Sharing Knowledge
BHCG offers numerous meetings, events, symposiums and forums throughout the year for our member employers and various stakeholders to learn from industry experts and each other. In 2021, we offered a number of these gatherings which brought real value to BHCG membership while also allowing member employers to share best practices, strategies and lessons learned. Many of these events were open to the public, highlighting BHCG’s ongoing commitment to responsible corporate citizenship.
COVID-19
Employers have played a significant role in the COVID-19 crisis – reassuring and supporting employees and their families, as well as working through strategies for mitigating the spread of the virus, and the challenges faced in every area of business. As a membership organization for employers, BHCG has helped employers, their employees and the community face these challenges by developing a Coronavirus Resources & Information webpage and organizing and sponsoring a COVID-related webinar.
Coronavirus Resources & Information Webpage
This page includes a comprehensive list of links from local and national organizations regarding legal, governmental, medical and health resources that can provide guidance for employers and their advisors. The page is routinely updated as new resources and information are made available.
COVID-19 Vaccination Management for Employers Webinar
As our community continued to face the COVID-19 crisis, employers played a significant role in educating and supporting their employees and their families. On February 24, a webinar sponsored by the Business Health Care Group and The Alliance, was conducted to provide information employers need to make informed decisions. This program provided insights into:
- Legal considerations regarding requiring vaccines
- Status of vaccine rollout in Wisconsin – availability and timelines
- Prioritization of groups to receive the vaccine
- How other employers are addressing these issues
- Practical strategies employers can deploy to help guide employees through uncertain times to ensure widespread vaccine adoption
Presenters included:
- Lindsey Davis, Partner, Labor & Employment & Practice Group, Quarles & Brady LLP
- Jon Meiman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for Environmental and Occupational Health, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
- Stephanie Schauer, PhD, Immunization Program Manager, Wisconsin Division of Public Health
- Jim Sheeran, Director, Corporate Benefits, Molson Coors Beverage Company
- Margaret Hennessy, MD, Medical Director of Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin and physician leader on Ascension Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine Operational Planning Team
BHCG/GNS Healthcare Physician Value Study 2.0 Results Meetings
A top priority of BHCG and its member employers is to purchase high value health care. In continuing this mission, BHCG, with generous support from the Greater Milwaukee Business Foundation on Health (GMBFH), commissioned a second Physician Value study from GNS Healthcare – a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in health care – to evaluate the value of care provided by physicians throughout Wisconsin. The Study used claims data from the state’s all-payer claims database, WHIO – the Wisconsin Health Information Organization.
The Study was intended to support health system performance improvement and inform employer benefit program design to enable better health care decision-making, particularly with respect to the steerage of patients to higher-value providers. Study data was used to develop the new BHCG-Centivo high-performance health plan, effective January 1, 2022.
Health care stakeholders (employers, brokers/consultants, health care providers) gathered to attend a presentation (both in-person and virtually) in Milwaukee on December 8 to learn about the results of the second BHCG/GNS Healthcare Physician Value Study, which continued to show the potential for significant cost savings through improved physician performance and steerage to high-value providers.
Presenters included:
- Jeffrey Kluever, Executive Director, BHCG
- Dana Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO)
- Earl Steinberg, MD, MPP, Executive Vice President of Payer and Market Access/HEOR Lines of Business, GNS Healthcare
- Dave Osterndorf, BHCG Strategic Consultant & Chief Actuary, Centivo
High-Performance Primary Care-Centered Health Plan Launch
BHCG) and Centivo conducted a product launch meeting on June 16 to rollout Wisconsin’s first high-performance, primary care-centered health plan solution. The meeting was kicked off with opening remarks from BHCG Executive Director Jeff Kluever who spoke about BHCG’s mission-driven strategy and the selection process undertaken to choose Centivo as BHCG’s partner for the initiative.
Ashok Subramanian, co-founder and CEO of Centivo, gave the keynote presentation which included an overview of the BHCG-Centivo partnership, details about Centivo’s background and the strategies it has developed to move the market, and an update on Centivo’s network development in eastern Wisconsin thus far.
Two panel discussions were conducted, both moderated by Dave Osterndorf, BHCG Strategic Consultant, Chief Actuary, Centivo. The first, The Primary Care Relationship, consisted of the following panelists:
- Wayne Jenkins, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Centivo
- Gregory Brusko, DO, Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Wisconsin
The second panel, High-Performance Health Plan Opportunities, consisted of employer representatives:
- Janet Lucas-Taylor, Senior Director Employee Benefits, Northwestern Mutual
- Lisa Mrozinski, Director of Total Rewards, Baird
- James Sheeran, Senior Director, Total Rewards, Molson Coors Beverage Company
An executive summary of the product launch meeting was produced.
Benefits Forum
Insights from industry experts and member employers
Representatives of BHCG member employers gathered to learn from industry experts and each other about topics related to health care and benefit offerings. Due to the pandemic, Benefits Forum events were held virtually. In 2021, industry experts shared insights concerning the following topics:
- COVID-19: Situation Summary and Trends Regarding Vaccination and Masking Webinar
- Reimagining the Health Plan – BHCG-Centivo’s High-Performance Health Plan
- Benefits Law Deep Dive: New COBRA and Mental Health Parity Rules