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Emerging From The Pandemic: 5 Enduring Health Benefit Trends
Emerging From The Pandemic: 5 Enduring Health Benefit Trends
2021 was not quite the year any of us expected. The only certainty was uncertainty as the pandemic raged on, the Great…
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Alison Worthington reposted thisAlison Worthington reposted thisThe data that will define your 2027 renewal isn't in last year's report. It's in what your members are telling us right now. The 2027 Renewal Crisis: Predictive Insights to Build Better Benefits Strategies, HealthJoy’s fourth annual Member Health Goals Report, captures what members are telling us before costs hit the plan. And this year’s signals are the most urgent yet. Built on self-reported health intent data from 100,000+ members, here’s what’s already showing up months before it reaches a claims report: 📉 Annual physical intent dropped 45% — a leading indicator of deferred diagnoses and compounding costs 🎗️ The 26–35 cohort is showing early-stage cancer risk patterns that are outpacing most benefits strategies 💊 GLP-1 and MSK demand are structurally reshaping pharmacy and surgical spend The benefits leaders who will own the 2027 renewal conversations are the ones who stopped waiting for claims data to tell them something went wrong. This report is where that shift starts. Download the report now: https://lnkd.in/gdCsAFKH. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/gitkwvGH #EmployeeBenefits #MemberHealthGoals #PredictiveHealth #BenefitsStrategy #HealthJoy #HealthcareCosts #RenewalSeason #FutureofBenefits
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Alison Worthington reposted thisAlison Worthington reposted thisTwenty years ago, a flawed study scared millions of women away from hormone therapy. The Women’s Health Initiative later reanalyzed and widely criticized for its methodology caused HRT prescriptions to plummet by 45%. Doctors stopped prescribing it. Women suffered through hot flashes, bone loss, brain fog, and sleepless nights, often told this was just “part of aging.” Now the FDA has removed the black box warnings from HRT products — and the data behind this decision is worth reading carefully. Women who initiate hormone therapy within 10 years of menopause onset have been shown to have a 50% reduction in heart attack risk, a 64% reduction in cognitive decline, and a 35% lower risk of Alzheimer’s. This is not a small footnote in women’s health. This is a correction of a two-decade-long wrong. At Midi, we’ve been treating women with evidence-based HRT for years because the science was already there it just wasn’t reflected in how medicine was being practiced. What’s changed now is the label. What hasn’t changed is the urgency. Of the approximately 41 million women in the US between 45 and 64, only about 2 million were receiving hormone therapy prescriptions as of 2020. That gap between who could benefit and who actually gets care is exactly what we’re here to close. If you’ve been told you’re “not a candidate” for HRT, or that the risks outweigh the benefits it’s worth having that conversation again with a clinician who’s current on the science.
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Alison Worthington shared thisMatt Heinz well said.Alison Worthington shared thisCan a fractional CMO be long-term? Absolutely. And more companies should probably plan for that instead of apologizing for it. The reason "long-term fractional CMO" sounds strange is that the category got invented as a bridge. Something you did while you were between full-time hires, or while you figured out whether you really needed marketing leadership. The word "fractional" itself implies an incomplete version of something. Like you're getting 40% of a real CMO. That framing is wrong. For plenty of B2B companies in the $5M-$50M range, a senior fractional CMO working 10-20 hours a week produces more strategic value than the full-time mid-level marketer they could otherwise afford to hire. Better pattern recognition. A broader network. More direct advice, because the fractional isn't managing their own performance review. That advantage doesn't evaporate at year three. Or year five. What happens at year three or year five is the CEO or board starts feeling like they should "graduate" to a full-time hire, even when the business is working. The pressure is almost always optics. What the org chart is supposed to look like at Series B. What investors expect. What peer CEOs have done. Peer pressure and optics rarely translate into a legitimate business reason. There are of course very good reasons to make the move to a full-time CMO: 👏 A category-defining initiative that needs someone in the seat every day 👏 Growth past the point where a fractional can scale their attention across the business 👏 A CEO who wants daily marketing partnership, not weekly If you're a founder or CEO working with a strong fractional CMO and the outcomes are there, stop treating the arrangement as provisional. Invest in the relationship. Build an execution team underneath them. Tell your board this is the design, not a placeholder. The best marketing leadership for your business is the marketing leadership that actually works.
