Here's what they said:

Chris Hamilton, Partner - Hotchkiss Insurance

“I’m thinking about regulatory reform. There’s a lot of talk about what’s going on in the PBM space. That conversation with the current administration and legislators needs to be expanded to what’s going on in health care and health insurance. I’m curious to see if the government takes an approach similar to the Bell Communications system in the ‘80s.”

Rachel Hawkins, Owner / Advisor - Angler Insurance

“I’m loving the emphasis on outcome-based care. It’s all about the people. The more that I see our industry leaning into that… It's awesome. We’re going to focus more on members, their families, the people that are the heart of this business.”

Justin Leader, President - BenefitsDNA, LLC

“We live in an exciting time; you’re only limited by the extent of your creativity. I remember 10 years ago reference-based pricing taking off, now it’s ICHRAs. Legislation over the past five years has opened a door and shined a light on an otherwise opaque industry. It’s a great opportunity to raise the bar. The conversations we’re having are fantastic.”

Diana Miller, Benefits Advisor - Conner Insurance

“I don’t like to watch, I like to get into it. The first one is in following the legislation in Arkansas, PBMs not being able to own pharmacies. We have similar pieces taking place in both Wisconsin and Iowa. I’m working with independent pharmacies that are banding together to get that legislation passed.

“The second one is to the direct primary care point. The Midwest is one of those late adopters. I see things happening more on the East Coast and West Coast, but Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota are more wait-and-see. With DPC, I’m starting to see physicians that are out there on their own, speaking to employers about their story of leaving their hospital system and starting their own independent practices. I’m promoting those stories, putting as many employers as I can in front of them.”

David Smith, Senior Vice President - eBen Benefits | Risk Strategies

“For me, it’s big data. How do we really start taking the data that we have and doing something with it? The people on the front edge of it are really starting to say, ‘This is what we know and this is what it means.’ One thing we’re starting to target is men, aged 45 to 55 who have nothing in claims. How do we get them to a primary care physician to get into that habit? Those people are ticking time bombs.”