Employer Implications of Returning to a Stabilized Business Environment

A survey conducted by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions indicates that over half of polled employers anticipate returning to a stabilized business environment by the end of the third quarter this year, said Michael Thompson.

Transcript

AJMC®: Hello, I'm Matthew Gavidia. Today on MJH Life Sciences News Network, The American Journal of Managed Care® is pleased to welcome Michael Thompson, president and chief executive officer of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, or National Alliance, who will speak on a recent study by his organization titled, “Pulse of the Purchaser 2021 to 2023 Directions in Workforce, Benefits, and Health Equity.”

Great to have you back on, Mike, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your work?

Thompson: Yeah, so we are the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, the umbrella organization for employer coalitions across the country. There are 45 coalitions who essentially provide coverage to 45 million Americans, both in the public and private sector.

What we recently did was a survey of employers across the country about their strategies in this environment around their benefits programs, but around the vaccine effort and equity efforts today.

AJMC®: Findings of the National Alliance Pulse of the Purchaser survey signals a return to a stabilized business environment by many employers and purchasers by the third quarter of this year. Can you speak on what a stable business environment will entail, and what factors may either expedite or delay the return to this new normal?

Thompson: Well, it’s actually very encouraging that over half of the employers in the survey did anticipate that by the end of the third quarter, they would be back to somewhat of normal operations. I suspect what that means, it’s really in the eye of the beholder, but I suspect what that means is that people who formerly could work at the office will be able to come back into the office, and some of the safety precautions will start to ease up as we reach kind of a critical mass of people who have been immunized.

I think there are still elements that may linger and I think others would also remind us that we will never be the same. I mean, it will likely be a different environment. Not for the next year, but for the next decade.