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Alison Worthington reposted thisAlison Worthington reposted thisA few years ago, calling yourself a consumer health company in front of VCs was a virtual death sentence... but now, not only is consumer health being taken seriously, there are also some very serious consumer health businesses being built in the wild. This, plus other hot takes from Holly Maloney, Alison Ryu, Kurt Seidensticker and I at the inaugural Stanford Consumer Health Summit: ⚡ It's certainly possible now to build a large business purely based on cash pay + DTC acquisition. But playing nice with "The System" (e.g. B2B2C distribution, referrals from trad providers, taking reimbursement risk) still has its merits in helping one achieve even more durable scale and unit economics. ⚡ Sequencing of GTM motions matters: if you go "B2C first", you have the gifts of being able to fully control your product roadmap and swiftly acquire users - but it will be more expensive and potentially take longer to acquire them on your own. Going "B2B2C first" means you'll get access to large chunks of users in one fell swoop, but you'll have to pay a "product tax" to appease your B2B partner's requirements, not to mention needing to survive through long enterprise sales cycles. This sequencing choice informs your capital raising strategy in the early days. ⚡ A year ago, everyone was scared to say "AI Doctor", and now everyone is claiming to be building an "AI Doctor"! ⚡ To that end, will healthcare be dominated by an AI Doctor SuperApp as the front door, or will we continue to have fragmentation of apps by use case / condition / demographic? A large portion of consumers who don't have a PCP will find one in the form of an AI Doctor, and the best AI Doctors WILL be SuperApps that connect into a network of specialists and IRL clinical services through a single front door. ⚡ This necessitates a SuperData layer that allows for context sharing across all apps - and not just trad EHR data, but also wearables, genomics, non-traditional biomarker tests, information gleaned through ongoing engagement with AIs, patient-reported outcomes, health plan benefit design data info, etc. The buzz in the room felt a lot like the early versions of the Health 2.0 conference in the late 2000's, BUT with companies that are really working and scaling this time around. Congrats to Zach Teiger and his organizing team for bringing this community together - it's time to build in consumer health!
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Alison Worthington shared thisYesssss Katie Thomson, MS, RD Square Baby ❤️ keeping our kids healthy and happy. Sco! 💚 💛Alison Worthington shared thisSquare Baby bets on “DEEZ NUTS” saving lives in Super Bowl ad!! 🥜🏈 That’s right… We're not just making a funny commercial. We're taking this moment to help end food allergies and tackle an infant health issue most brands won’t touch. Even though pediatric guidance shifted years back, most baby food brands still avoid allergens entirely. 🤦♀️ But the science is clear: early allergen introduction can help reduce the risk of food allergies by up to 80%. In fact, early allergen introduction has been shown to save 60,000 kids from food allergies since the research and recommendations came out a decade ago. Square Baby isn't afraid to lean into the science, even if it means raising a few eyebrows. Because early allergen exposure is critically important and it shouldn't be ignored. So if ruffling a few feathers is what it takes to protect the next generation of kids, we’re willing to go there. While this ad is new, our mission isn't. Since launching in 2018, we’ve been committed to doing things differently, starting with the first and only Allergen Introduction Menu featuring all 8 top allergens. As well as a promise to veggie-first, balanced meals. We’re not here to play it safe. We're not following the tired old rules of the industry. We here to make noise, make change, and do what’s right for the next generation. And we’re just getting started. 💪 #squarebaby #SuperBowl #registereddietitian #superbowlad #superbowlcommercial #foodallergies #deeznutssavelives #babyfood #femalefounder #ai #advertising Kendall Glynn, MS, CGC Kevin Thomson
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Alison Worthington reposted thisAlison Worthington reposted thisStop managing chaos and start delivering predictable outcomes. Every CEO wants the same thing: a better employee experience without the runaway costs. On January 28th, we’re breaking down the framework to help you achieve both using data-driven engagement. Plus, attendees will get an exclusive sneak peak at the new HealthJoy Benefits Studio. This new AI-based tool empowers you to design strategies in minutes, audit for hidden inefficiencies, and simulate member journeys to validate steerage. You won’t want to miss this! Register today to save your seat: https://lnkd.in/g8iFnXhW #BenefitsStrategy #AI #CostControl #Benefits #HealthInsurance #FutureOfWork #Webinar
