One of the many advantages of Bridgewell Financial’s membership with Benefits Alliance is the opportunity to participate in the organization’s annual Connect Conference. The 2024 edition—held September 22nd to 24th in Nashville—exceeded our expectations in every way, from the chance to network with leading group benefits professionals from across North America to the depth and breadth of dynamic speakers who covered a range of important topics.
Bridgewell Partner Michael Wortsman, who was joined at the conference by our Group Benefits Consultant Amr Galal, was invited to headline two sessions during the conference—‘Using an effective brand and clear messaging to build Bridgewell Financial,’ moderated by Benefits Alliance president Carolyne Eagan, and ‘Think outside the box: Leverage tech tools to make your life easier.’ As always, the assembled audience was highly engaged, while Carolyne effortlessly steered the conversation as Michael outlined his journey from independent consultant to co-partner at a fast-growing, brand-focused financial services firm.
One of the most valuable aspects of this event are the insights that we glean from the experts who take the time to share their unique perspectives. That’s particularly important in a fast-paced sector such as ours, and as we work to meet the ever-changing needs of Bridgewell’s clients. We’ve long been committed to learning and broadening our knowledge base as a firm. Events such as the Connect Conference, with the incredible group of speakers on hand to deliver their fresh takes on trending topics, is an ideal opportunity to achieve that goal.
With that in mind, here’s an overview of just some of the valuable presentations that our team had the chance to take in, along with key group benefits takeaways:
Orion Travel Insurance—Highlighted the enhanced out-of-country travel insurance solutions they offer to travellers who may not be able to acquire coverage elsewhere, which is a growing challenge in the face of an aging population and the propensity for today’s seniors to be more active and interested in enjoying their favourite destinations long into retirement. They explained that their coverage premiums are determined based on a range of factors, but that Orion’s flexible solutions offer an umbrella policy that helps to cover many pre-existing conditions.
Beneva—The Quebec-based insurer delivered insights on in-patriot coverage—specifically, coverage for temporary foreign workers coming to work in Canada. The talk highlighted the need to ensure these individuals have the equivalent provincial health insurance replacement coverage to cover their medical needs while living and working in the country.
Wawanesa Insurance—The Wawanesa team explained the details of the company’s modular flex group benefits plan for companies with between two and 15 staff members; coverage that historically has only been available to companies with hundreds of employees. Wawanesa’s flex plans include traditional life, disability and medical/dental coverage.
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities—As the third-party organization that provides best practices and guidelines for employer-sponsored group retirement savings plans in Canada, CAPSA recently released a major regulatory guideline update. Their presentation looked at how the updates could impact employers and their teams.
MFS Investment Management—Their presentation highlighted a recent MFS global survey of members and retirees’ knowledge of their post-career financial needs. The finding: the average survey respondent doesn’t fully understand the scope and breadth of their investment portfolio, showcasing opportunities for greater governance and member guidance when it comes to selecting investment solutions that meets those members’ long-term financial needs.
Manulife—Their presentation included a historical drug review, looking at key pharmaceutical trends and their impact on the group benefits sector in Canada. The key takeaways: the use of diabetes and GLP1 drugs is on the rise and poised to dominate pharmaceutical conversations across our sector in the years ahead. At the same time, demand continues to grow for drug categories that treat mental health conditions, such as ADHD.
RBC Insurance—RBC’s presentation was unique in its focus on a new method of managing healthcare claims, specifically prescription drug claims. Pharmacogenomics is a genetic test that analyzes your DNA to determine how receptive your body is to various medications. This is also called precision medicine. RBC has been offering this solution to their clients for a few years now and the results have been very positive in shortening disability claims, reducing absenteeism and, most importantly, eliminating the need for step therapy.
As always, the Benefits Alliance Connect Conference was one of the most important stops on Bridgewell’s annual networking and knowledge-gathering tour. We’re looking forward to next year’s gathering.
The Bridgewell Financial Team
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