To rein in rising costs, employers can contract directly with a PBM, as well as avoid schemes involving rebates and "specialty generics."

Benefit brokers and advisers could face legal scrutiny if they fail to disclose indirect compensation and are advised to vet TPA contracts more carefully.

If employers want employees to be happier, healthier and more productive, then they have to actually measure each of those areas.

Adopting most-favored-nation pricing could save hundreds of billions of dollars along the way to holding PBMs more accountable and eliminating 340B program abuse.

Benefits consultants who prioritize process over results will not only improve their own business outcomes but also deliver greater value to their clients.

Benefit advisers who transitioned to healthcare from the retirement space are bullish about the future of price transparency and fee disclosure.

This emerging model offers brokers and advisers a way to adapt to changing client needs by providing a customizable alternative to traditional group health plans.

Seeing a dire need for greater fiduciary oversight of health benefits, a growing cadre of consultants are now re-deploying their expertise from years of retirement plan advising.

When compensation, benefits and culture are equally prioritized and aligned, employers will have a competitive leg up in the talent war.

Sharing knowledge through open-source collaborations and embracing transparency can help remove walls that have kept healthcare so closed and profit-driven.