Why does REBA run the Summit?
The Future of Health and Protection Summit is designed to empower reward and benefits directors with the insights, knowledge and data they need to make informed decisions and secure board-level buy-in for strategic investment in health and insurance benefits.
This employer-focused, invitation-only event brings together reward and benefits leaders with multinational responsibility to examine current and future challenges and explore emerging solutions and strategies designed to mitigate rising health and people risks to business and benefits budgets.
Employer-funded healthcare is at a critical tipping point
The ongoing rapid rise in healthcare costs is forcing reward and benefits leaders to reconsider how to balance affordability, employee experience and long-term sustainability.
With double-digit healthcare cost increases expected to continue into 2026 and beyond, persistent high medical trend and a growing employee shift from public to private healthcare, organisations will need to find innovative ways to manage and mitigate these ongoing cost pressures.
The underlying drivers - ranging from increased utilisation of medical plans due to rising chronic health conditions to the impact of advanced technologies like virtual GPs and AI-driven diagnostics -are demanding a fundamental rethink of how health and insurance benefits are designed, financed and delivered across global populations.
The REBA Future of Health & Protection Summit was incredibly valuable, offering insightful workshops and meaningful connections. Being a reward professional can sometimes feel isolating, but connecting with others in the field reassures you that your challenges are not unique and often provides best practice solutions or sparks new thought processes.
Balancing cost, equity and innovation
With employers seeking greater control, visibility and value from their healthcare spend, captives (and trusts) are emerging as a key financing option for multinational organisations.
The challenge for reward and benefits leaders is balancing immediate cost containment with long term sustainability, designing workforce health strategies that are inclusive, resilient and future-ready. Achieving this will demand closer collaboration across risk, finance, HR and health and safety teams, alongside smarter, AI-supported, data-driven decision-making to drive value and measurable outcomes.
Towards a future-focused, preventative approach
Exploring how multinational employers can repurpose spend and redirect budgets toward prevention, the Summit will equip leaders with the insights and practical tools needed to navigate these challenges confidently and strategically.
Through spotlight sessions, practical case studies and interactive workshops, expert speakers will provide opportunities for reward and benefits leaders to come together to learn and knowledge share around issues including innovative cost containment and alternative funding strategies, using captives effectively and strengthening internal collaboration.
2026 sponsors
These organisations support the 2026 Summit, bringing their wide range of skills and expertise. With further sponsors coming soon...
If you're interested in sponsorship, please contact Phil Hayne or Suzanne Saunders.
Key themes and topics for discussion:
- Global health trends and risks: What’s coming down the line and what this will mean for employers
- The future of healthcare provision: How emerging technologies, treatments and medical advances are shifting clinical journeys and their impact on global medical trend and premiums
- Positive cost control strategies: Identifying evidence-based drivers that can improve outcomes, reduce risks and insurance costs and guide targeted absence management and prevention efforts
- What’s the right financing model for your organisation - trusts, captives, multi-employer or multi-national pooling: Understanding which funding option will offer the best control, visibility and value and how to transition to a new funding arrangement effectively
- Investing in prevention to futureproof future workforce health and sustainability: Balancing short-term rises in service use and claim costs - amplified by digital tools such as virtual GPs - with long-term investment in prevention to build a healthier, more sustainable workforce
- Shifting from spend to value: Understanding which measures and metrics demonstrate impact to secure leadership buy-in and build a strong business case for healthcare investment
- Harnessing AI to improve visibility and efficiency: Using AI and digital tools to optimise benefit allocation, personalise the employee experience and improve health outcomes
- Using data to get ahead of workforce health risks: Overcoming data quality and access challenges to spot emerging trends, mitigate people risks early and target investment
- Navigating benefits design, compliance and consistency: Balancing global consistency with local flexibility
- Delivering whole of workforce healthcare: Identifying gaps and improving access for all employees while navigating global DEI pressures, compliance challenges and budget constraints
This event was so relevant; I learnt a lot and it really got me thinking when my thinking on this subject had really been stuck in a rut!
Who will attend?
Providing opportunities to network with peers and tap into latest thinking, insights and data, this strategic level Summit is designed to support reward and benefits leaders with UK and international responsibility and help them to navigate and manage the costs and complexities of providing employer-funded health benefits.
By creating an invitation-only event, we can ensure everyone in attendance is facing similar challenges
and can connect with those in their community to find the answers they need.
Key stakeholders will be personally invited to add their invaluable perspective and insights into the future of workplace health and protection insurances. These stakeholders include:
- Strategy and proposition leaders from insurance providers
- Key insurance consultants and intermediaries
- Senior reward and benefit leaders with buying responsibilities from mega, large and medium employers with both a UK and a global remit
- Industry commentators and influencers
Employers registered to attend in 2025 included:
