Register for EBLF, Spring Working Groups & Broker Smackdown

Registration is Open for the 2025 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum

We’re pleased to announce that registration is now open for our 2025 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum (EBLF), May 27-30 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. For more than 20 years, employee benefits leaders have come together at EBLF to address systemic issues in our healthcare system and solve challenges for their shared clients.

Please note that The Council will not be promoting EBLF externally this year for the safety and security of our attendees. Additionally, our event registration site is now password-protected and will only be available via direct communications from The Council.

Register for EBLF
View Agenda
Website password: rockymtn2025

Register for 2025 Spring Working Group Meetings in Washington, D.C.

We’re excited to kick off the 2025 Working Group experience with the launch of Spring Working Group meetings, which bring together top minds in our industry for peer share and insightful conversation. Spring meeting registration is complimentary, creating an opportunity for you to invite several members of your senior team who would benefit from exposure to industry leaders in their field. Preliminary agendas below are for planning/travel purposes.

Exclusive Analysis on Proposed HIPAA Security Rule

Our legal team at Steptoe has prepared a memo, exclusively for Council member firms, on the proposed HIPAA Security Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While the proposed rule includes a comment deadline of March 7, 2025, pursuant to President Trump’s Regulatory Freeze Executive Order, the Trump Administration intends to review regulations that were proposed but not finalized by the Biden Administration. As a result, the Proposed Rule is subject to a 60-day delay and review by the new administration.

Download the memo
Read the proposed rules

Out Now: The Council’s Q4 P/C Market Survey Report

2024 trends continued in the final quarter of the year, according to The Council’s quarterly P/C market survey. Premiums across all account sizes increased by an average of 5.4%, in line with the increases in previous quarters. Q4 2024 was the 29th consecutive quarter of premium increases across all account sizes. Most lines of business recorded premium increases roughly equal to or lower than Q3 2024 increases, with the exception of commercial auto and umbrella. D&O, workers compensation, employment practices, and cyber fell this quarter and the cyber line of business showed the largest decrease out of all lines, at 1.8%.

Download the full report

The Council Announces Expanded Leadership Roles & Growth of Government Affairs Team

The Council is pleased to announce newly-expanded roles for tenured staff and the continued growth of its Government Affairs team, in support of key objectives for 2025 and beyond. These plans align with President/CEO Joel Wood’s commitment to developing Council talent and expanding on the association’s core membership benefits.

• Ken Haltenhof has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Membership.
• Beth McMahon has been promoted to Senior Vice President of People & Culture.
• Brianne Spellane has been promoted to Vice President of Membership.
• Katie Wyckoff (formerly Katie Lesemann) has been promoted to Vice President of Meetings.
• Sandy Laycox will now have the dual title of Editor-in-Chief, Leader’s Edge & Vice President, Market Intelligence.

Read the full release

Beth McMahon, SVP, People & Culture
Ask HR: How to Foster a Collaborative Mindset
SHRMChris Schneidmiller, Senior Editor – Leader’s Edge
Insurers Have Now Paid Out Nearly $7B for LA Wildfires, Report Shows
Insurance Journal

Cassandra Cameron, Director, Salesforce Platform
One Management System to Rule Them All | Leader’s Edge Magazine
Leader’s Edge

Audra Jackson, Director, Government Affairs
Trump, Republicans Confront Democrats Over March Government Shutdown
Forbes