NEWS & UPDATES

Summer 2026 | 
Issue 59


 

More Choice for edHEALTH Member-Owners in 2027

edHEALTH has new program enhancements for current and prospective members-owners. As a member-owned organization, these features were based on our schools' feedback and approved by edHEALTH's Board of Managers in late May.


Effective January 1, 2027:

  • edHEALTH institutions have the flexibility to choose a TPA, carrier, and network outside of our current contracted offerings.
  • Our comprehensive Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) procurement process strengthens our current partnership with two nationally respected PBMs, with both options to be available to all member institutions.

 

These expanded offerings create more flexibility for our schools while maintaining the strength, collaboration, and sustainability of the edHEALTH coalition. We look forward to explaining how they specifically work and connecting with more institutions about these new options.

Walking Challenge Happening Now!

With just a couple of weeks remaining in the challenge, this friendly competition continues to inspire faculty and staff across most of our schools, advisors, and the edHEALTH team to increase those daily steps.


At the time of publication, two-time challenge winner Saint Joseph's College of Maine is in the lead. Let's see if they can hold on to the number one spot until the end! Stay tuned.

Get Ready for edHEALTH Renewals

The end of June is almost upon us. Member-owners, please make sure to:


  • Provide plan design menu change requests (includes all requests to change current plans (e.g., copays, visit limits)
  • Request differentials/ decrements for plan change options mentioned above


June 30 is also the RxDC submission deadline to cms.gov.


Note: You should have already informed your edHEALTH Member Relations Manager about your preferred rating date and plan design to be quoted


Schools will also receive Q1 Rx rebates in June and July.


For more key activities and dates related to your edHEALTH program, log into the edHEALTH Portal and download your member calendar.



Key Renewal Dates to Remember
August

8/10: Renewal rates available

8/12: edHEALTH Program Updates (previously PDC)

8/24: Alternate rate quotes delivered (for 8/10 renewal rates)

8/31: Renewal rates available


September

9/14: Alternate rate quotes delivered (for 8/31 renewal rates)

9/30: All signed rate sheets and program election forms are due


One of the many edHEALTH advantages is that you're all locked in by the end of September for January 2027!


Upcoming edHEALTH Member Meetings

Please hold these dates:

  • Wednesday, 8/12: edHEALTH Program Updates (Previously PDC)
  • Thursday, 9/10: edHEALTH Quarterly Finance Meeting


edHEALTH 101 meetings -

monthly virtual meetings to introduce edHEALTH and highlight how we work together with member institutions. The 101 is helpful for new Human Resources or Finance staff, or for anyone wanting a refresh.

  • Thursday, 7/9
  • Thursday, 8/13
  • Thursday ,9/10

2026 Annual Member-Owner Meeting Communications

Whether you attended this year's meeting or had to miss it, we posted all handouts and the presentation deck in the edHEALTH portal for your future reference.

Highlights from edHEALTH's 2026 Member-Owner Meeting

On June 11, the edHEALTH Team hosted its annual member-owner meeting, appropriately titled "Reimagine the Possibilities," as institutions across the country continue to face rising costs, especially as they relate to healthcare premiums.


edHEALTH's annual in-person meeting offers member-owners the opportunity to connect with business partners and focus on building the strength of our member-owned coalition. The day was full of information-sharing, learning, personal connections, and fun as teams built an ideal health plan before closing out the day.


Thanks to the many attendees who completed our post-meeting survey. With the new session formats and venue, we very much appreciate your input. We were thrilled with the high marks for both the content and the food. More than 93% of respondents voted the meeting as excellent or very good. We will put all your feedback to good use next year.


$2 Million Returned to Member-Owners

One of the most rewarding parts of the meeting was announcing that seven edHEALTH member-owners were receiving dividends this year. In total, we gave back $2 million. edHEALTH’s Chair of the Board, John Burke (Boston College), Vice-Chair Melissa Fletcher (Wellesley College), and President and CEO Tracy Hassett happily presented checks to the representing staff from recipient member-owner schools. (Photo shows Holy Cross receiving their check, from left to right: John Burke, Tracy Hassett, Holy Cross' Vice President for Human Resources Marymichele Delaney and Human Resources Manager Allyssa Sime, Melissa Fletcher, and Holy Cross' Director of Employee Benefits David Everitt.


As a member-owned program, edHEALTH returns value directly to its owners. Dividends are a tangible result of our collective efforts to better manage healthcare costs and program performance, helping member-owners gain greater control over their healthcare spending while sharing in the financial success of the program.


Special Guest Thought Leader

Thanks to sponsorship from many of our business partners, we were able to bring our attendees a nationally respected, forward-thinking keynote speaker, Tom Koulopoulos.


Tom, an innovator, author, founder and chairman of the Delphi Group, and educator (previously serving as the Executive Director of the Babson College Center for Business Innovation, director of the Dell Innovation Lab, and a professor at Boston University), received high praise from attendees!


Survey results noted that his presentation on AI, during which he discussed treating AI as a mentor, tutor, or collaborator, was a meeting favorite. Participants noted his content was captivating, excellent, and fantastic. Tom discussed how this fast-evolving technology can support healthcare and our institutions in many ways, leaving us with much to consider.

edRISK Update and Member Growth

You may recall that edHEALTH is a program of edRISK, an employer-sponsored captive. edRISK also includes edLIABILITY and edPROPERTY, which launched two years ago.


Long-time edHEALTH member-owner Berklee joined both edLIAIBLITY and edPROPERTY effective on June 1. Both of these programs are already delivering strong results. We look forward to continuing to grow all three programs thoughtfully in the coming years.


You can learn more about edRISK, including edHEALTH,edLIABILITY, and edPROPERTY, in our 2025 annual report.

Two edRISK Senior Leaders Honored by Captive Review

We're proud to share that A. Tracy Hassett, President & CEO of edRISK, has been recognized once again by Captive Review. This well-deserved honor reflects Tracy's leadership, strategic excellence, and unwavering commitment to our member-owner institutions. We're grateful to have Tracy at the helm. You can read more here.



Our own Chief Financial & Operating Officer, David White, earned a spot on Captive Review's Top 20 Leading Captive Owners as part of its Power 50 2026. David was honored for setting a standard for excellence in building and developing captive programs. It recognizes David and others for their role in driving the next phase of captive industry evolution. To read more, visit Captive Review.

In the News

GLP-1s continue to make headlines. Here we share three interesting reports:


Many Patients Stop and Restart Ozempic, Zepbound, Study Finds (HealthDay)


Drugmakers Race to Find a Place in the Next Wave of Obesity Drugs (CNBC)


Weight Loss Drugs Slash Risk of 4 Types of Cancer by 50% or more-Studies Find (Medical News Today)


In other news, healthcare costs are projected to keep rising next year. This article from Fierce Healthcare provides interesting context.

Pause in Publication

The edHEALTH newsletter will take a short break during the next couple of months. While our team will continue working closely with member-owner schools and advisors, we know this is also a busy time for vacations, planning, and a well-earned change of pace. The fewer the emails, the better!


We look forward to returning in the fall with more edHEALTH updates and resources to support our member-owner community. Here's to a safe, healthy, and enjoyable summer.


Please add lbarnstein@edrisk.org to your contacts so we're recognized as a safe sender.

 
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