Family First

At a time when employers are rethinking benefits offerings to focus on ROI, talking about game-changing innovations in leave management is on point. If you're in the Boston area, this is a terrific event, and this will be a lively panel discussion. Thank you to the New England Employee Benefits Council (NEEBC) for their visionary leadership!

I’m quoted in this insightful piece. Do you agree? “Benefits leaders are prioritizing benefits that affect a large percentage of employees, that those employees will actually use and that deliver a measurable return on investment for the company. Benefits that pass this test will be the most successful.”

I hear it from benefits leaders all the time: too many benefits touch too few people, and don't deliver an ROI. It's a new theme for benefits in 2025-- focus on solutions that impact a large number of people and that will deliver a real, measurable, credible ROI. Caregiving affects close to a quarter of working Americans, and the relentless stress and strain that come with it create health risks that cost employers billions of dollars a year. Solving caregiving problems delivers that kind of ROI -- now. No wonder leading benefits professionals, and publications like BenefitsPRO, are shining a spotlight on this massive problem and the tremendous opportunity for employers to act.

A major health insurance company just announced a new women’s health program: caregiving support. I was taken aback. Not because caregiving doesn’t impact women. But because 40% of caregivers are men. Caregiving affects more than 20% of a working population. All of those people - women and men - are at risk for health problems because of the relentless stress and strain of caregiving. Solving their problems yields a real, meaurable ROI on medical expenses, leave of absence, and other costs. I started Family First because of how hard it was for me to be a primary caregiver for my father in the years before he passed away. We work hard to reach every caregiver and to tell them it’s ok to ask for help. To everyone in employee and insurance benefits: Please see caregiving for what it is — a challenge for your whole population. And please position it to reach all, not just some, caregivers.

Employers are re-thinking benefits. Too many solutions are in place that people don't use (or even know about). The winning benefits will be those that (1) touch a lot of people, (2) will be used by a lot of those people, and (3) deliver a real, measurable ROI. Caregiving hits all 3 of these targets. It's why it's becoming such a high priority. Thanks to the Boston Business Journal for the chance to share my perspective. What do you think?

I was thrilled to be part of this provocative discussion on caregiving at HLTH. I emphasized that more than 20% of employees are also caregivers. Their health and well-being are dramatically affected by the stress and strain of caregiving, driving avoidable medical costs. Across more than 300 employer clients, on average we save more than $3,300 in medical expenses. More to come on this tomorrow. Meanwhile thanks to HLTH for highlighting this serious and important problem.

Next week, healthcare leaders will gather in Las Vegas for the annual HLTH Inc. Conference. If you’re among them, don’t miss our CEO, Evan Falchuk, speaking on the 'Employer’s Caregiving Era' panel. Highlighted by MedCity News as one of the most compelling sessions in the lineup, this discussion will dive into how caregiving is shaping today’s workforce and what companies are doing to support employee caregivers. Be sure to catch it Tuesday, October 22, at 10:40 AM on the Disco stage??

Trilled to announce a new partnership with?The Standard! This collaboration will lighten the load for caregivers while boosting workplace satisfaction and retention, fostering a supportive culture when it’s needed most.

Resources like books aren’t a panacea, but they can help validate experiences, offer advice and make us feel less alone. Via The New York Times, here are five titles recommended by health care providers and other experts, to help those who help others.

Family First delivers ROI and a world-class experience through next-generation caregiving solutions. Request a demo today.