We are thrilled to share the highlights of our recent event, on May 14^th in Houston, TX, which was an unforgettable experience for all attendees.

“This event was a powerful demonstration of the strength, collaboration, and forward momentum of our community,” said Jake Velie, Vice Chairman & President of the Health & Voluntary Benefits Association (HVBA) and Chairman and CEO of National Integrative Health. “Our goal was to create a space where professionals could learn, connect, and make meaningful contributions—and we delivered on that promise. But more importantly, this event showcased HVBA’s unwavering commitment to driving innovation into the marketplace. From groundbreaking solutions in pharmacy and data analytics to pioneering approaches in employer risk management, we introduced partners and strategies that have never been seen in this space before. HVBA is proud to be leading the way with cutting-edge solutions that are directly addressing the complex challenge of controlling healthcare costs.”

Here’s what was featured:

Innovation Summit: Attendees gained exclusive market insights, gaining firsthand knowledge of emerging trends and innovations shaping the future of voluntary benefits and healthcare strategies. Broker-centric content, focused on real-world solutions, sales strategies, tools, and revolutionary products and services shaping the next generation of benefits to better serve employer clients and expand their portfolio. These sessions ensured participants left with a thorough understanding of the current changes and dynamics affecting their clients. 

Attendees heard from industry leaders, including:

• MassMutual
• Fetch Pet Insurance
• National Workplace Violence & Safety Alliance (NWVSA)
• Juice Financial
• Summer
• American Public Life (APL)
• Motivity Care
• Uncommon Benefit Partners & National Integrative Health
• MediCircle

“The energy in Houston was incredible. We had a great mix of brokers and sponsors really leaning in, asking smart questions, and making meaningful connections,” said David Sherman, Chief Revenue Officer of the Health & Voluntary Benefits Association (HVBA) and Vice President at PTO Exchange. “It’s clear there’s a lot of excitement about what we’re building at HVBA—and we’re just getting started. Ask me about membership, happy to share why now’s the time to get involved.“

Experience at The Westin Houston Medical Center/Museum District: The event included a special networking reception at The Westin. This unique venue provided an engaging atmosphere where attendees could enjoy interactive content and meaningful networking opportunities. The attendee experience was designed to foster connections in a relaxed, intimate, and enjoyable setting.

Charity Auction & Raffle: Our charity auction was a highlight of the event, drawing enthusiastic participation from over 70 attendees. Bidders had the opportunity to win exclusive items while contributing to a worthy cause, Trinity Oaks, the only Purple Heart Wounded Warrior non-government ranch in the United States. The auction not only added an element of fun but also emphasized the community’s commitment to philanthropy, raising over $22,000 gross.

Networking Reception: After the Innovation Summit sessions, attendees gathered for the HVBA Benefit Roadshow Networking Reception. Throughout the event, attendees enjoyed a variety of five-star appetizers, food, and beverages. The culinary offerings were exceptional! This reception was an excellent platform for industry professionals to connect, share insights, and build long-term relationships. Brief speeches from industry leaders enhanced the networking experience.

“Thank you for putting together a great roadshow. I know it takes a ton of planning, event management, improvising, and so much more. It’s always great to get around some talented industry pros, and the conference was well done with good presentations. Trinity Oaks is awesome, and the prizes were great. Appreciate all that each of you do and thankful to be a small part of it,” shared Dennis Ontaneda, National Distribution Manager, Consumer Solutions & Voluntary Benefits Accident & Health for Zurich NA.

A special recognition goes out to our Executive and Advisory Board members, as well as our Sponsors, Attendees, and Members, who make these events possible.

“Our Houston event was a tremendous success, bringing together industry professionals to share knowledge, build connections, and support meaningful causes. We are grateful for the enthusiastic participation and generous contributions from everyone involved,” said Robert S. Shestack, Chairman & CEO of the Health & Voluntary Benefits Association and Chief Revenue Officer of Juice Financial. “This event showcased the best of our community’s commitment to excellence and collaboration. Stay tuned for HVBA in Nashville August 27 & 28th”.

For further information, please visit our website www.vbassociation.com. If you have any questions about sponsorship or membership, please reach out to Sarah Hunt at shunt@vbassociation.com.

