The Great Health Plan Debate: Fixing What Is Broken

Health plans were designed to protect employees and help organizations thrive—but today, many employers feel stuck between rising costs, growing complexity, and solutions that don’t always deliver real value. What’s working, what isn’t, and what actually needs to change?

In The Great Health Plan Debate, we bring together diverse perspectives to challenge conventional thinking around employer-sponsored health plans. This isn’t a lecture or a sales pitch—it’s a candid, facilitator-led discussion focused on the real trade-offs employers face today. From plan design and cost containment to employee experience and long‑term sustainability, we’ll examine the debates happening behind closed doors and bring them into the open.

Expect thoughtful disagreement, practical insights, and fresh ideas you can take back to your organization—because fixing what’s broken starts with asking better questions.

  
  

Event details

  
  
Date
Tuesday June 23rd

Time
11:00am-1:00pm
Lunch will be provided
Location:
Metropolitan Ballroom
5418 Wayzata Blvd
Golden Valley, MN 55416
  
  

The Great Health
Plan Debate

Fixing what is broken and bringing tensions into the open.

This interactive seminar features a facilitator‑led panel of health and benefits thought leaders who aren’t afraid to disagree. Through real‑world scenarios, opposing viewpoints, and audience‑driven discussion, we’ll examine what’s truly broken in today’s health plans—and what employers can realistically do about it.

This is not a one‑size‑fits‑all presentation. It’s a candid conversation designed to help you think more strategically about your health plan decisions now and ahead of renewal.
  
  

What we'll debate

  • Are traditional cost‑containment strategies still effective—or outdated?
  • Where employers are over‑spending vs. under‑investing in their health plans
  • The role of pharmacy, emerging treatments, and specialty claims in rising costs
  • Trade‑offs between employee experience, compliance, and financial sustainability
  • When “disruptive” plan changes do—and don’t—make sense

Expect thoughtful disagreement, practical examples, and takeaways you can apply immediately.
  
  

Register for this event

  
  
If you’re questioning whether your current health plan strategy is still working—or feeling pressure to make changes without clear answers—this session will help you cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters.

Register Now!
Space is limited. Reserve your spot to be part of the conversation shaping the future of employer health plans.
 

We will use the contact information you are providing, to send you the joining instructions for this event, and to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy.

  
  
  

Lauri Hopkins 
Senior Vice President 
Employee Benefits

  
  

Josh Rydberg
Senior Vice President
Underwriting Innovation & Growth

Nick Karls 
Senior Vice President 
Employee Benefits Compliance

  
  

Megan Leslie
Senior Vice President
Pharmacy

Kelly Schloegel 
Assistant Vice President
Well-Being

  
7701 France Ave S
Suite 500
Edina, MN 55435

info@howdengroup.com

howdengroup.com
Howden US Specialty LLC (doing business in California as Howden Specialty Insurance Services) is a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware. It holds a resident insurance producer (and reinsurance intermediary broker) license in Minnesota, where it is also authorized as a surplus lines broker. It is similarly licensed as a non-resident producer/broker in all other states and the District of Columbia. Howden US Specialty LLC is part of the Howden Group Holdings Limited group of companies. Howden Group Holdings Limited is registered in England and Wales under company registration number 2937398. Registered office: One Creechurch Place, London, EC3A 5AF, United Kingdom.

CA license number: 6016300
NV license number: 4111743 (SL: 4111747)

Copyright ©2026 | Howden U.S. | Tel: 1-888-312-5742

Privacy statement