Activating Indiana Employers to Drive High-Value Healthcare Markets - 2026 NextGen Healthcare Summit Recording Series

In this episode of Risk & Resolve, a healthcare leader from the Employers’ Forum of Indiana (EFI) breaks down why employers—not the system—must drive healthcare reform. Drawing from decades in HR and benefits at Ford, this conversation dives into rising healthcare costs, hospital price transparency, and the policy changes reshaping Indiana’s healthcare landscape. From RAND pricing studies to fiduciary responsibility laws, this episode reveals how employers can move from awareness to action—and finally take control of healthcare spending.Main Talking PointsSpeaker’s background: 25+ years in HR and benefits at Ford, managing large-scale healthcare systemsThe reality: healthcare costs have exploded—from $7K per employee to $27K annuallyWhere healthcare dollars actually go: hospitals (45%), physicians (32%), drugs (23%)Why employers historically failed to control healthcare costs—and the consequenceThe RAND Hospital Price Transparency Studies and what they revealedShocking insight: Indiana employers pay ~300% of Medicare rates for hospital servicesThe imbalance: hospitals overpaid, physicians underpaidHow price transparency exposed systemic inefficiencies and sparked reformCreation of tools like Sage Transparency to help employers compare cost and qualityReal-world case studies: Employers removing high-cost hospitals and saving millions, Direct contracting strategies driving better outcomesIndiana’s rise as a national leader in healthcare policy reformKey policy wins: Fiduciary responsibility for TPAs and PBMs, Anti-competitive contract bans, Claims data access and audit rights, Hospital price caps and transparency requirementsThe critical gap: policy exists—but employers must actually use itEFI’s role in translating complex policy into actionable employer strategiesThe challenge: benefits teams are overwhelmed and under-resourcedWhy employers must become active purchasers, not passive participantsTop strategies for employers: Invest in advanced primary care (DPC, onsite, near-site), Steer employees to high-value providers, Optimize contracts and eliminate misaligned incentives, Direct contract with hospitals, Audit claims aggressively, Strengthen benefits teamsThe future: 2027 legislative focus on healthcare—and employers must be readyCore message: awareness isn’t enough—execution is everything