Key Stakeholders Convene Capitol Hill Symposium To Advance Convergence of Behavioral...

Key Stakeholders Convene Capitol Hill Symposium To Advance Convergence of
Behavioral Economics and Healthcare

Innovative Thought Leaders Launch ignite09 to Improve Health Outcomes and
Lower Costs

WASHINGTON, May 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Express Scripts Center for
Cost-Effective Consumerism, the American Benefits Council and Hewitt
Associates along with other leading health and policy organizations are
bringing together leaders in innovation from across the country at ignite09, a
groundbreaking symposium on the convergence of behavioral economics and
healthcare. This exclusive event is being held today on Capitol Hill and
unites key decision makers and innovators in healthcare; top academics in
business, medicine and economics; HR executives from leading companies in
technology, healthcare and other industries; and policy and government
leaders. These attendees will discuss America's existing and emerging
healthcare problems and the real solutions made possible by applying the
principles of behavioral economics to healthcare.

Chris Jennings, a more than two decade-long health policy veteran of the White
House, Congress and the private sector, will deliver the keynote address for
ignite09 and focus on the importance of behavioral economics and the future of
healthcare.

"Behavioral economics is gaining tremendous momentum and is central to the
approach advocated by the current administration," said James Klein,
President, American Benefits Council. "Sustainable change, a critical element
of health system reform, calls for rethinking how healthcare is delivered and
aligning the needs of employers, consumers, providers and the government."

This solution-oriented symposium will draw on the insights of behavioral
economics experts and focus on providing attendees with the knowledge and
tools needed to improve health outcomes and lower costs -- a top priority for
the nation and the current administration

"ignite09 will examine how breakthroughs in behavioral economics provide
avenues for responding to current and emerging issues in healthcare," said Bob
Nease, Chief Scientist, Express Scripts. "The research being conducted by
leading academics at our Center for Cost-Effective Consumerism has led to
practical programs that are driving significant results for plan sponsors."

Classical economics assumes that people are rational and act in their own self
interest; behavioral economics looks at the real world, focusing not on how
people ought to act but instead on how they do act. Behavioral economics
draws heavily from the principles of social and cognitive psychology to
analyze the way people make decisions. A deeper understanding of why people
do what they do empowers individuals and organizations to more effectively
promote positive change in healthcare to improve outcomes while lowering cost.

"Understanding why people make the health and health care decisions they make,
and using that information to help consumers make better, more informed
decisions is key to overcoming many of the cost issues employers and
individuals face today," said Jeff Munn, Principal, Health Management
Practice, Hewitt Associates.

Symposium speakers include:
-- Alan Garber, MD, PhD Henry J. Kaiser Jr. Professor; Professor of
Medicine; Director, Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research;
Director, Center for Health Policy; Stanford University; Center for
Cost-Effective Consumerism Advisory Board Member
-- Bob Ihrie, MBA SVP, Employee Rewards and Services; Lowe's
-- Chris Jennings Longtime health policy veteran of the White House,
Congress and the private sector; President of health policy and
advocacy
consulting firm Jennings Policy Strategies (JPS), Inc.
-- James A. Klein President, American Benefits Council
-- David Laibson, PhD Harvard College Professor and Robert I. Goldman
Professor of Economics; Harvard University; Center for Cost-Effective
Consumerism Advisory Board Member
-- John Moses, PhD Communication Behavioral Thought Leader; Hewitt
Associates
-- Jeff Munn Principal, Health Management Consulting Practice; Hewitt
Associates
-- Bob Nease, PhD Chief Scientist; Express Scripts; Center for
Cost-Effective Consumerism Advisory Board Member
-- Fred Thiele Global Retirement Director; Intel Corporation
-- John M. "Jack" Towarnicky Associate VP, Benefits Planning;
Nationwide Insurance Companies
-- Kathleen Vohs, PhD McKnight Land-Grant Professor; McKnight
Presidential
Fellow; Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

-- Larry Zarin SVP, Marketing and Corporate Communications; Express
Scripts

Additional summits will also be held in Chicago and San Francisco in late 2009
to continue the discussion and include a local perspective on how behavioral
economics can best solve America's healthcare problem. For more information
about ignite09, please visit www.ignite09.com.

About Express Scripts and the Center for Cost-Effective Consumerism
Express Scripts, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESRX) is one of the largest pharmacy benefit
management (PBM) companies in North America, providing PBM services to
millions of consumers. Express Scripts serves thousands of client groups,
including managed-care organizations, insurance carriers, third-party
administrators, employers and union-sponsored benefit plans. Express Scripts
is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. More information can be found at
http://www.express-scripts.com.

Express Scripts established the Center for Cost-Effective Consumerism (the
Center), which involves leading scientists from top universities working
closely with its research and product development experts, to accelerate
development of an advanced understanding of human behavior and of what
strategies work best to motivate consumers to make optimal healthcare
decisions. For more information on the Center, visit
http://www.consumerology.org.

About American Benefits Council
The American Benefits Council is the national trade association for companies
concerned about federal legislation and regulations affecting all aspects of
the employee benefits system. The Council's members represent the entire
spectrum of the private-sector employee benefits community and either sponsor
directly or administer retirement and health plans covering more than 100
million Americans.

About Hewitt Associates
Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW) provides leading organizations around the world
with expert human resources consulting and outsourcing solutions to help them
anticipate and solve their most complex benefits, talent, and related
financial challenges. Hewitt consults with companies to design and implement a
wide range of human resources, retirement, investment management, health
management, compensation, and talent management strategies. As a leading
outsourcing provider, Hewitt administers health care, retirement, payroll, and
other HR programs to millions of employees, their families, and retirees. With
a history of exceptional client service since 1940, Hewitt has offices in 33
countries and employs approximately 23,000 associates who are helping make the
world a better place to work. For more information, please visit
www.hewitt.com.

SOURCE ignite09

Missy Britan, +1-202-530-4531, Missy.Britan@bm.com, for ignite09