EBRIs Dallas Salisbury Settled in New Role of President Emeritus
After 37 years leading the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), Dallas Salisbury has settled into his new role as president emeritus and resident fellow – but not before giving an “exit interview” to Employee Benefit News about what he’s most proud of and where he believes U.S. health care is headed. In this article, Dallas talks about the vastly different health care landscape in 1978, when EBRI was first founded, and the current state of the industry and employer-sponsored health plans in the wake of the Affordable Care Act. Dallas discusses the advantages of the employment-based system – in particular, the facilitation of enrollment, group design, and payroll deduction – and the increased role of technology and data going forward. Says Dallas: Health insurance “keeps people at the office, it keeps people working. It contributes to productivity. It's the whole, if you will, wellness movement.” In other words, employers need to invest in their workers’ health to help keep them engaged and productive.