Industry Impact
Samata Health
The Alliance
Upwards (formerly WeeCare)
Individuals
Ashok Subramanian
Founder & CEO
Centivo
Organizations
Bernie Knobbe
Bernie Knobbe oversees global benefits and wellbeing
for AECOM’s nearly 50,000 employees. As an executive
leadership team member, Knobbe finds innovative ways
to ensure the firm’s employees can effectively engage
with its wellbeing programs. He has done so through
leadership toolkits designed to inform key leaders about
the latest in benefits and wellbeing so they can better support and educate their team members. He is also the executive sponsor for AECOM’s LGBTQ+ Pride employee resource group and counsels its members, as well as members of other ERGs, on programs available to meet their unique needs. Knobbe seeks to expand programs and resources tuned to the evolving needs of employees under the guidance of global committees made up of representatives from across the business. Under his leadership, AECOM has experienced record-setting employee participation in its wellbeing programs and challenges.
SVP, Global Benefits and Wellbeing
AECOM
After starting her career in employee benefits consulting
as a temp in 1996, Liz Frayer became president of
Strategic Employee Benefit Services in 2008 and then
purchased and rebranded the agency as Intrepid in 2013.
Under her leadership, Intrepid has developed a reputation
as an innovator and leader in health care consumerism.
Frayer is regarded as an expert on the topic and has been a featured speaker at the University of Georgia, her alma mater, and on Atlanta Business Radio. Her passion for Intrepid and the benefits industry has resulted in numerous accolades, including being honored as an influential woman in benefit advising. Frayer is also passionate about giving back to the community. Intrepid’s all-woman team enjoys participating in its annual “Hall-o-wish” project, which provides new and gently used Halloween costumes to children whose families may be unable to afford them.
President
Intrepid
Liz Frayer
Ashok Subramanian founded Centivo in 2017 to solve
the affordability crisis plaguing the health care system.
The firm developed a new type of health plan centered
on a primary care provider model that ensures access to
quality, cost-effective care for millions of workers who
struggle to pay their medical bills. Centivo’s flagship plan
includes free primary care, zero deductibles and predictable copays. The firm won a $30 million investment from Morgan Health, a JPMorgan Chase & Co. business unit focused on improving the quality, equity and affordability of employer-sponsored health care, and it was selected as Blackstone/Equity Healthcare’s national accountable care organization (ACO) option for their portfolio companies. With more than 20 years of experience, Subramanian is a noted industry disruptor and is frequently invited to speak at conferences about the breakdown of the health care system. He believes there is more work to be done to make health care affordable by encouraging the right care rather than less care.
Founder & CEO
Centivo
Ashok Subramanian
Ashok Subramanian founded Centivo in 2017 to solve the affordability crisis plaguing the health care...
Design by Chris Nicholls
Liz Frayer
President
Intrepid
Bernie Knobbe
SVP, Global Benefits and Wellbeing
AECOM
After starting her career in employee benefits consulting as a temp in 1996, Liz Frayer became...
Bernie Knobbe oversees global benefits and wellbeing for AECOM’s nearly 50,000 employees. As an...
Industry Impact
Brightside
ClaimDOC
Galileo
Healthcare2U
Better mental health is the objective that drives Samata Health. The firm, co-founded in 2019 by CEO...
For more than three decades, The Alliance has led the effort to make health care more transparent...
Upwards (formerly WeeCare) assists employers of all sizes in offering childcare benefits to their...
Founded in 2018, Brightside is led by co-founder and CEO Tom Spann. The firm supports more than...
A nationally recognized disruptor, ClaimDOC offers an alternative solution to plan sponsors who are...
Galileo is a digital medical practice founded in 2019 and led by CEO Thomas Lee, M.D. The practice...
Co-founded in 2013 by president and CEO Andy Bonner, Healthcare2U is a membership-based hybrid...
For more than three decades,
The Alliance has led the effort
to make health care more transparent through creative approaches to network and benefit plan design using custom provider networks coupled with data mining and analysis. The not-for-profit cooperative uses reference-based contracting to find savings for its employer-members and leverages its bargaining power to contract better prices compared to large PPOs to help employers reduce their health care spending. In addition, The Alliance engages in policy work, including advocating for the Wisconsin All-Payer Claims Database and recruiting for Rand Corp.’s Hospital Price Transparency Study. Founded in 1990, The Alliance is led by CEO and president Cheryl DeMars. Since 2022, membership in The Alliance has grown to more than 340 employer-members, representing 115,000 covered employees and contracts with more than 38,000 doctors and practitioners. Members saved more than $370 million in health care costs in 2022.
