The U.S. healthcare system is facing a mounting primary care crisis—marked by physician shortages, limited access, and rising costs. In this timely episode, we examine how the decline in effective primary care is not just a health issue, but a serious business concern for employers grappling with escalating healthcare expenses and workforce wellbeing challenges.

Our expert guests unpack the systemic issues behind the crisis and explore what employers can do to strengthen access to quality primary care. You’ll hear practical insights into benefits design, provider partnerships, and policies that prioritize prevention, continuity, and cost control.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why primary care is foundational to employee health and healthcare affordability
• The downstream impact of poor access on absenteeism, chronic disease, and claims
• What forward-thinking employers are doing to restore value to primary care
• Strategies to align health benefits with long-term business and employee health goal

This is a must-listen for HR leaders, benefits professionals, and executives seeking sustainable healthcare strategies that work for both their people and their bottom line.

In this episode of the Pulse, we will explore the powerful connection between an organization’s culture and environment and employee mental health. Beyond traditional EAP services, we’ll discuss how improving workplace culture, physical spaces, and social connections can boost resilience, reduce anxiety and depression, and create a stronger sense of belonging. 

Mental health service usage increased 17% in 2024 and 62% since 2020. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover new ways to support your team and improve employee mental health.

Our Guests:

Andrea Davis, Director of Wellbeing at The Alera Group

Sara Johnson, PhD. Co-President & CEO at Prochange Behavior Solutions and Senior Research Fellow at HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization)

Joan M. Troester, MBA, CEBS, SPHR, Senior Assistant Vice President, Deputy CHRO at The University of Iowa

Guests will: 

• Explore the influence of resiliency and a sense of belonging on mental health 
• Uncover strategies employers can put in place to improve a sense of belonging  
• Examine the factors that impact resiliency, much like we would focus on improving diet for better cardiovascular health

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in pregnancy-related complications. This trend has persisted.  In this episode, we’ll explore the factors contributing to this ongoing issue and discuss strategies to help reverse the trend. 

Panelists will: 

• Take a closer look at the data surrounding pregnancy with complications 
• Explore treatment patterns, coding practices and potential revenue-driven care decisions within hospital systems 
• Uncover strategies to optimize maternal health programs and proactively reduce complications before pregnancy begins

This episode includes guest speakers:

Cindy Basinski, MD, OBGYN, Founder of Basinski and Juran, MDs, LLC

Morgan F McDonald, MD, FACP, FAAP, National Director for Population Health at Milbank Memorial Fund

Join us for Part 2 of our insightful podcast series dedicated to improving outcomes for those affected by substance use disorders. In this episode, we'll explore effective early intervention strategies and the essential steps for building a robust support structure. Additionally, we’ll discuss how employers can ensure compliance with Mental Health Parity laws while reducing unnecessary medical expenses that contribute to wasteful spending. 

Panelists will discuss: 

• Strategies for enhancing early treatment of substance use disorders to prevent progression to catastrophic care. 
• Publicly available resources to help identify the most appropriate treatments and high-quality care options. 
• Provisions in current carrier contracts that enable them to retain a percentage of costs as revenue, while limiting access to in-network providers. 
• Understanding the Mental Health Parity laws and your obligations as a health plan provider.

This episode includes guest speakers:

Kirsten Suto Seckler, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Shatterproof

Danielle Capilla, JD, SVP of Compliance and Operational Strategy for Alera Group's Employee Benefits division

Lisa Kugler, Psy.D., SVP for Shatterproof’s Treatment Atlas team

Substance use disorders related to alcohol and drug addiction are having a heavy emotional and financial toll on the workplace. It’s estimated that addiction costs employers upwards of $81 billion per year and employers struggle with how to provide the correct care. Finding in-network providers is challenging and health plans are paying a significant amount in out of network fees and “Shared Savings” that the carrier then takes.

Tune into this episode of The Pulse as we examine the health plan impacts of substance abuse, including uncovering why so many facilities are not in network, what the carriers’ role is in this issue and how employers can create better strategies.

Panelists will discuss:

• The advantages and disadvantages of an addiction treatment center setting up in-network contracts.
• How the laws related to Mental Health Parity influence employers and health plan decisions.
• How claims for these services are handled when out of network and who may be winning in that negotiation. 
• How employers can improve their strategy to supporting the needs of their plan members  

This episode includes guest speakers:

Tim Clement, VP of Federal Government Affairs at Mental Health America.

