CLEVELAND, Sept. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- aequum LLC, a tech-driven, cost containment company serving more than 425 self-insured health plans and their participants in all 50 states, is proud to announce that two members of its leadership team will be featured speakers at the SIIA Innov8 National Conference 2025, October 12–14 in Phoenix, Arizona. Attendees are invited to join either session on October 13, 3:15–4:30pm MDT: Christine Cooper, CEO and Co-Founder, joins legal experts at “Lawsuits Alleging Fiduciary Breaches,” Grand Sonoran Ballroom F; while Jack Towarnicky, member, participates in a session titled, “New and Innovative Solutions to High-Cost Medical Claims,” Grand Sonoran Ballroom E.
“Employers are on alert that managing a self-insured health plan now comes with serious legal risk,” says Cooper. “Even responsible companies can be sued if they’re not actively controlling healthcare costs. The most effective way to avoid litigation is to avoid being an easy target in the first place. I look forward to sharing with attendees the role of a specialized resource like aequum in helping employers design plans that are legally defensible, cost-effective and aligned with the latest federal requirements. Services should be built to protect plans and participants from unreasonable charges and compliance missteps.”
Cooper’s panel explores the growing wave of litigation targeting self-insured plan sponsors and fiduciaries over alleged overpayments for medical and pharmacy benefits. The session will cover lawsuits brought by both plan participants and sponsors, with a focus on allegations of fiduciary breach, lack of oversight and the Department of Labor’s evolving stance on service provider accountability.
Towarnicky’s session will examine the ongoing financial burden of catastrophic claims and the disruptive effect they have on plan sustainability.
“Together with industry panelists, we will identify the prevalence of higher cost treatments, including cell and gene therapies, and provide plan sponsors with a checklist of recommendations to help them to address these extraordinary expenditures,” says Towarnicky. “I anticipate sharing information on the creation of plan designs that will minimize plan exposure to high-cost claims.”
The SIIA National Conference is one of the self-insured industry’s premier events, bringing together innovators, executives and thought leaders to explore emerging trends and strategies.
For more information about aequum and its work supporting health plans and participants, visit aequumhealth.com.
About aequum LLC
Founded in 2020, aequum LLC serves third-party administrators, medical cost management companies, stop-loss carriers, employer-sponsored health plans, and brokers nationwide to protect plan participants, improve employee satisfaction with their healthcare plans, and generate plan and participant cost savings. aequum LLC helps patients defend against medical balance bills and provides administrative services to its partners. Its sister organization, Koehler Fitzgerald LLC, offers legal advocacy to plan participants. Visit aequumhealth.com.
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