Business Environment

Employers Anticipate Up to 9% Annual Rise in Cancer Spend: Report

A new report finds a majority of employers expect annual cancer spend to rise by up to 9% each year over the next three years, adding up to a nearly 30% jump, while some think it could increase by up to three times that amount annually. Cancer already represents 16% of their total healthcare spend, so these findings speak to why employers are seriously worried about the increased incidence of cancer and soaring cancer costs, and why it's become their top benefit priority. To better understand the challenges they face, the specific drivers of spend, types of solutions they seek and barriers to adopting them, Carrum Health commissioned PwC to survey benefits managers across the U.S. at randomly selected self-insured employers with 5,000+ employees. The survey, conducted over several months in fall 2023, uncovered revealing data insights. Anonymized results found a majority of their spend has been via the traditional fee-for-service model, and 83% stated they could not assess the return on investment (ROI) with their current oncology point solutions. The survey revealed high interest and growing adoption of COE programs – 91% favor the bundled rate COE model that aligns incentives for providers to offer appropriate, high-quality care and assume risk. However, they are struggling to navigate the marketplace and find solutions that match all of their needs. So employers are settling on familiar but ineffective, disconnected point solutions, despite a preference for one-stop shop solutions that offer cost-effective treatment, mental health support, care navigation and early detection screening. Reflective of the types of cancer incidences occurring in their employee population, 91% named breast cancer as a top three driver of cancer costs, followed by lung, colorectal and prostate cancers. Outpatient treatment for chemotherapy and radiation and the cost of drugs were the top areas of spend, findings that align with trends in the Medicare population. Nine out of ten employers stated they will seek an oncology benefit solution in the next two years. "This report delves deep into the specific cancer challenges employers face, and why they continue to fall back on standalone or legacy solutions that fall short on delivering the member experience, improved health outcomes and cost savings they seek," said Sach Jain, Carrum Health founder and CEO. "Their preference for a solution that offers bundled payments which align provider incentives with cost-effective care and addresses suboptimal employee experiences is loud and clear."

Marathon Health Ranked No. 1 Employer-Sponsored Healthcare Service

Marathon Health, a national leader in delivering advanced primary care solutions for employers, announced its selection as 2024 Best in KLAS in the employer-sponsored healthcare services category in the 2024 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Services report. For employers and unions of all sizes who struggle with how to contain the ever-rising cost of providing healthcare for their teams, Marathon Health is a proven solution that delivers cost savings and better health outcomes. This award marks the fourth time that Marathon Health has earned Best in KLAS (2024; 2023; 2021; 2020). The company recently announced its merger with Everside Health, which was awarded 'Best in KLAS' in '22 and '19 (as legacy Activate Health). The merger resulted in six consecutive years of 'Best in KLAS' recognition. "To be acknowledged in this way for so many years is a testament to our dedicated team of healthcare professionals who are committed to delivering high-quality care," said Jeff Wells, MD, CEO of Marathon Health. "Our goal is to support individuals to take control of their health, leading to improved outcomes and a healthier workforce for all. We are honored to be trusted by employers and unions across the country to support the health and wellness of their employees." To arrive at the rankings, KLAS validated experiences with more than 100 employers. Marathon Health achieved a score of 90.4 against a category average of 88.2 and earned particularly high marks for loyalty and relationship. "At KLAS, we firmly believe that the voice of healthcare providers and payers is paramount," said Adam Gale, KLAS Research CEO. "The Best in KLAS awards are based on extensive feedback and evaluations from healthcare professionals across the nation. Winning a Best in KLAS award, therefore, is not just about recognition; it shows the trust and confidence that healthcare providers place in the winning vendors. It also helps validate each vendor's commitment to innovation, quality and customer satisfaction. We are proud to recognize 2024's Best in KLAS award winners! Their unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes is wonderfully inspiring." Marathon Health's independent primary care model gives providers extra time to build relationships with their patients. Patients have better access to care and see improved health outcomes, from lowering their blood pressure to improving their A1C and gaining the confidence they need to reach their weight-loss goals. "Our care teams deserve the credit for this award. Every day they go above and beyond helping patients to improve their lives and consistently deliver results, including lowering healthcare costs for employers and unions by over 25%," Wells said. "To be considered a trusted partner by our clients and receive this recognition is immensely fulfilling for our entire team at Marathon Health."

