CEO Message
What an exciting finish to the World Cup! Whether you’re a big soccer fan or not, one can’t help but be inspired and encouraged by the healthy competition experienced over the past month. Many lessons could be learned, but one thing that stood out to me was the comradery and unification of fans and cultures, coming together to rally around a common experience. It was an “alliance” of nations to showcase the pride and pageantry around the most popular sport on the planet! It was unified and compelling, reminding the world of the power of a collective voice and the impact that makes on the object of that passion.
Recently I was elected as Board Chair for the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. (View Press Release.) The National Alliance convenes the collective voice of over 40 employer/purchaser coalitions across the country, representing over 90 million employee lives. Working with and through coalitions, the National Alliance helps employers and purchasers deliver affordable, high-value healthcare by driving transparent, fair, and competitive markets, enabling effective purchasing, and advocating for meaningful policy changes at federal, state, and local levels
As an employer member of HCTN, the National Alliance gives YOU access to large national employer peers, national thought leaders, and actionable tools and resources to help you manage better benefits! (Resources Archive | National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, Policy Resources) Also, consider joining your employer peers at the National Alliance annual conference in November 2026. Together, unified at both the state and national level, we are better!
Phil Belcher
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Summer Heat + Diabetes: What Employers Should Know
Summer means vacations, backyard barbecues, and plenty of time outdoors—but it also brings added challenges for employees living with diabetes and other chronic conditions. As temperatures climb, so do the risks of dehydration, heat-related illness, and blood sugar fluctuations. A little awareness can go a long way in helping employees stay safe, healthy, and productive during the hottest months of the year. Click here to read "How the Dog Days of Summer Affect Your Diabetes" for practical tips you can share with your workforce this summer.
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Build a Stronger Diabetes Prevention Strategy—Without Starting from Scratch
Supporting employees with chronic disease prevention doesn't have to be complicated. HealthCareTN is helping employers make it easier through Healm, a free platform that provides step-by-step guidance for implementing a CDC-recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP), and through no-cost Omada employer pilots that offer evidence-based digital diabetes prevention and management solutions. Whether you're exploring new benefit options or enhancing your current strategy, these resources can help you improve employee health while managing healthcare costs. Click the button below to learn how HealthCareTN can support your organization.
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AI Just Matched — and Sometimes Beat — ER Doctors in a Harvard Study
When HCTN introduced its AI panel at our June 2024 Nashville Conference, the technology was still theoretical for most employers. Two years later it's outperforming physicians in the ER. A landmark Harvard/Stanford study in Science found OpenAI's o1 model matched or exceeded physician performance on 76 real emergency-room cases, across triage, first physician contact, and hospital admission. But the study's own lead author urged caution: this proves a concept, not that AI is ready for standard practice.
The stakes are real. Diagnostic errors kill or permanently disable nearly 800,000 Americans every year, and poorly controlled chronic disease contributes to as much as 50% of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failures. Employers and plan sponsors have to demand AI's upside. Ask vendors and health systems how AI is really being used — and insist the answer is patient care, not faster claims.
HCTN will continue tracking AI's real impact on healthcare value. Join the conversation at our AI keynote during the Knoxville Employer Conference in December.
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National Alliance Keeps an Eye on Federal Legislation
One of the biggest values of HCTN membership is our affiliation with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Under President and CEO Shawn Gremminger, the National Alliance has become a powerful voice for employers on federal healthcare policy.
Hospital, health plan, PBM, and pharmaceutical lobbies are among the best-funded in Washington. Until the National Alliance stepped up, employers had almost no seat at the table.
See the National Alliance Health Policy in Transit for a full briefing on recent federal legislative activity — much of it shared directly with our Tennessee delegation (Blackburn, Hagerty, Harshbarger) during HCTN's spring meetings.
Look for more opportunities to get involved with HCTN's legislative efforts later this year.
| | HCTN MEMPHIS Employer Conference | |
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Andrea Willis
Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
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How can employers, health plans, providers, and communities work together to improve health while reducing the growing burden of chronic disease?
Join us for the opening keynote for our Memphis Conference, Cracking the Code on Chronic Conditions, with an engaging keynote from Dr. Andrea Willis, whose leadership and vision are helping shape the future of healthcare across Tennessee. As Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Dr. Willis brings decades of experience spanning clinical medicine, public health, healthcare policy, and value-based care. Throughout her career, she has championed innovative strategies that improve health outcomes, advance health equity, and strengthen collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem.
In this inspiring keynote, Dr. Willis will explore what whole person health truly means for Tennessee employers and why addressing chronic conditions requires looking beyond traditional healthcare. Drawing from statewide trends, real-world experience, and emerging opportunities, she will examine how physical health, behavioral health, family well-being, and community factors intersect to shape workforce health, productivity, and healthcare costs. Attendees will leave with a broader perspective on the challenges facing Tennessee and practical insights that will set the stage for a full day of innovative strategies, employer collaboration, and actionable solutions designed to help organizations crack the code on chronic conditions.
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GLP1 Access - You Make the Choice
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Webinar
Wednesday
July 29, 2026
2-3 pm CT/
3-4 pm ET
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Accessing affordable GLP-1s still remains a critical healthcare business issue for employers and it’s estimated today that GLP1 spend makes up between 10-20% of an employer’s pharmacy benefit spend. This trend is unsustainable and solutions are needed to address the ever-growing issue of affordable healthcare for employers, employees, and their families.
Join HealthCareTN and learn about a new option outside the traditional insurance channel designed to expand access to obesity management medication. Program benefits of this option include cost predictability and increased line-item transparency. Employers will also hear a case study and learnings from employers who moved from PBM coverage to these new programs as well as learn what’s coming as the OMM category – and therapies – continue to evolve. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to potentially improve your GLP1 access and costs!
| | HCTN Health, Well-Being and Benefits Peer Roundtable | | |
Exclusive to HCTN employer members
Tuesday,
August 18, 2026
8:30 am - 9:30 am CT/
9:30 am - 10:30 am ET
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As an employer-led coalition, HealthCareTN is grounded in the belief that employers learn best from one another—and your feedback consistently confirms this as one of the most valuable benefits of HCTN membership. These peer roundtables are designed to create a space for employers to connect, exchange ideas, and lead the conversation on benefits and workforce well-being.
This roundtable is intentionally designed to be:
- Employer-only (no vendors, consultants, insurance TPAs, etc.)
- Closed-door and not recorded (notes may be taken for follow-up purposes only)
- Facilitated, but informal
- A safe space to network, share strategies, collaborate, and learn from peers facing similar challenges
For more information contact Trinette Small, tsmall@hctnonevoice.org.
| | MARK YOUR CALENDAR! HCTN 2026 Regional Employer Conference Series | | Follow HealthCareTN on LinkedIn! | | | HCTN is a proud member of The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. | | | | |
