NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HLTH, the world’s largest conference on health innovation for individuals, companies, and policymakers who are reshaping the industry, and Mercer, a global consulting leader in health, wealth, and career announced today that the two firms have signed an agreement to create a new forum for employers within the HLTH 2019 event.
The purpose of this collaboration is to work with employers to advance innovations that accelerate the transformation of the US healthcare system. Employers provide health coverage for more than 180 million people (more than half of the US population)1 and spend more than $880 billion on healthcare.2
“Our nation is facing continually rising healthcare costs, with employers bearing a significant portion of the total cost,” said Sharon Cunninghis, US Health Leader for Mercer. “Reversing this long-term trend will require far greater co-creation and collaboration across the health ecosystem than we’ve seen in the past. At the HLTH 2019 conference, employers will unite with thousands of innovators and stakeholders in reimagining and reshaping health benefit plans, digital programs and solutions that simplify the experience for employees and their families, change behaviors and improve outcomes, while lowering costs.”
“Mercer’s collaboration with HLTH provides the bridge for ambitious employers seeking to demonstrably alter the unsustainable trajectory of increasingly poor health and rising health costs through innovation,” said Jonathan Weiner, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of HLTH. “Employers attending HLTH will have the opportunity to learn from, influence, and interact with stakeholders across the health ecosystem, including payers, providers, government, academia, associations, community agencies, startups and investors, and will contribute to the latest in health benefits and employee engagement strategies.”
The agreement between Mercer and HLTH aligns Mercer’s extensive experience and expertise in helping employers design and manage health and benefit programs, with HLTH’s proven ability to organize and orchestrate disruptive industry events that result in lasting improvements for individuals, companies and communities. Mercer’s commitment to practical “innovation that works” through its US Center for Health Innovation provides a meaningful framework for employers to lead the way in driving change.
For more information, please visit https://hlth.com/employer-program/ or https://www.mercer.us/our-thinking/health/consumer-centric-healthcare.html.
About HLTH
HLTH is the leading event for innovation in the health industry. It’s an unprecedented, large-scale forum for individuals, companies, and policymakers who are reshaping the health industry to learn, collaborate and evolve. The event is unique in bringing together all key stakeholders, ranging from established payers, providers, employers, and pharma services to disruptive startups and prolific investors, as well as representatives from government, academia, health associations and business groups, media, and industry analysts. By leading the development of a new dialogue and ecosystem, HLTH’s mission is to drive substantial reductions in health costs and dramatic increases in health quality. HLTH takes place on October 27-30, 2019 at the MGM Grand’s brand new conference facility.
About Mercer
Mercer delivers advice and technology-driven solutions that help organizations meet the health, wealth and career needs of a changing workforce. Mercer’s more than 23,000 employees are based in 44 countries and the firm operates in over 130 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC), the leading global professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. With nearly 65,000 colleagues and annual revenue over $14 billion, through its market-leading companies including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh & McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit www.mercer.com. Follow Mercer on Twitter @Mercer.
1 US Census Bureau, "Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2017
2 Integrated Benefits Institute, “The Business Cost of Poor Health”, November 2018
