Benefits Updates From The 70th Annual Employee Benefits Conference

Earlier this month, Jim Doyle and Adam Watson represented CirrusMD at the 70th Annual Employee Benefits Conference in sunny San Diego. This year’s event brought together industry leaders to discuss the latest trends and innovations in benefits, with a particular focus on how benefit consultants, fund administrators, plan managers, employer benefits managers and others involved in the management and administration of benefit funds are working to control costs. Virtual primary care emerged as a hot topic, capturing the interest of many attendees.

A Broader Look at Benefits Trends

The conference provided a comprehensive overview of benefits, covering a wide range of topics from paid leave to benefit megatrends. Attendees gained valuable insights into how even small changes in benefit plans can have a significant positive impact on members, employees and organizations alike. Consolidation of benefits and a shift away from point solutions emerged as a theme. Many administrators are feeling squeezed by healthcare costs and looking to focus on core programs that have measurable ROI, such as chronic care management, virtual primary care, and how AI is changing the benefits landscape.

According to The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, U.S. employers project a median health care cost increase of 8% for 2025, according to International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans survey results. This is an increase over similar surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023, which projected a 7% rise in costs. Many conference attendees confirmed these sentiments in our discussions, with healthcare spend and effective solutions being a throughline.

Discussions focused around the primary factors contributing to a rise in medical plan costs for 2025, with the top four factors (listed by percent of respondents that identified them as primary causes) cited as: 

• Catastrophic claims
• Specialty/costly prescription drugs
• Medical provider costs 
• Utilization due to chronic health conditions
• Low utilization of legacy virtual care solutions

Exploring the Future of Healthcare

One of the key themes of the conference was the changing landscape of healthcare. AI threatens disruptions to benefit ecosystems, but also the promise of bringing down costs through improved efficiency. The CirrusMD team had an opportunity to explore how healthcare is evolving and what trust and plan administrators are doing to manage chronic conditions and control costs. There was a particular focus on virtual primary care, a topic of deep interest for many attendees.

Conference attendees wanted to learn more about ways AI might positively impact their healthcare spend, and expressed interest in new ways AI can reshape benefits utilization. Virtual primary care enhanced by AI has already been rolled out, and visitors to the CirrusMD booth were excited to learn how they can increase member utilization of virtual care, and improve the overall utilization of sponsored benefits. 

Union Presence and the Search for Better Healthcare Options

Union leaders in attendance were also actively seeking better healthcare options. CirrusMD's innovative approach to virtual primary care resonated with these attendees, as it offers a convenient and cost-effective solution for managing healthcare needs, especially for union workers who so often aren’t able to use brick & mortar care facilities during regular business hours. Healthcare is one of the most important benefits for union members; offering a virtual primary care experience that’s widely accessible with strong utilization that drives ROI was an important discussion. With healthcare spend increasing, driving ROI and overall spend reduction through virtual care utilization was of interest to many conference attendees.

Key Takeaways

• The conference provided a broad overview of benefits, highlighting the importance of small changes in benefit plans and vendors can have in reducing healthcare spend in 2025.
• There was a strong focus on the future of healthcare, with AI-enabled virtual primary care emerging as a key trend.
• Many union members showed a deep interest in CirrusMD's virtual primary care solutions due to its scalability and accessibility.
• Benefits leaders are looking to consolidate their benefits offerings around programs that can efficiently and effectively deliver ROI and utilization.
• Healthcare spend is a major topic of discussion as benefits leaders look to balance spend with the need to offer a comprehensive benefits package that suits the needs of all members.

Looking Ahead

The 70th Annual Employee Benefits Conference was a valuable opportunity for Jim and Adam to connect with industry professionals, share CirrusMD's innovative solutions, and gain insights into the latest trends in employee benefits. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, CirrusMD remains committed to providing cutting-edge virtual care solutions that benefit both members as well as plan and fund administrators.