Viatris Certified as a Great Place to Work in India for the Third Consecutive Year

Mylan Laboratories Limited (a Viatris Company) has been recognized with the prestigious Great Place to Work ® CertificationTM in India for the third consecutive time. This recognition is a testament to Viatris's commitment to fostering a positive, engaging, and inclusive workplace culture that values the well-being and professional development of its employees. The certification reaffirms Viatris's commitment to making its employees feel valued, supported, and heard. Great Place To Work ® is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting, and insights they need to make strategic people decisions. According to the Great Place to Work ® National Trust Index © Employee Survey, which evaluated Viatris across five categories - credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and collaboration - 89% of respondents expressed that Viatris India is a Great Place to Work! Commenting on the certification, Udbhav Ganjoo, Head of HR - Global Operations, India, Emerging Asia's Access Markets, said, “We are honored to receive the Great Place to Work® CertificationTM in India for the third consecutive year, since 2022. This achievement is a testimony to the collective efforts of our dedicated team members. We have established an employee-centric culture that fosters empowerment and development for our employees. At Viatris, we are cultivating a culture that prioritizes performance, engagement, and inclusivity. We encourage our colleagues to be authentic, leveraging their unique experiences, perspectives, and skills to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.”

Breaking the Stigma: Boston Scientific's Workplace Mental Health Initiative

Boston Scientific is committed to reducing the stigma of mental illness in the workplace and helping employees discover the tools, techniques and resources they need. Your employee benefits may vary based on where in the world you join us. For Mental Health Awareness Month, learn about the ways we support the wellbeing of our workforce in the U.S. 1. Out-of-network? Not anymore! Access should never be a barrier to mental health care. Yet between the current national shortage of mental health providers and the cost of care in the U.S., it can often be difficult to find available providers within an insurance network, yet expensive to go outside the network. That's why Boston Scientific covers a range of services for behavioral and mental health – and should you require those covered services out-of-network, we simply cover it as though it were "in-network," so you can get the support you need. 2. Telehealth for adults and teens Mental health among adolescents is worsening, continuing a decade-long downward trend, according to a distressing recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report; it discovered that 42% of high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless, and 22% seriously considered attempting suicide. Worried about your teenager? Think they may need to talk to someone? Virtual mental health appointments through Teladoc offer a convenient and cost-effective way of getting care for both adults and adolescents. Therapists are available by appointment via phone or video seven days a week to assist your teen with issues like school stress, family challenges, depression, eating disorders and more. And of course, they're always there for you and other eligible family members, too. 3. Free counseling sessions Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a no-cost, supportive service to help employees and their families address personal issues that may arise. It is staffed by master's and doctoral level clinicians who are prepared to listen and help you find ways to cope. We provide five free, confidential sessions per topic per year for employees and their household family members. (For example, you and each of your household family members could have five sessions for anxiety counseling and five sessions for grief counseling—up to five sessions per year for five separate topics.) In addition, EAP provides expert help to guide you through life stressors such as finances, elder care situations, parenting issues and legal needs. 4. Therapy in your pocket 24/7 Also available for free through our EAP, Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CCBT) is a digital self-care tool available anytime on your mobile phone. Created by a team of mental health professionals, it consists of simple, science-based activities, personalized to fit your life. Use the app to enhance your mental health and well-being, tackle stress and anxiety and improve mindfulness and sleep – on your schedule. 5. A personal healthcare advocate Navigating healthcare can be a little like running through a maze: confusing, sometimes overwhelming, quite possibly endless. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone to guide you through the mental health journey? Guess what: Expert guidance is but a phone call away with our third-party health care advocates. Whether you're looking to find a therapist or understand your medication plan, need case management or admittance support or have billing or coverage questions, your advocates are ready to help simplify your healthcare experience at every point in the process. 6. Year-round wellbeing webinars, seminars and events Mental health awareness is integrated into daily life at Boston Scientific in so many ways. Take our fitness centers, for example, where you're encouraged to drop in for a stress-relieving workout, borrow a bicycle for a lunchtime ride or attend a calming meditation session. Throughout the year, you can also attend virtual seminars on a number of mental health topics or take advantage of our periodic on-site mental health fairs. In addition, we are rolling out a new training for people leaders in collaboration with Zevo Health to recognize common signs of mental distress and identify support for colleagues. And because a support network is crucial for mental health, our WellBeing SharePoint site, WellBeing Yammer group and LEAD (Leadership, Education and Allies for Disabilities) employee resource group give employees a place to connect and share.

