliance considerations when selecting an AFP.

Madelaine Feldman, M.D., FACR
Vice President, Advocacy and Government Affairs, Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations

Jonathan James
President and CEO, Hope Charities

Laura Rudder Huff
Vice President, Research and Insights, Gallagher

Julia Shelton, PharmD
Senior Pharmacy Management Consultant, Milliman

Reception and Networking

Gemini Ballroom

After-Hours Activity

Topgolf Columbus
2000 Ikea Way, Columbus, OH 43240

Join us for cocktails, appetizers and fun at Topgolf Columbus, located four minutes from the Hilton/Polaris. 

Breakfast, Registration and Networking

Polaris Ballroom

Welcome

Loneliness at Work: Urgency and Opportunity

Even with the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, loneliness and social isolation remain a growing public health concern. In this session, Harvard Medical School faculty member and president and founder of The Foundation for Art & Healing, Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, a nationally recognized expert on loneliness and its health consequences, will cover:

• Loneliness as an increasing individual and community challenge;
• The impact of loneliness on employee health, productivity, engagement and retention;
• How arts-enabled programs can enhance our brains, minds, and behaviors in ways that can increase a sense of connection and belonging in the workplace and beyond.

Jeremy Nobel, M.D., MPH
Founder, The Foundation for Art and Healing; Faculty Member, Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

2025 Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers

Join Amanda Gallagher, director at PwC, and Jasmine Macies, senior manager at PwC, as they share PwC’s Behind the Numbers report, offering insight into the key factors employers should consider when budgeting for 2026 and beyond.

Amanda Gallagher
Director, PwC

Jasmine Macies, MPH
Senior Manager, PwC

Break and Networking

Excellence in Benefits Award

The Excellence in Benefits Award, presented annually by Employers Health, seeks to recognize an individual who has made meaningful impact in the field and/or delivery of employee benefits.

Learn more about the award and past recipients at https://www.employershealthco.com/who-we-are/awards/excellence-in-benefits/.

Innovators in Employee Benefits: An Employer Panel

Benefits professionals are always asking what other employers are doing. In this panel discussion, you’ll hear from three leaders in employee benefits as they share what their organizations are doing to:

• Improve employee health and quality of life through benefits;
• Provide a comprehensive total rewards package to recruit and retain employees;
• Build diverse, equitable and inclusive cultures;
• Plan for the future of benefits in 2025 and beyond.

Doreen Hull, PHR, CEBS
Benefit Services Director, Midwest Public Risk

Darla Creswell
Benefits Manager, Aggreko

Michelle Smith, MPA
Assistant Vice President, Human Resources, The University of Akron

Moderator:

Devon Feriance
Director, Client Solutions, Employers Health

Lunch and Networking

Breakout Sessions

Best Practices for Health Plan Fiduciaries

Balancing and understanding your duties as a health plan fiduciary, including keeping up with legislation and lawsuits, can be overwhelming. Do you need a committee? How do you document the results of an RFP? Should you hire your best customer to provide services to your health plan? If the increasing wave of health plan fiduciary lawsuits is causing you to ask questions like these, this session is for you. Ed Redder and Kim Wilcoxon from Thompson Hine will provide helpful insights on:

• Health plan fiduciary duties;
• The latest in health plan fiduciary lawsuits;
• The extent to which 401(k) plan fiduciary best practices can be applied to health plans.

Edward Redder, J.D.
Partner, Thompson Hine LLP

Kim Wilcoxon, J.D.
Partner, Thompson Hine LLP

Bridging the Gender Gap

Women’s health research is underfunded and undervalued, leading to a significant gap in the health care and outcomes women experience. Employers can support women employees in their health journey from fertility, menopause and beyond. Hear from the Society for Women’s Health Research’s President & CEO, Kathryn Schubert as she discusses:

• The evolution of gender disparities in U.S. health research and care and how it impacts women’s well-being today, from the doctor’s office to the workplace;
• How a woman’s health and various life stages can impact her experience in the workplace;
• Ways employers, and employees, can support and engage their workforce to improve and advance women’s health.

Kathryn Schubert, MPP, CAE
President and CEO, Society for Women’s Health Research

Inflammatory Insights: Marketplace Momentum and Future Pipeline

Treatments for common inflammatory conditions like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and inflammatory bowel disease continue to evolve. Join Employers Health clinical advisors Catherine Berger and Ernesto Munoz as they share the latest insights on this costly drug class, including:

• Recent guideline changes prioritizing newer biologics earlier during treatments;
• How future biosimilar launches will shape the market;
• The impact of FDA label expansions on self-insured employer plan strategies.