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Alison Worthington reposted thisAlison Worthington reposted thisDigital Solutions, Analog Delivery: The hidden failure point costing organizations millions in healthcare 💵 It’s the punchline of a bad joke: We spend months curating the perfect digital health stack—telemedicine, mental health, fertility solutions—and then we deliver them to employees... in a paper packet during a one-hour lecture. Today, benefits have evolved into a complex financial strategy. Yet, we're attempting to manage this 21st-century ecosystem using a delivery model that’s been frozen in time for ages. Expecting employees to navigate 20+ digital solutions using a mental map they formed during a one hour meeting using a paper guide isn’t a strategy, it’s a recipe for waste. Your strategy isn’t broken. Your delivery is. The chasm between the challenges we’re trying to solve and the methods being used to do so, is getting wider. It’s time to close that gap with the HealthJoy Benefits Operating System. If every other critical business function runs on a sophisticated operating system, shouldn't your top-two organizational expense? HealthJoy CEO Justin Holland breaks down the "Delivery Gap" and the three things a true benefits operating system must do to transform cost containment. Read the full breakdown and see how we’re building the next generation of benefits: https://hubs.li/Q03X3Y0B0 #BrokerConsulting #HealthTech #EmployeeExperience #BenefitsStrategy #HealthJoyDigital Solutions, Analog Delivery: The Hidden Failure Point in HealthcareDigital Solutions, Analog Delivery: The Hidden Failure Point in Healthcare
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Alison Worthington shared thisCongrats Mary Callahan Erdoes. Harvard University is fortunate to have your leadership and expertise to shape their impact on future generations.Alison Worthington shared thisIt is a true honor to build upon my journey with Harvard by joining its Management Company Board. I look forward to working alongside my fellow directors to support Harvard’s mission and future generations of students, faculty and scholars. https://lnkd.in/eqMM3BX7
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Alison Worthington shared this💯 Amanda Steele Kierstin Rielly thank you for your leadership.Alison Worthington shared thisI'm proud to support @Women On Boards Project this Giving Tuesday. Every dollar helps place more women on consumer brand boards, and today gifts are tripled. If you believe leadership should reflect the consumers they serve, join me in supporting their work. https://lnkd.in/e9pkCAGi Our dollars will go to continuing this important work: WOBP has already placed 68 women, as of Q2 2025. Nearly 20% are from underrepresented groups, and over half are first-time board members. Our placements aren’t just filling seats—they’re breaking ceilings, driving growth, and preparing the next generation of women CEOs. Six of the companies we’ve supported have been acquired, and many are achieving outsized growth even in challenging times.
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Alena Antigua fantastic thought leadership on a critical topic
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Alison Worthington liked thisAlison Worthington liked thisI’m speaking at the Health Tech Investment Forum, a deal-focused event for health tech investors and senior executives. https://lnkd.in/g7vVNNk9 Join me on April 30 in San Francisco for a day of curated networking, targeted market insights, and deal-driven connections. Looking forward to connecting in San Francisco. #HealthTechInvestmentForum26 McDermott Will & Schulte
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Alison Worthington reacted on thisAlison Worthington reacted on thisThe data that will define your 2027 renewal isn't in last year's report. It's in what your members are telling us right now. The 2027 Renewal Crisis: Predictive Insights to Build Better Benefits Strategies, HealthJoy’s fourth annual Member Health Goals Report, captures what members are telling us before costs hit the plan. And this year’s signals are the most urgent yet. Built on self-reported health intent data from 100,000+ members, here’s what’s already showing up months before it reaches a claims report: 📉 Annual physical intent dropped 45% — a leading indicator of deferred diagnoses and compounding costs 🎗️ The 26–35 cohort is showing early-stage cancer risk patterns that are outpacing most benefits strategies 💊 GLP-1 and MSK demand are structurally reshaping pharmacy and surgical spend The benefits leaders who will own the 2027 renewal conversations are the ones who stopped waiting for claims data to tell them something went wrong. This report is where that shift starts. Download the report now: https://lnkd.in/gdCsAFKH. Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/gitkwvGH #EmployeeBenefits #MemberHealthGoals #PredictiveHealth #BenefitsStrategy #HealthJoy #HealthcareCosts #RenewalSeason #FutureofBenefits
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Alison Worthington reacted on thisCongratulations to Catherine.Alison Worthington reacted on thisSome news I'm excited to share: I've joined the board of The Investor Machine. Investor Machine is the data and marketing engine behind some of the most active single-family residential (SFR) real estate investors in the country. The platform combines proprietary data mining, predictive seller-targeting algorithms, and fully managed direct mail execution to help investors consistently source high-quality off-market deals — driving measurable ROI for its customers. As a real estate investor myself, I can confidently endorse Investor Machine as the most effective marketing engine I've come across for sourcing proprietary, off-market SFR deal flow at scale. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻: • A truly differentiated product solving a fragmented, mission-critical workflow for SFR investors • A profitable, capital-efficient business with a clear path to scale • A standout operator in CEO Kunal P., who brings a rare combination of operating depth (Uber, Yahoo) and strong financial discipline • An exceptional group of co-investors and fellow board members — thrilled to be serving alongside Clayton Collins and George Clark Top Corner Capital is proud to back Kunal and the team as Investor Machine enters its next chapter of growth. If you're an SFR investor — or know one still managing lead gen across multiple tools and spreadsheets — they're worth a look: investormachine.com
