MBGH Update

February 25, 2026

Tomorrow! MBGH Webinar

GLP-1s & Beyond: Navigating Cost, Coverage and Clinical Value

February 26, 2026

10:30 AM to 12:00 PM (CT)

FREE for MBGH members. Open to all.

GLP-1 therapies are rapidly reshaping the landscape of metabolic care — offering new hope for individuals with diabetes, obesity and related conditions, while raising important questions for employers around affordability, access and long-term value. Be among the first to see what’s next in GLP-1 strategy. Join this webinar for the reveal of:

• A new GLP-1 employer action brief
• Fresh GLP-1 survey results from more than 90 employer respondents

Employer Insights, Learnings & Strategies

MBGH members only will have access to the program’s recording and slides for viewing after the event so be sure to join us Thursday.

MBGH Full-Day Employer Forum

Mental Health and Chronic Conditions:

Beyond One-Dimensional Care for the Modern Workforce

March 11, 2026

8:30 AM to 4:00 PM (CT)

University Club of Chicago & Virtual

FREE for MBGH members. Open to all.

Be sure to join us March 11th to fully participate in peer-to-peer discussions and a chance to win complimentary registration to the MBGH 46th Annual Conference (a $699 value)! Breakfast and lunch will be provided for in-person registrants. After the event, MBGH members only will have access to portions of the program’s recording and slides.

Employers: Return to the University Club of Chicago the following day for the National PCORI Convening. See below for details.

FREE Employer Learning Experience

Advancing Strategic Cultural Wellbeing: From Insight to Action

February 27 & March 6, 2026

12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (CT)

Employers are increasingly navigating complex cultural and wellbeing challenges. MBGH is offering this learning experience to support employers in moving from insight to action by translating conversations with employees and leadership about strategic cultural wellbeing into actionable next steps. These virtual meetings are FREE and open to all employers.

New MBGH Action Brief

Employers are moving toward direct contracting to secure affordable, high-value alternatives to traditional insurance models. This strategy supports stronger fiduciary oversight, better outcomes, and smarter cost control. Our new action brief outlines a clear roadmap for self-insured employers to leverage Centers of Excellence and direct contracting to drive greater value.

Update: Midwest Health Purchasers Collaborative

Employer members of MBGH have access to a range of high-value solutions through our purchasing arm, the Midwest Health Purchasers Collaborative (MHPC), which offers vetted, competitively priced health and benefit partners.

We know many of you are actively evaluating alternative (transparent) pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) options. To support your efforts, we want to share an important update.

MHPC is in the final stages of selecting three innovative pharmacy partners that emphasize transparency, performance and affordability, including:

• Two alternative Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs)
• One pharmacy consulting strategist focused on mid-sized employers (MHPC also offers consulting support for large employers.)

We expect these partners to be in place in April 2026.

If you are planning to conduct research, we encourage you to include MHPC partner offerings in your evaluation.

Please contact Mark Pfleger (mpfleger@mbgh.org) for more information or to discuss your organization’s pharmacy strategy needs.

Other Employer Opportunities

Survey Deadline: February 27, 2026

PPRI Mental Health Survey

Employers: Please consider completing this 15-minute survey from the Pulse of the Purchaser Research Institute (PPRI). This survey focuses on innovative mental health treatments and includes a profiling section to match participants with future project opportunities. Enter the code "EXTRA25" when prompted.

FREE Employer MBGH Member Program

PCORI National Convening on Evidence-Based Behavioral Health

March 12, 2026

8:30 AM to 3:00 PM

University Club of Chicago (virtual not available)

MBGH employer members: MBGH is serving as the host coalition and partnering with sibling coalitions and their employer members, for an upcoming PCORI National Convening. There is no fee to attend. This convening will explore how PCORI-funded evidence can be applied to strengthen mental health access, provider quality, equity, and outcomes within employer-sponsored benefit programs. We invite MBGH employer members to join us for this important opportunity to learn, collaborate, and advance comprehensive, evidence-informed approaches to mental health across employer benefits.

If you are an MBGH employer member interested in learning more, please contact Erin Pataky, MBGH Director of Member Initiatives, epataky@mbgh.org.