At the recent Q4Live memeber conference in Nashville, Wendy Keneipp, Q4i partner, moderated a panel of benefits advisors, who discussed their challenges, successes and opportunities when it comes to creative plan design.

While the panelists found common ground on many topics, they emphasized that there are many different ways to achieve similar goals — and it can happen at different speeds.  Josh Butler, president of Butler Benefits & Consulting in Amarillo, Texas, noted that when he thinks of the term “creative plan design,” he thinks of how all solutions — including non-insurance solutions like direct primary care and concierge pharmacy — can be bundled together in an innovative way to address a client's issues. Rachel Miner, founder and owner of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Thrive Benefits agreed, adding that the ultimate goal is to “give more control back to the employer.” Bret Brummitt, managing partner at A.G. Insurance Agencies in Fort Worth, Texas, compared finding creative plan design solutions to plugging a hole, noting that it's often about fixing the biggest problems immediately and then working backwards to address other issues over time.