Axtria Unveils Analysis of Critical Trends in Pharma Sales and Marketing

Axtria Inc., a global leader in cloud software and data analytics for the life sciences industry, today released an analysis of pharma sales and marketing organizations that underscores the industry's dramatic embrace of digital marketing over the last five years entitled, "Unlocking Promotional Success: Insights from 140+ Marketing Mix Studies." Axtria reviewed 140 marketing mix (MMx) studies conducted on sales data between January 2018 and December 2022, capturing transformational shifts driven by the Covid pandemic and evolving market conditions. The analysis illustrates how technologies have profoundly impacted the ways in which pharmaceutical companies engage with healthcare physicians, patients, and account-based customers. "It's clear that embracing an omnichannel approach and adapting to changing customer preferences by integrating digital platforms into strategies will be important steps for innovative companies to take," explained Dr. David Wood, Senior Principal of Decision Science at Axtria. "Axtria is happy to share the valuable insights gained from our work with many life sciences companies to optimize and transform their sales and marketing initiatives. Our products and services, such as Axtria MarketingIQ, help our clients turn insights like these into action." The four key trends Axtria uncovered among life sciences companies include: Life sciences companies are spending more on digital media.Axtria found that spending across digital channels exploded from 6% in 2018 to a high of 30% in 2021. The company said such spending fell slightly to 22% in 2022. Conversely, life sciences spending on conferences dropped dramatically from 10% in 2018 – pre-pandemic – to a low of 1% in 2021. It rose slightly to 2% in 2022. There is a growing investment in different digital channels.While spending on online banner ads, display, digital, and alerts held steady from 2018 through 2020 – varying slightly between $4.1 million and $4.4 million per brand– it rapidly increased during the pandemic to $19.2 million in 2021, falling back to $13.3 million in 2022. Similar increases occurred in paid search and social media, rising from less than $1 million in 2020 to $5.5 million and $10.1 million in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The company said email communication remains a valuable tool for reminders and general information. The effectiveness of digital-channel promotion is improving, with steadily increasing ROI on spending.Axtria's analysis showed an ongoing increase in the return on investment that life sciences companies are experiencing from their digital expenditures over the 2018 – 2022 period) – with a demonstrable difference between growth brands and mature brands. The former sometimes showed dramatic growth in the ROI of email and social media. Mature brands showed moderate growth in ROI across all digital channels. Data also showed that healthcare providers are becoming more receptive to digital platforms, engagement on social media is increasing, and digital data offers a high value for data analysis and model building. Marketing objectives are changing.Axtria also revealed that a higher emphasis on patient initiation for drug refills is emerging, and companies are emphasizing different channels for patient initiation and refills. These changes will have future implications for budget allocations and expected returns on investment. "Best-in-class companies will also need to use more marketing analytics to gain customer insights while using product-based solutions to innovate and optimize MMx modeling," said Wood. Wood added that a blend of strategic thinking and granular tactical planning will contribute to success and the ability to stay flexible to market changes and adapt to digital transformation. "This kind of agility will help successful companies maximize their returns while improving the customer experience and overall return on investment," he said.

