State Employee Health Plan Directors Roundtable White Paper

The State and Local Government Benefits Administrators (SALGBA)—in partnership with the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government —hosted a roundtable to discuss the changing needs and challenges of managing health benefits. Key topics discussed included value-based care and the importance of primary physicians in improving patient outcomes, the challenges of innovation in the public sector, the political environment and how public leaders drive change, and the public leader’s relationship with the Governor’s office and strategies for influencing health benefits decisions.

The result of the roundtable is this published white paper.  We hope the paper will help foster greater dialogue about new strategies to address the challenges.

Sustainable Strategies for State Employee Benefits White Paper

This whitepaper captures a candid conversation from a webinar convened to bring together three essential voices in employee benefits decision-making: the budget office, human resources, and administrative leadership.

Each of these stakeholders plays a distinct yet interdependent role in shaping how benefits are designed, financed, and delivered at the state level, with direct implications for cities, counties, and educational institutions.

The goal of the discussion was to surface these perspectives side by side moving beyond theory to the real-world tradeoffs, constraints, and priorities that shape benefit strategy. By hearing directly from leaders responsible for budgets, workforce policy, and administration, the discussion explored where tensions arise, where opportunities exist, and how innovation can support a more sustainable and equitable approach to employee benefits across states.

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