Two happy mature business men shaking hands in modern office. Successful african american businessman in formal clothing closing deal with handshake. Multiethnic businessmen shaking hands during a meeting.
Health care transformation rarely starts with policy. It starts locally, with people willing to challenge the status quo and take action where they are.
That's exactly what's happening today with Direct Contracting.
While much of the industry continues to debate solutions, a growing number of advisors have moved beyond theory and into execution, building care delivery models in real markets with real employers and providers. These aren't pilot programs. They're active models delivering care in communities right now.
The work behind this shift hasn't been simple. It requires earning trust from providers, helping employers rethink how their plans are structured, and solving operational challenges that don't show up in presentations.
There's no clear playbook to follow.
Progress has come through persistence, experience, and a willingness to navigate uncertainty. Despite that, momentum is building.
Employers are under increasing pressure to control costs while still delivering meaningful benefits. At the same time, employees are navigating a system that often feels fragmented and difficult to use. In the right markets, direct contracting is beginning to change that dynamic by creating better alignment between employers and providers while improving the employee experience.
As past BenefitsPRO Advisor of the Year Josh Butler said, "This is the first time we have a solution that is truly a WIN for everyone involved."
There's also a growing understanding that direct contracting isn't just for large employers. Advisors are making this model work across different group sizes by bringing employers together and creating the scale needed for sustainable provider partnerships.
As Adam Berkowitz, CEO and Founder of Level Health Plans, shared, "Direct contracting works for all size groups."
As these models expand, the role of the advisor is evolving. Advisors are no longer just evaluating plans or negotiating renewals. They are becoming builders, connectors, and strategists, bringing together employers, providers, and partners to design better systems.
Doug Geinzer, Founder and President of High Performance Providers, put it best: "Advisors can really use these conversations to set them apart from the pack."
At the upcoming BenefitsPRO Broker Expo, we're hosting a session focused on how direct contracting is being sold, implemented, and scaled in local markets. This conversation is grounded in real experience. The advisors on this panel have spent years navigating employer skepticism, aligning providers, and operationalizing these models once they go live. Some of those lessons took years to figure out.
We're sharing them because the stakes are too high not to.
Employers are under pressure, employees are looking for better experiences, and in the right markets, direct contracting is proving to be a practical way to bring alignment back into the system.
Join me and Josh Butler, Adam Berkowitz, and Doug Geinzer for our session "How direct contracting is being sold, implemented, and scaled in local markets" on Wednesday, April 29th at 3:15 PM at the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.