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Alison Worthington reacted on thisAlison Worthington reacted on thisWhy I'm donating the proceeds of my recent book, The Science of Scaling, to mental health This wasn't a marketing decision; it's a continuation of a cause I've supported for over a decade, and a starting point for a new narrative, though I'm unsure where it will lead. 1. We've Made Progress on Mental Health, But Not Nearly Enough Over the past few decades, we've made meaningful strides in how we talk about mental health. Compared to my parents' and grandparents' generation, where mental health was often dismissed as either imaginary or a sign of weakness, we're moving in the right direction. But we're not there yet. Consider this: if you interview a candidate and learn they survived terminal cancer ten years ago, many people—consciously or not—elevate their perception of the candidate. It signals resilience, grit, and perspective. That discrepancy is the stigma—and it still persists. Those who suffer must do so in confidence, being careful about whom they share their struggles with and seek support from. I've seen mental health from multiple angles: as a friend supporting others, as a primary caregiver, and, providing me the most perspective, as a patient. There was a period in my life when I was completely debilitated by mental health challenges. I couldn't work. I couldn't write. I could barely leave my house. Fortunately, over my career, I've been blessed with achievements valued by general society. Over the past decade, I've applied those gifts and the platform to help normalize the reality that someone can struggle deeply and still go on to lead, build, and contribute at a high level. I'm sure some people considering a partnership with me saw these remarks and hesitated. However, if sharing that helps chip away at the stigma—even a little—it's worth it. 2. We're Over-Investing in Building AI, and Under-Investing in Understanding the Societal Impact However, orders of magnitude more capital, talent, and general resources are going into building AI than into understanding its societal implications. As a tech community, we need to do better. AI has the potential for even greater societal upside. But it also carries the risk of deeper and more complex costs. If we only focus on building—and not on preparing—we're repeating the same mistake at a larger scale. I do believe we need to invest more—not just in innovation, but in understanding, mitigation, and support systems for the humans living alongside that innovation. A Call to Do More This isn't about having the perfect plan. It's about taking a step. Whether it's supporting mental health initiatives, contributing to research on AI's societal effects, or simply being more open in our own conversations—we all have a role to play. If this resonated, the proceeds from my book The Science of Scaling are going directly to McLean Hospital. You can find it here: https://buff.ly/cYjlLRt
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Alison Worthington liked thisAlison Worthington liked thisIf you're running a small Biotech in the U.S., I highly recommend the Beyond Benefits Trust for your employee benefits. Big company benefits for organizations as small as 4 employees. Managed effectively and efficiently by Marsh McLennan. Biocom and MMA have an amazing partnership that makes it all happen. I was honored to be Chair of the Board of Trustees for several years and can't say enough good things about it. https://lnkd.in/gsiMc4B7
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Alison Worthington liked thisAlison Worthington liked thisBig night in San Francisco. On Tuesday, the Harvard Business School Association of Northern California (HBSANC) honored Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, as our 2026 Business Leader of the Year. More than 250 Bay Area entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, and HBS alumni gathered at the Julia Morgan Ballroom to celebrate a leader who has helped shape the future of global finance and digital assets. The highlight: a candid fireside chat between Brad and Chris Larsen, Ripple’s Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, who first brought Brad on as CEO nearly a decade ago. They reflected on Ripple’s journey from early-stage startup to one of the most influential fintech companies in the world. Honest lessons, bold bets, and a clear reminder: building something enduring takes time, conviction, and resilience. This event supports HBS Community Partners, our pro bono consulting arm that has supported more than 450 Bay Area nonprofits through over 10,000 volunteer hours, delivering approximately $3 million annually in pro bono consulting value.
