On the Frontline: Employers as Health Care Activists

10/21/24 • 34 min

In aggregate, employers are the largest payers of health care in the U.S. and subsidize other health insurance markets, yet they are often sidelined from the crucial conversations around health care policy and delivery matters. With another spending surge on the horizon, it is more important than ever for employers to lean into redefining care access and delivery.

In our latest podcast episode, we talk about this and more with Paul Keckley, health care policy analyst and managing editor of The Keckley Report. We explore his article “Are employers ready to move from the back bench in U.S. health care?” and discuss the transformative actions that will drive meaningful change – a stronger voice and increased activism in delivery, the integration of social services and strategic engagement.

Business Group on Health consistently offers insights on the critical role employers play in shaping the health care industry. Learn more about our perspective here.

Guest: Paul H. Keckley, Managing Editor of The Keckley Report

Business Group on Health consistently offers insights on the critical role employers play in shaping the health care industry. Learn more about our perspective here.

Guest: Paul H. Keckley, Managing Editor of The Keckley Report

Previous Episode

Managing the Mental Health Continuum: From Adolescence to Adulthood

For individuals that struggle with mental health, the intensity of the challenges often evolve over their lifetime due to triggers or phases of life.

In this podcast we speak with Dr. Karen Swartz,psychiatrist and professor from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, about the continuum of mental health and common triggers, including those less often addressed, like regret and loss. Dr. Swartz also shares insight into the youth mental health crisis, the “dangerous levels” of stress that 41% of parents are experiencing, and more.

Tune in to learn how Dr. Swartz’s experience and guidance can help employers more deeply understand the mental health challenges their employees and families are experiencing and better provide meaningful support.

Guest: Dr. Karen Swartz, Director of Clinical and Educational Programs at the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Founder and Director of the Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP)

Next Episode

“Nowhere to Go”: Transforming Maternity Care Access

A full 35% of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts—regions that lack birthing facilities or obstetric clinicians, according to recent March of Dimes report, Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the US. Alarmingly, this may worsen as maternity units close nationwide and provider shortages persist, a trend that will further exacerbate poorer pre-pregnancy health, inadequate prenatal care, and higher preterm birth rates.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Amanda Williams, Interim Chief Medical Officer at March of Dimes, explores the rise of maternity care deserts, the impact of doulas and midwives on maternal mortality and the strategies for improving patient access to care. Dr. Williams identifies ways that employers and others can help to improve maternity care by providing access to digital solutions and community resources, advocating for reimbursement reforms, and supporting value-based care models.

Guest: Dr. Amanda Williams, Interim Chief Medical Officer at March of Dimes