IQVIA Named to Fortune World's Most Admired Companies List

IQVIA a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and clinical research services to the life sciences industry, has been named to the Fortune World's Most Admired Companies™ list for the seventh consecutive year. For the third year in a row IQVIA earned the first-place ranking within the Health Care: Pharmacy and Other Services category. The company also ranked number one in six categories for quality of management, people management, innovation, quality of products and services, global competitiveness, and use of corporate assets. Fortune® World's Most Admired Companies™ is the definitive report card on corporate reputation. Since 1997, Fortune® has identified, selected, and ranked the World’s Most Admired Companies, identifying the business practices that make these companies highly regarded among their peers.

West Pharma Named as America's Greatest Workplaces 2024 for Diversity

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. a global leader in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration, announced that it is recognized as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. This survey included interviews with over 220,000 individuals and analysis of more than 1.5 million company reviews collected in 2022 and 2023. "As a global organization, we know that DEI benefits the entire workforce and supports the overall success of our people, customers and business, which is inherent to our core value of One West Team." said Annette Favorite, Sr. Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at West, "We are proud of this award, which celebrates that we offer a culture in which team members across the world — with varying life, educational, cultural and family experiences — all have a voice." West is dedicated to fostering an environment that celebrates differences and promotes collaboration, ensuring every employee feels supported and has equal opportunities to thrive. Emphasizing diversity is a key aspect of West's recruitment strategy, and today at West, 44% of its senior leaders are women and/or people of color with 53% of them being promoted to senior leadership in 2023. Additionally, West offers Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs) in focus areas like multiculturalism, veterans and women's initiatives, with active chapters in regions where West operates. West's commitment goes beyond its team members, with donations of more than $1 million each year for the last five years to over 40 charities supporting underserved communities from cradle to college, ensuring access to those most at risk and investing in the process with its community partners. "Diversity is a widely discussed topic – and it remains a crucial factor as people look for an employer or a business partner. Newsweek and market-data research firm Plant-A Insights are proud to introduce 'America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024,' highlighting companies that are committed to offering diverse and inclusive work environment," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor-in-Chief, Newsweek.

Talogy launches new approach to leadership assessment and development

The world of work is changing at a pace previously unseen, and with that comes new expectations for leaders. These new expectations have turned leadership roles into more complex positions that are more impactful than they have ever been. Today's leaders are required to be resilient and agile, to lead with compassion and humility, all while achieving results. Poor leadership can impact an organization in more ways than one, including employee turnover, ineffectiveness, and the inability to reach goals, while impactful leaders help to create a positive corporate culture and motivate their team to achieve at the highest level. Our research has shown that while over 90% of employees and leaders felt effective leadership is important for organizational performance, only 55% of employees felt leadership in their organization was effective at the moment. The new Talogy InView Leadership™ approach and talent solutions strengthen organizations with a more agile, people-centric approach to selecting and cultivating future-ready leaders who connect people, purpose, and performance. Built upon the above-mentioned research of employees and leaders across the globe, we created the Talogy InView Leadership framework and solutions to help organizations hire, engage, develop, and retain top leadership talent. With Talogy's consultative approach and suite of solutions, organizations of any size are able to build customized programs that develop impactful leaders who deliver results. Key benefits: Reflects the key qualities, skills, and behaviors for effective leadership in the modern-day world Offers an integrated suite of solutions to assess and develop future-ready leaders Delivers solutions at all leadership levels, enabling scaling across the organization Enhances and empowers leader self-awareness and emotional intelligence throughout the process Is underpinned by modern technology and expert insights to deliver actionable feedback for real-world results Offers flexibility of ready-to-use, integrated solutions or a more tailored approach to enrich your current framework with the most up-to-date insights Enables organizations of any size, from enterprise-wide to small businesses, to create the program that best serves their needs "Talogy's InView Leadership approach offers holistic insights and evidence-based recommendations supported by our 75-year history of leadership assessment and development experience. Our team has designed this framework and its solutions to assess and develop leaders to create sustainable change within organizational teams to withstand current challenges, exceed new expectations, and adapt to the continual changes we are seeing in the workplace. Our team of senior consultants expertly guide and tailor programs to the needs of our clients to best provide for each level of leadership in an organization," said Stephen Tapp, Talogy CEO.