Chris Deacon, JD, Principal/Founder VerSan Consulting

Damon Eisenbrey, Partner, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

Kirsten Suto Seckler, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Shatterproof

GLP-1 medications have been a tipping point in exposing the role that PBM’s have over controlling prescription drug access and cost. Not all PBM’s are created equal and most drive what is easiest and most profitable for the PBM.  It’s critical that employers play an active role in controlling their health plan strategy to support improved health outcomes and health plan investments. Tune into this episode of The Pulse as we uncover the role of the PBM in prescription drug access and costs and what employers need to do to redefine expectations and outcomes from PBMs.

Panelists will discuss:

• How a drug is approved by the FDA and if that clinically is providing the most effective approach to leverage medications.
• PBM prior authorization strategies and what appropriate expectations should be
• Why and how PBMs and Manufacturers leverage rebates to force formulary restrictions
• The opportunity for plan savings related to generic medications that are not leveraged by PBMs
• What strategies related to GLP-1 appear to be most successful in driving improved health outcomes and an ROI on health plan investments

This episode includes guest speakers:

Ge Bai, PhD, CPA.
Professor at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Professor of Health Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Dr. Jonathan Bonnet, MD, MPH, CAQSM, FAAFP, FACLM, DipABOM, DipACLM.
Associate Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and Program Director of Medical Weight Loss at the Clinical Resource Hub Weight Management Center at the Palo Alto Veteran’s Affairs

Jennifer Perlitch RPh., MBA.
Assistant Vice President – Pharmacy at AECRx

There’s been a lot of hype around the Blue Zones documentary on Netflix and how following these principles can help you live a full, active life until 100. But did you know these theories can also help you breathe life into your health plan by creating an employer community that is productive, healthy and sustainable? In this episode, we will explore how the Blue Zones theories translate into improved patient care and how an employer’s culture can support improved health outcomes.

Tune in as our panelists discuss how the theories behind the Blue Zone can be used to support employer efforts to enhance employee health and contain healthcare costs.

This episode includes guest speakers:

Wayne Dysinger, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Director, Healthly

Gretchen Day, MPH
VP of Health Innovation & Advanced Strategies, Alera Group

Ben Leedle
CEO Blue Zones

It's time for Employers to ensure they safeguard their interests and shield themselves with robust contracting language. 

Carrier and vendor agreements are often crafted by their legal teams to safeguard the interests of the vendors, which may not always align with the needs of the employer. Far too often, employers have simply accepted these standard contracts, granting vendors the authority to dictate billing practices, define services, and even control data sharing. The moment has arrived for Employers—whether they're managing a Health Plan or acting as the payor—to take charge and reshape our delivery system, ensuring they receive the necessary support for their plans. 

Join our expert panelists as we explore the intricacies of carrier and vendor agreements, often skewed in favor of vendors, and the necessity for Employers to assert their needs.

This episode includes guest speakers:

Brenda Motheral, RPh, MBA, PhD
CEO, Archimedes

Marilyn Barlett, CPA, CGMA, CMA, CFA
Senior Policy Fellow, National Academy for State Health Policy

Stacy Barrow, JD
Partner, Barrow Weatherhead Lent LLP

At least 80% of healthcare spend is influenced by our habits, environment and approach to caring for ourselves. Employers invest over $51 billion each year in vendors to empower individuals in making informed choices and alleviating strain on the healthcare system. Unraveling the genuine needs of the population proves to be an intimidating task, and addressing those needs presents an even greater challenge. Join us as we spotlight three forward-thinking employers who have navigated this complex terrain from diverse perspectives. Discover how they have successfully managed to curtail healthcare costs while actively supporting their plan members in enhancing their overall well-being. 


This episode includes guest speakers:
Lisa Allen
VP, CHRO, Goodwill Industries of Central & Southern Indiana

Roger McMichael
Associate Superintendent, Carmel Clay Schools

David Hines
ED, Benefits, Metro Nashville Public Schools

The utilization of GLP-1s has skyrocketed since entering the market. Tune into this latest podcast of The Pulse to discover how you can effectively implement GLP-1 medications while improving the health of your population and lowering the financial impact.

This episode includes guest speakers:

Denise Fields
PharmD, Population Health Pharmacist

Robin Rankin, RPh
AVP, Clinical Pharmacy, AEC-RX, An Alera Group Company

Sean Hashmi, MD, FASN
Obesity Medicine Provider