By: Center for Connected Health Policy

An April 2025 report by Peterson Center on Healthcare, Evolving Remote Monitoring: An Evidence-Based Approach to Coverage and Payment, assesses remote patient monitoring (RPM) utilization across Medicare and Medicaid populations to provide policy insights around how remote monitoring technologies can improve clinical outcomes as well as reduce spending. The report looks at current coverage and reimbursement policies applicable to remote monitoring, the clinical benefits remote monitoring has been shown to provide, and recommendations to better align policies with clinical evidence.   According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’ Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring Fact Sheet, which was just updated last month, remote patient monitoring (RPM) allows a patient to collect their own health data using a connected medical device which automatically transmits the data to their provider. RPM encompasses both remote physiological monitoring and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM). Remote physiological monitoring involves using non-face-to-face technology to monitor and analyze a patient’s physiological metrics, such as blood pressure, while remote therapeutic monitoring captures non-physiological data related to a therapeutic treatment, such as medication adherence. Medicare began reimbursing RPM in 2019, adding RTM reimbursement in 2022, and both of their respective code sets include three primary components: device supply, device set-up/education, and the provider’s time spent reviewing the data and managing treatment: RPM CPT & HCPCS CODES: Many state Medicaid programs have established RPM coverage policies similar to Medicare, with 41 states providing at least some type of RPM reimbursement based on CCHP’s research reflected in our policy trend maps. In terms of private payer RPM coverage, it is noted that RPM reimbursement across commercial insurers is not well-known, but some payers have adopted more narrow policies which limit the set of conditions eligible for RPM reimbursement.   The authors draw on the clinical benefit information gathered through the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) evaluations of digital health tools to treat the primary conditions associated with Medicare/Medicaid utilization of remote monitoring services: hypertension, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, there is some analysis of RPM duration of use by defining periods of continuous use as episodes to determine shifts in length of RPM use by condition. Overall, the analysis found that clinical effectiveness and duration of benefit vary by condition and product, and that remote monitoring is currently used by a very small percentage of Medicare/Medicaid populations. However, RPM utilization, as well as its duration of use, are quickly growing. Findings include:  Hypertension is the primary diagnosis for 57% of all Medicare beneficiaries with an RPM episode; musculoskeletal disorder is the primary diagnosis for almost 60% of beneficiaries with an RTM episode.The average RPM episode for hypertension lasts 6.6 months; the average RTM episode for a musculoskeletal disorder lasts 1.7 months.RPM blood pressure monitoring during periods of active medication management allows providers to quickly adjust patients’ hypertension medications, resulting in rapid improvements in blood pressure outcomes.Physical therapy RTM patients experience greater improvements in pain and function than those who receive only in-person physical therapy.RPM for diabetes may be most effective when targeting patients with the highest starting HbA1c levels and those who are at critical transition points in their care plan.One percent of Medicare beneficiaries use RPM today; they tend to be older, nonwhite, urban, more medically complex, and dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.Less than 0.2% of Medicare beneficiaries received RTM services in 2023; they tend to be older, white, women, and live in urban areas.In 2023, 451,000 patients in Medicare used RPM services, versus 44,500 in 2019.On average, the duration of continuous RPM use in Medicare rose from 1.7 to 5.2 months between 2019 and 2023. Based on these findings, the report recommends that policymakers consider:  1. Better aligning RPM coverage policies to the conditions/durations found to have the most clinical benefit. 2. Improving access to high-impact remote monitoring tools. 3. Requiring more specificity on RPM billing claims to improve data collection. The report makes an interesting suggestion in regard to the second recommendation, ensuring availability of high-impact remote monitoring tools. The evaluation found that most beneficiaries utilizing RPM were primarily located in urban areas. Therefore, to improve RPM access specifically in rural areas, which have higher rates of chronic disease and traditional access issues, it is suggested that CMS reassess its current geographic variations used for Medicare reimbursement. The authors acknowledge that the geographic variation seeks to align payment with local costs of living, but also highlight that it may limit national companies from offering digital health tools in more rural and low-cost regions.   In regard to the first recommendation, aligning policies with clinical evidence, the report notes that there currently is no Medicare limit on the conditions for which RPM may be used, as well as no limit on the duration of reimbursement. Nevertheless, the findings seem to show that current RPM condition/duration rates are already consistent with the clinical evidence in this area. For instance, the clinical evidence review found that RPM use in patients with hypertension is most valuable within the first six months, when active management of medications for blood pressure occurs. Meanwhile, Medicare utilization data found that an average RPM episode for hypertension lasts 6.6 months. In addition, the evidence shows that RTM improves outcomes for people with musculoskeletal conditions during targeted physical therapy episodes that last 2–4 months, while the average RTM episode for a musculoskeletal disorder was found to last 1.7 months.   The last recommendation relating to data collection also highlights that currently Medicare does not require RPM claims to explicitly report information related to the condition being treated and device being used, therefore the data and evidence available is not yet entirely clear.   As coverage of remote monitoring services and the devices used are still relatively new, it may be best for policymakers to first focus on strategies to increase both RPM access and data collection to form a more thorough evidence base before considering further refinements to RPM policies. RPM billing rules are already quite complex, and additional limitations may decrease both provider participation in utilizing RPM technologies in their practice, as well as patient access to the clinical benefits RPM provides.   For more information, please review Evolving Remote Monitoring: An Evidence-Based Approach to Coverage and Payment in its entirety. For information regarding RPM coverage and reimbursement policies within Medicare and Medicaid, please utilize CCHP’s Policy Finder to search by both topic and jurisdiction.

Source: Center for Connected Health Policy, personal communication, May 20, 2025