Boehringer Ingelheim India Earns Top Employer 2024 Accolade for Second Consecutive Year

Boehringer Ingelheim India has been recognised as a Top Employer 2024" for the second consecutive year. The certification was awarded by the Top Employers Institute, an independent global authority that recognises excellence in people practices & culture. The 2024 certification underlines the profound impact of the company's comprehensive people-first approach in driving business outcomes and navigating transformations. This marks a proud moment for Boehringer Ingelheim India, celebrating 20 years of innovation and service to India. The research-driven company is dedicated to fostering a dynamic workplace culture focused on employee growth and business strength. Behind these accomplishments stand the incredible individuals – the people of Boehringer Ingelheim India's stated Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Managing Director. “We build the right team and foster an inclusive environment where diverse thinking is valued. It is through their dedication and passion that we improve the lives of patients and communities worldwide. Sanjay Srivastava, Director – HR, emphasized the company’s commitment to its most valuable asset—its people. “Being recognized as a Top Employer is a reflection of our ongoing efforts to create a workplace where every employee feels valued and has the opportunity to excel.In this edition, the Top Employers Institute particularly recognized the company’s commitment to people development & career growth, progressive DEI practices and leadership & managerial enablement. Boehringer’s employer offerings receive high scores in the categories of “Develop” and “Steer,” emphasizing the link between creating meaningful opportunities for our employees and the company's purpose of transforming lives for generations. The internal Boehringer Ingelheim University, launched in 2023, plays a crucial role in this achievement, with more than 60% of employees intensifying their professional development on this learning experience platform.

Infinitus named as one of the "Top Employers of China 2024"

The prestigious certification is initiated by the Top Employers Institute, established in 1991. The organization is known for its commitment to identifying and acknowledging exemplary employers in China and worldwide. The institute follows a rigorous assessment that encompasses a thorough review of HR practices across six domains, covering 20 topics and nearly 300 specific criteria, evaluated through a globally standardized certification process and verified by an independent third party. The comprehensive evaluation selects employers who provide the most favorable working conditions in their geographic regions. The "Top Employers of China" certification aims to recognize companies for their HR strategies and practices over the past year and provides authoritative proof that these companies have created a better workplace environment for their employees. Exploring Infinitus' Recognition by the Top Employers Institute: A Year in Review Embracing uncertainty with a robust corporate culture and aiming for long-term growth To navigate an uncertain future, it is essential to nurture a growth mindset and maintain a flexible organizational structure. Infinitus, remains committed to its unique and enduring corporate culture, which strives to achieve strategic goals through resolute beliefs, decisive actions, and consistent execution. Promoting holistic employee well-being through a comprehensive wellness strategy Infinitus is dedicated to providing a comfortable work environment that encourages a balanced lifestyle through abstinent diet, regular rest schedule, appropriate exercise and peaceful mind . The company strives to support its employees in four crucial areas: physical health, mental well-being, social engagement, and financial security. In the face of a changing market and intensified competition, Infinitus has held the title of one of the "Top Employers of China" for four consecutive years. This honor reflects the company's enduring commitment to nurturing its workforce and fostering career path, a commitment recognized by the authoritative institute. As the new year unfolds, Infinitus remains committed to fostering a sense of pride and belonging among its employees, while expanding its collaboration with entrepreneurial partners to co-create a healthier, happier future.