For the past decade, “Wellness will help you bend the cost curve” has been the mantra as employers have been focused on behavioral and lifestyle change strategies intended to reduce health risks and future medical costs. However, much of this mantra was based on studies utilizing Medicare rather than employer-sponsored plan data. The chronic conditions (and risks for future medical costs) employers have been focusing on, in fact, represent less than a quarter of their high-cost spend. The overwhelming concentration of expenses for annual medical costs is found in this year’s employer high-cost claimant experiences, such as back surgeries, cancers, substance abuse treatment and complications involving hospitalization. Dr. Ron Leopold will explain what’s really driving your organization’s medical costs and explore newer marketplace strategies that can enable you to better get them under control.