Catherine Berger, PharmD
Clinical Advisor, Employers Health

Ernesto Munoz, PharmD
Clinical Advisor, Employers Health

Break and Networking

Breakout Sessions

The Impact of New Drugs and Therapies on PBM Spend

It’s difficult to keep up with the latest in the pharmacy benefit pipeline, so each year, Jeff Casberg of IPD Analytics joins us to do just that. He’ll cover:

• Recent trends in drug approvals;
• Therapeutic areas and disease states with increased spend;
• How biosimilar uptake is affecting PBM spend and more.

Jeff Casberg, M.S., RPh,
Vice President, Clinical Pharmacy, IPD Analytics, LLC

Julie Kendle, PharmD
Senior Director, Clinical Pharmacy, IPD Analytics, LLC

From Design to Delivery: Creating a Seamless Experience for Maximum Engagement and Employee Satisfaction

In today’s dynamic workplace, the traditional approach to employee benefits communication, often transactional and periodic, doesn’t meet evolving employee expectations. Employees seek meaningful, personalized engagement, turning communication from monologues into genuine dialogue. Join Empyrean’s Misty Guinn as she discusses the critical components of effective communication strategies like:

• Incorporating data-driven decision-making;
• Keeping your employees engaged year-round and collaborating with stakeholders;
• Aligning communication initiatives with company culture and collaborating with stakeholders.

Misty Guinn
Senior Communications Strategist, Empyrean

Pharmacy Benefit Legal and Regulatory Update

Join Madison Connor as she covers the latest in state and federal efforts to regulate employer-sponsored pharmacy benefit plans. In this session you’ll learn:

• What to expect out of the 2025 state legislative sessions;
• How PBMs and employers are responding to these developments;
• The status of ongoing federal challenges to these regulations.

Madison Connor, J.D., CEBS
Senior Vice President, Regulatory Compliance and External Affairs, Employers Health

Break and Networking

Breakout Sessions

Employers Health Client Solutions: Trends, Challenges and Strategies

Throughout the year, the Employers Health client solutions team meets with more than 400 self-insured employers, spending more than $4 billion in pharmacy. Join them to discover the employee benefits trends they are seeing, unique approaches to managing pharmacy spend and more.

Matt Esterle, MBA 
Client Solutions Executive, Employers Health

Brooke Knollman, MBA, CEBS
Director, Client Solutions, Employers Health

Liz Donley, GBA
Client Solutions Specialist, Employers Health

Moderator:

Josh Pedrozo, MBA, CEBS
Senior Vice President, Client Solutions, Employers Health

Overcome Mounting Pressures on Rx Plan Design and Administration Through Solid Required Plan Documentation

In this session, Jeff Zimon, Esq., founder and partner of Zimon, LLC, will cover:

• How recent government activity and health plan fee litigation are increasing scrutiny on prescription drug plans;
• Why returning to ERISA-required basics, including solid plan documentation, is essential;
• A real-life example demonstrating common mistakes and offering a comprehensive solution to these mounting challenges.

Jeff Zimon, J.D.
Founder, Partner, Zimon, LLC

Women’s Well-Being: Nourish Your Brain, Body and Mind

Research shows that women have been significantly impacted by chronic conditions such as heart disease, autoimmune conditions and cognitive decline. Join health and well-being coach, Rachel Hammack as she covers how to improve employee health and productivity through:

• Proactive behaviors that can help reduce risks associated with chronic conditions;
• Brain, body and mind nourishment with N.E.U.R.O: nutrition, exercise, unwinding, restorative sleep and optimizing cognitive reserve;
• Realistic lifestyle changes that fit into a fast-paced, busy life.

Rachel Hammack
Health and Well-Being Coach Lead, ComPsych

Break, Networking and Return to Polaris Ballroom

Keeping Up With GLP-1s

With improved outlooks for multiple conditions, GLP-1s continue to make headlines, but these advances don’t come without financial risks. In this session, Employers Health’s resident GLP-1 experts Courtney Keefe and Kevin Wenceslao will cover:

• Recent key developments in GLP-1s, including treatment guidelines, indications, package labeling and shortages;
• A snapshot of the Employers Health book of business coverage decisions, trends, drug mix and adherence;
• Emerging studies and future developments around the GLP-1 landscape.

Courtney Keefe, PharmD
Clinical Advisor, Employers Health

Kevin Wenceslao, PharmD
Director, Clinical Solutions, Employers Health

Takeaways and Closing