Apply now to compete in the broker smackdown!

I feel extremely lucky over the last couple of years to have been willing and able to challenge the status quo and as a result, to bring different results to our employers (and more importantly, their employees). I am even more grateful, however, for the many brokers and consultants who have reached out to me looking for new ideas and different results. This collaboration and sharing has not only elevated our profession, but will likely be one of the defining transformations that results in massive and much needed changes to our entire health care system over the next three to five years.

When I collaborate with the “competition,” I find many are aligned from an ideals perspective, but many have little experience in actually rolling out some of these techniques. And when it comes to an existing client, I can understand a hesitancy to bring something to them that is not only outside of their comfort zone, but also may be an idea or strategy in which they have no experience. What will the employee and employer perception be? And what actual results they can expect?

So, when Paul Wilson (editor in chief of this very publication) approached me about creating a new type of session for their upcoming 2018 Broker Expo, it occurred to me it might be valuable to meet some of the brokers passionate about these new ideas, who have experience implementing them, and are willing to share the results they bring their clients with those strategies.

As I started to flush out this idea, it immediately picked up momentum. There is already extreme curiosity and, dare I say, controversy over how and if some of these strategies work. Our hope is to give a credible and valid (albeit single instance) examples of how—and how well—these tools work.

So, here is the format: We will choose three to four established brokers/consultants who are passionate about a specific cost-containment strategy. They will each have 10 minutes to provide some details on how the claims were running before they implemented their strategies, and specifics on what they did to positively impact those numbers. They will not, however, be able to disclose what impact their strategy actually had.

After each consultant has had their turn, we will throw it over to the audience to vote on which strategy they think was most effective. We will display the results of those votes in real time.

Prior to the event, each broker will have submitted data on the case to Code64, who will use their analytics engine to normalize the groups (since its likely they will be different sizes, funded differently, etc.) and determine the impact each strategy had on the finances of the plan. Not even the participating advisors will know the results in advance.

Then will come the big reveal! We will then reveal the actual results and pinpoint when and how each strategy impacted the plan, what it meant for the employer, and what it meant for the employees—both in terms of financial impact and overall population health.

I am also excited to announce a very valuable prize to the winner: a one-year membership for two to a local direct primary care provider! What is Direct Primary Care (DPC)? It is one of the most innovative and cost effective solutions emerging to lower costs, improve health and improve the patient experience. For those not familiar with this type of arrangement, it will give you an up close and personal look at how this delivery of care works, and the many positive experiences it can provide. Anyone who know about DPCs already know the value of it.

Are you interested in submitting your case study for consideration? We are taking applications through February 15th, 2018.