Last week, World Class Health’s leadership team joined hundreds of benefits leaders, consultants, and innovators in New York City for the 25th Annual Conference Board Employee Health Care Conference. And while the healthcare challenges may feel familiar—rising costs, inconsistent outcomes, global workforce complexity—this year’s message was anything but business as usual.

The call to action was clear: employers must stop accepting diminishing returns on legacy programs and start demanding more from their benefits strategies.

Here’s what stood out, and how World Class Health is uniquely positioned to meet the moment.

A High-Energy Gathering of Decision-Makers

Unlike other industry events, this year’s Conference Board experience had a distinct pulse. The agenda was smartly curated by WTW and featured a strong mix of employer leaders and solution innovators.

From breakout sessions to main stage keynotes, the recurring theme was bold:

“If it’s not delivering outcomes, cut it.”

It was a refreshing shift from glossy vendor showcases to real conversations about measurable impact—the kind that forces employers to question whether their current benefits stack is truly working.

Cost + Outcomes = The Equation That Still Isn’t Solved

As Peter Doumas from our team noted, the industry seems to be grappling with the same core issues it was 20 years ago: unsustainable costs and lackluster health outcomes. But this time, there’s growing consensus that real change won’t come from within the system—it has to be employer-led.

In one session, a keynote challenged the audience to throw out legacy programs that haven’t moved the needle in three to five years. “If it’s not delivering results,” he said, “stop paying for the promise and start demanding the proof.”

That’s where World Class Health comes in.
We partner with employers to redirect spend toward what actually works—delivering up to 50% savings on high-cost surgeries and specialty meds, with a guaranteed 5% reduction in total medical costs. And we don’t ask you to wait three years to see it.

COEs Take Center Stage—and the Industry is Paying Attention

If there was one solution category that dominated the exhibit floor and speaker circuit, it was Centers of Excellence. From startups like Lantern and Carrum to legacy payers touting their own networks, COEs were everywhere.

But as our team observed, not all COEs are created equal. While many focus narrowly on MSK or domestic surgeries, World Class Health is built differently:

• A truly global COE network spanning 30+ countries
• Hand-selected providers in the top 1% of global quality rankings
• Full-spectrum concierge care from referral to recovery
  

As Jarrett Michau put it, “What we’re doing is to COEs what the early innovators were to fertility. This is the next big transformation wave—and we’re doing it at global scale.”

From Inputs to Outputs: A New Employer Mindset

One of the most impactful takeaways came during a session urging benefits leaders to shift their focus from inputs—vendor features, utilization rates—to outputs: real, measurable improvements in cost and care quality.

Employers were urged to rethink their RFPs, challenge legacy partners, and require vendors to show the math behind their ROI claims.

World Class Health was built with that accountability in mind.
We back every engagement with outcome guarantees. No vague savings models. No asterisks.

A Moment of Reckoning for Point Solutions

Several sessions acknowledged what many in the room were thinking: the point solution boom of the past five years hasn’t delivered on its promises. Too many employers are left juggling a crowded vendor ecosystem with overlapping solutions and unproven impact.

As one speaker put it: “We don’t need another healthcare billionaire. We need healthcare that works.”

World Class Health is entering the market with this reality in mind.
We’ve learned from what hasn’t worked. And we’re building a smarter, more sustainable model that leverages global access, quality outcomes, and simplified navigation—not another app or one-size-fits-all portal.

What This Means for Employers in 2025 and Beyond

If you’re designing your benefits strategy for 2026, here’s what this year’s conference made clear:

• Centers of Excellence are the future—but only if they’re global, scalable, and rooted in outcomes.
• Vendors must be held accountable for results, not promises.
• Employer leadership matters. The future of care delivery will be shaped not by health plans, but by bold decisions from HR, finance, and procurement leaders.

Let’s Rethink Healthcare—Together

At World Class Health, we’re not just part of the conversation. We’re here to change it.

If you’re ready to deliver better care, reduce costs, and finally build a healthcare strategy that works—for you and your employees—connect with our team. Let’s build the next era of employee health, together.

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