The Alliance
Better mental health is the objective that
drives Samata Health. The firm, co-founded
in 2019 by CEO Elizabeth Owings, is working to increase the accessibility of mental health care for the workforce with a usage-based model that keeps the cost of therapy affordable. In addition, Samata Health provides countless resources, workshops and free advocacy materials to educate about mental health, and makes support teams available to companies of all sizes that cater to the entire workforce, not just a select few. Over the past 12 months, the company has offered more than 100 free workshops to support different teams on topics like burnout, mental health training, mindfulness and more. For niche needs, Samata Health recruits new providers to ensure that the client has access to the best care options. The company now helps employees in all 50 states and across the globe.
Samata Health
Co-founded in 2013 by president and CEO
Andy Bonner, Healthcare2U is a membership-
based hybrid direct primary care (DPC)
organization that provides primary care at
more than 40% below the average cost of traditional DPC practices. Through its proprietary private physician network, the firm focuses on early detection, treatment and management of acute and chronic conditions before the onset of serious illness, potentially expensive hospital visits, and long-term care. By keeping out-of-pocket costs low, Healthcare2U encourages employees to maintain regular check-ups to help reduce overall claim costs. Healthcare2U experienced a 32.3% increase in members from May 2022 to May 2023 and grew its physician network by 17%. To support diversity and inclusion internally, Healthcare2U created the Joy Division in 2022, a group composed of employees representing various ethnicities, backgrounds and departments, who meet monthly to focus on company culture and awareness.
Healthcare2U
Galileo is a digital medical practice founded
in 2019 and led by CEO Thomas Lee, M.D.
The practice aims to reduce health disparities
around race, gender identity and sexual orientation and ensure everyone has access to the best possible health care. It seeks providers from diverse backgrounds who are committed to providing culturally competent care. It uses Violet, a cultural competency training platform, to provide credentialing modules on LGBTQ+ care, gender-affirming care, inclusive language, anti-racism in health care and social determinants of health. Galileo covers all segments of the health care industry, including commercial insurance, uninsured, Medicare and Medicaid. More than 90% of conditions can be treated without a referral for an in-office consult, and its care plans have reduced total cost of care by 11.5%. Galileo has rolled out several initiatives to raise awareness of its commitment to diversity and inclusion, including hosted webinars and orientation sessions in Spanish.
Galileo
A nationally recognized disruptor, ClaimDOC
offers an alternative solution to plan sponsors who are struggling with the rising costs of health care. Founded in 2013, ClaimDOC is a family-owned agency led by SVP of Growth, Omar Arif. Based on the principles of reference-based pricing, the solution combines licensed health care professionals with sophisticated technology to lower costs and provide richer benefits to employees. Objective industry data is used to negotiate fair and ethical payments in a process that allows the firm to benchmark costs nationally and establish fair reimbursement rates for clients across the country. Among its services are acting as a co-fiduciary to plans, comprehensive medical claim auditing, ERISA appeal management, litigation defense, and balance-bill support. Clients typically save 25% to 35% within the first year of switching to ClaimDOC from a traditional carrier/network program.
ClaimDOC
Founded in 2018, Brightside is led
by co-founder and CEO Tom Spann. The firm supports more than 300,000 families with day-to-day financial needs, including helping individuals reduce debt while improving emergency savings, an especially important initiative amid record inflation. These financial care services rely on one-on-one contact with Brightside’s financial assistants, who work to understand each person’s unique situation and barriers and do the bulk of the legwork to set clients up for financial success. It also impacts the diversity and inclusivity of the workplace by fostering high rates of engagement with women and people of color and helping them close gaps in retirement savings, reduce debt, improve credit scores and automatically save for emergencies. Last year, Brightside put nearly $10 million back into the hands of employees.
Brightside
Upwards (formerly WeeCare) assists employers of all
sizes in offering childcare benefits to their employees
and provides families across the country with access to
quality and affordable childcare. Founded in 2017 and
led by co-founder and CEO Jessica Chang, Upwards is
the largest childcare network in the country. The
organization supports childcare providers in operating
sustainable businesses through a technology-based marketplace that connects parents and childcare providers and collaborates with government entities to enhance access to childcare. Upwards also supports in-home daycare businesses in optimizing their operations and enhancing transparency and visibility within the childcare industry. Upwards offers a diverse range of affordable and customizable childcare options, including tuition subsidies, backup care and search assistance. Upwards offers savings of approximately 40% compared to the average monthly childcare cost.
Upwards (formerly WeeCare)