ATLANTA, April 15, 2012—A record crowd of more than 400 HR benefits and wellness executives, health insurance brokers and solution providers arrived at the Cobb Galleria Centre on April 12 for The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism’s (IHC) FORUM East conference. Now in its third year, the two-day event remains the only national conference solely dedicated to innovative health and benefits management. This year’s theme, “The Journey to HealthCare Consumerism,” purposed to help businesses of all sizes navigate the ever-shifting health and benefits landscape and arrive at cost-saving solutions. It counterpart, FORUM West, will be held in Las Vegas, N.V. in October 2012.
Health care consumerism, in contrast to traditional employer-sponsored health plans, involves putting health care decision making and purchasing power into the hands of employees. This may include the adoption of health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts and corporate wellness programs—all of which have been proven to cut health care costs and boost employee wellbeing. FORUM attendees were given insights on how to implement these consumer-driven solutions, effectively communicate the policy changes to their employee consumers and comply with current health care laws.
True to the the IHC’s motto, attendees had the opportunity to “learn, connect and share” with industry professionals from across the country. The FORUM’s 24 workshops and five general sessions featured noted consumerism thought leaders and subject matter experts, including Center for Health Transformations senior fellow, Ron Bachman, Altarum Center co-director, Dr. Wendy Lynch, and former policy advisor to President George W. Bush, Roy Ramthun. FORUM-goers also had the unprecedented opportunity to glean real-life leading practices from peers who have successfully adopted health care consumerism programs.
Scott Stamps, a three-year FORUM veteran, remarked on the event’s significant growth since 2010. “I see a lot more attendees and probably two or three times as many vendors, which is great, “said Mr. Stamps, a business development officer in charge of HSAs at First Federal Bank. He also lauded the FORUM’s innovative stance on consumerism and benefits management. “We’ve gone past `health care reform is bad’ to looking at solutions and moving forward. This is definitely the place to do that.”
“Every year, we strive to bring value by featuring the foremost innovators in the health care consumerism space,” said Doug Field, IHC founder and CEO. “I’m confident that our keynote speakers and workshop leaders left attendees with valuable takeaways and actionable solutions that’ll have an immediate impact on their companies’ bottom lines. This is the best, most well-attended FORUM we’ve had so far. I’m looking forward FORUM West in October!”
To learn more about the conference or to register for FORUM West, visit www.theihccforum.com.
About The IHC FORUM
The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism’s FORUM East and FORUM West (formerly CDHC Solutions Forum) are the only national events 100 percent dedicated to innovative health and benefits management. Through 24 cutting-edge workshops, five general sessions and numerous networking opportunities, attendees get relevant insights from industry thought leaders and policymakers on how to cut costs, engage employees and comply with current health care laws. FORUM-goers also have an unprecedented opportunity to learn from peers who have successfully adopted health care consumerism programs. The FORUM allows HR professionals, brokers, consultants and health plan administrators to share leading practices, exchange ideas and arrive at real, implementable solutions.