National Rural Health Day honors the dedication and resilience of rural healthcare professionals across the country who serve as lifelines in their communities. Their work improves health outcomes, supports local economies and fosters strong community relationships in areas where access is limited and resources are stretched.

Update

The referenced Illinois law (HB5258), effective January 1, 2026, expands dependent eligibility to include an employee’s parent or stepparent. However, this only applies to fully insured group health insurance policies issued in Illinois that offer dependent coverage. It does not apply to self-funded plans or out-of-state policies.

Today’s blog is coauthored by Gibson’s Haley Lane and Kenzie Anders, both of whom grew up in the town of Plymouth, Indiana, where the Gibson roots first began back in 1933. You might say they are true homegrown Gibson employees.  

Kenzie and I, now colleagues at Gibson, were once high school volleyball teammates. I was the team captain and setter my senior year and Kenzie was the starting middle hitter as a freshman. We spent many afternoons, evenings, and weekends together in the gym. 

Warren Buffett said, “there are two sides to every coin…price and value. Price is what you pay, and value is what you get.”

In today’s healthcare system, there is a broad range in both price and value, and unfortunately, traditional health plans do not effectively support members consistently using high-quality, affordable providers and facilities.

On the value side of the coin, there are several reputable quality measures that consistently demonstrate wide variability in safety scores, infection rates, and overall health outcomes – even between two hospitals within the same system! And the statistics on unnecessary care, overuse of testing, and misdiagnosis are staggering.

In 2017, legendary investor Warren Buffett famously stated, “Medical costs are the tapeworm of American economic competitiveness," indicating in no uncertain terms that rising healthcare costs are the number one problem facing American businesses. Currently, healthcare spending represents approximately 18% of America’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly double per capita compared to other developed countries. To make matters worse, life expectancy is far less than that of comparable nations even after adjusting for age and non-treatable causes of death. Despite these facts, the cost of healthcare continues to rise, consistently outpacing inflation and overall economic growth. Whether you are a business owner, community leader, or industrial worker, you can relate to the pressure from rising healthcare costs and its consequences.

Landmark legislation was passed by U.S. Congress which includes exciting news regarding student loan contributions.

Today we’re sharing insight from guest blogger Peter Welsh, Director of Retirement Services for Thurston Springer. We hope you enjoy Peter's wisdom and perspective.

According to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “The only thing that is constant is change.” This certainly rings true for the year ahead in the world of employee benefits and human capital management. While not an exhaustive summary of the changes to come, the following touches on some of the key trends and area of focus for employee benefits in the near future.

From our employee-owners to you and your family, we wish you a safe and joyous holiday!