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Alison Worthington liked thisAlison Worthington liked thisSix years. 2264 Day 1s. That's how long I've had the privilege of building and leading the Amazon Freight Partner program, working alongside the most resilient, scrappy, adaptable entrepreneurs I've ever known. Last week I said my farewell to the AFP community at Upshift Live in New Orleans, and I will always remember it fondly. Preparing for my final keynote took me down memory lane - thinking about the challenges we encountered (Covid, Prime Day, extreme weather, Prime Week, Peak), and how this group persevered and delivered for customers through them all. We worked hard. We made history. And we had a lot of fun celebrating success along the way, from first realizing the value of our community at the first Upshift Live in Scottsdale, to letting the good times roll at Upshift Live 2026 in The Big Easy. Watching Amazon Freight Partners build their businesses, support their communities, and prove what's possible when grit meets opportunity – that has been the privilege of my career. It's still Day 1 for AFP, and the best is yet to come. Over to you Nick Hebb -onward team AFP! John Mikhail, Ravinder Goel, Maneesh Jyoti, Tom Chempananical, Dorcas Williams, Yolanda Carroll, Ruchit Shah, Alison Darnell, Courtney Hutchison, Brad Keppler, Madison Sollars, Olivia Martin, Rachel Charlip, Cassie Moralez, Monika Joshi, Aviad Benzikry, Brian Robotham, Ashli Hendricks, Rebecca Rial, Hannah K. Laws-Adkins, McKenna Bidelman, Steven Armato
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Top 100 Woman Marketer - Brand Innovators
http://brand-innovators.com/women/
Arianna Huffington to receive Brand Innovators Women in Brand
Marketing ‘Lifetime Achievement Award, and Bethenny Frankel
named Brand Innovators ‘Guest of Honor’
New York City, June 7, 2016 – Brand Innovators today announced this year's
winners of the Brand Innovators ’Top 100’ Women in Brand Marketing, honoring
the 100 most innovative and influential female brand marketers in America. This
year’s winners will be acknowledged at the Brand Innovators ’Top 100’…Arianna Huffington to receive Brand Innovators Women in Brand
Marketing ‘Lifetime Achievement Award, and Bethenny Frankel
named Brand Innovators ‘Guest of Honor’
New York City, June 7, 2016 – Brand Innovators today announced this year's
winners of the Brand Innovators ’Top 100’ Women in Brand Marketing, honoring
the 100 most innovative and influential female brand marketers in America. This
year’s winners will be acknowledged at the Brand Innovators ’Top 100’ Women in
Brand Marketing Awards Gala and Celebration, taking place at Santina in New York
City, Tuesday, June 7, from 6:00pm-10:00pm. The event will take place immediately
following Brand Innovators Marketing to Women, at Weight Watchers world
headquarters in New York. Weight Watchers will also be the presenting sponsor of
this year’s Brand Innovators ‘Top 100’ Women in Brand Marketing.
The 100 winners were selected by Brand Innovators based on their professional
accomplishments, and ability to leverage digital media and advertising technology,
— including, social media, mobile, content marketing, digital video advertising,
marketing automation, data and analytics, and E-commerce — to build loyalty and
long term relationships with their consumers.
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