Eric Hamborg's recap of HCEG & the top 10 list

HCEG’s Annual Forum hosts some of the nation’s biggest thought leaders in order to identify the 10 biggest problems and opportunities for change within health care. But it doesn’t just stop at addressing the problems, it then challenges industry influencers to bring it back to their company and continue to innovate, create change, and make an impact.

This year, MOBE’s Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Eric Hamborg led an expert panel, which discussed sustainable outcomes and savings through lifestyle and behavioral modification.

Hear Eric’s reactions to the conference and which areas he’s most excited for MOBE to continue making a difference in.

1. Within the HCEG Top 10 list, which were the most interest of to you and seemed most highly relevant to MOBE?

As health care costs continue to soar and currently take up 15-20% of the U.S. GDP, it is not surprising to see Cost & Transparency at the top of the list for next year. At MOBE we take pride in the fact that our program does not add any additional costs into the health care system. And although transparency hasn’t moved the needle on costs as some may have expected, transparency is a great tool to help the member make better choices about their medical care options as MOBE helps them make better choices about their lifestyle.

We were also excited to see Holistic Individual Health make its way into HCEG’s Top 10 for the first-time which signals to us we on the right path. MOBE addresses and improves a members’ interaction with the health care system by working on a healthy balance between lifestyle choices and healthcare utilization. Our MOBE Guides meet our participants where they are and learn about their environment to personalize a path forward to better health.

2. How did you feel overall about the Top 10 list that was created coming out of this year’s Forum?

You can always feel good about this list being relevant because you know what went in to creating it. You have some of the best and brightest, across various areas of expertise, in the health care industry in a room debating and collaborating on topics until a consensus is formed.

3. What are the 3 most interesting conversations that you had while at HCEG’s Forum?

1. Empowering the patient – This revolved around decentralizing medical information and how doctors need to pay attention to when patients come in with information, especially any clues of social determinants of health. The consensus was the more this can be done, the better the patient can take accountability back for their own health.
2. Cost drivers and transparency – How can we move the needle on costs? Unit cost is the highest in the US -- we spend more for nearly all services and procedures in the US, yet don’t have better outcomes. Transparency alone won’t solve the cost problem, but it’s a start allowing consumers to choose more wisely especially for those with high deductible health plans.
3. The big data problem/lack of interoperability – We have the technology to process big data but haven’t figured out how to bring it all together and the privacy around that.

4. Why did the 2019 HCEG Annual Forum matter?

The 2019 HCEG Forum was very invigorating and inspiring as a collective group of executives got together to challenge the status quo, build a new Top 10, and commit to making a difference. Focusing on consumers, cost, and making all this data the health care industry has work better, sets a path for a better health care system and better outcomes for consumers.

The intimate team of people that converge and commit to HCEG are just fantastic – such great authentic people sharing trust, a willingness to challenge, and ultimately unite on one front for a greater cause is admirable.