State employee health plans (SEHPs) vary across states in size and structure but represent unique and important health care purchasing power that could be leveraged to support states’ efforts to contain increasing health care costs. They are incentivized to focus on access and quality to ensure good health outcomes that promote employment retention while striving to keep costs low for employees and taxpayers. As with any employee health plan, SEHP administrators must ensure cost containment does not come at the expense of health care value. The lessons from these plans are applicable across the health market.

This webinar highlights information and analysis from the Georgetown Center on Insurance Reforms’ recent 50-state SEHP survey. Additionally, officials representing SEHPs in Minnesota and South Carolina discuss available plan levers for addressing high costs that incentivize better care decisions by their employees and contracted providers. In highlighting a few prescription drug, benefit design, and hospital cost containment strategies, officials also share how they are measuring whether their efforts are working.  

Facilitator 

• Vicki Veltri, Senior Policy Fellow, NASHP

Speakers

• Sabrina Corlette, Research Professor, Center on Health Insurance Reforms

• Karen Davenport, Senior Research Fellow, Center on Health Insurance Reforms

• Galen Benshoof, Enterprise Director, Employee Insurance, Minnesota Management and Budget

• Laura Smoak, Analytics and Health Initiatives Director, South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority