Each year the Best Employers Award: Excellence in Health Care Value recognizes outstanding employers who exemplify leadership in pursuing value in health care. The winner is recognized for delivering a comprehensive, novel approaches and purchasing strategies, demonstrating a track record of enhancing health care quality and patient experience, using health resources efficiently and cost-effectively, and improving health outcomes.

Award Criteria

Successful Applicants will demonstrate:

  • Effective, novel approaches to health benefits and a viable path to achieve positive impacts for employers, their partners, and their workforce;
  • Ability to take risks and convert leading edge ideas into solutions that enhance the health benefits of employees through value-based purchasing, benefit design, outcome measurement or other related methods;
  • Successful implementation of alternative care delivery or value-based payment models;
  • Demonstration of sustainability and the longitudinal value of programs, by improving quality, employee experience, and health outcomes, as well as having positive impact on cost; and
  • Thought leadership in the above areas.
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2024 Winner, United Airlines 
The 2024 Best Employers Award: Excellence in Health Care Value, then called the Helen Darling Award, was presented to United Airlines for their leadership in driving value in health care, novel approaches to health benefits, and commitment to prioritizing quality in the benefit programs. United Airlines is disrupting the traditional health care paradigms through their patient-centered approach which addresses member confusion and enhances access to high quality care. Their commitment to patient experience, providing access to high-quality providers in areas affected by social determinants of health, and promoting integration and collaboration among their partners, stands out as exemplary.

Winner Details

Business Group on Health presented the Helen Darling Award at the 2024 Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona.

Quality health outcomes are essential for both our people and our business. This award reflects our team’s focus and wins in helping United team members navigate the complex health care world and access quality care in every community we serve.”

Richard Mayes, Managing Director for Health and Wellness, United Airlines

Best Employers: Excellence in Health Care Value Award Badge
Best Employers Award:
Excellence in Health Care Value

The Best Employers Award: Excellence in Health Care Value recognizes outstanding employers that deliver novel approaches and purchasing strategies that promote the efficient and cost-effective use of health care resources to enhance quality and patient experience.

Past Winners

2023

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company for their successful disruption of the traditional fee-for-service health care payment model and innovative shift toward value-based care.

2022

General Motors

General Motors for demonstrating value in the health care delivery system, innovative partnerships with health care providers, and their commitment of prioritizing quality in the benefits delivered.

2020

Cerner Corporation

Cerner Corporation for development of an innovative Center of Excellence bariatric program; a comprehensive maternity program; medical coverage for fertility treatments; and comprehensive solutions to address mental health.

2019

Walmart Inc.

Walmart Inc. for its custom Centers of Excellence, direct contracting Accountable Care Organization relationships and management of prescription drug utilization.

2018

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Costco Wholesale Corporation for its network strategy and leadership in addressing the behavioral health of their employees.