The Illusion of Safety with Vertically Integrated PBMs

True risk reduction in a self-funded health plan does not come from having fewer vendors. It comes from understanding exactly how dollars flow, how incentives are structured, and how outcomes are measured.

2026 PBM Shakeup Federal and State Actions Target the Big Three

For patients, employers, and pharmacies, the coming months may finally bring the clarity and fairness long promised but rarely delivered.

Mail-Order Modernized: Savings Unlocked for Self Funded Employers

Mail-order pharmacy vendors, especially those outside the traditional PBM ecosystem, are beginning to reshape how employers think about access, transparency, and long-term cost containment.

The Power of the Pool: Leverage of Collective Care

The future belongs to those who pool risk, share strategy, and build benefits ecosystems that scale with intention rather than react in crisis.

When Do Plan Sponsors Finally See a PBM’s True Net Cost?

Understanding PBM net performance is not about being suspicious. It is about being informed.

The GLP-1 Revolution: What Expanding Indications Means for Employers in 2026

We are at the beginning of a broader therapeutic transition as clinicians recognized that GLP-1 medications influence much more than blood sugar alone.

Rebate Guarantees: What Employers Should Demand

A drug with a higher rebate had a better chance of being favored over alternatives, even when the clinical profiles of the drugs were similar.

Reframing the Role of UM in PBM Strategy

Utilization management (UM) programs are often cast as the referees; enforcing rules, limiting waste, and protecting plan sponsors from runaway drug costs.

Ingredient Cost and Why it Matters

Understanding what ingredient cost actually represents and how it plays out across different segments of the industry is essential for any self funded employer trying to control rising pharmacy expenses.

The pharmacist beyond the counter

With logistics handled by machines, pharmacists are free to do what they were trained to do: counsel patients

Rise of Niche Benefits Vendors

A new generation of benefits vendors are making quiet, but meaningful, waves in a landscape dominated by legacy giants

From Off-the-Shelf to Customized

What It Really Means to Go Self-Funded. Reclaiming Agency, Redefining Risk, and Building a Benefits Ecosystem That Reflects You

Putting Member Experience First

Patients are no longer passive recipients of care. They’re savvy shoppers, digital natives, and vocal advocates

Beyond Borders, Beneath the Surface

The Rise of International Drug Sourcing in Pharmacy Benefits. Why Self-Funded Employers Must Rethink PBM Strategy as Global Sourcing Becomes the New Frontier