Paul Johnson, Redirect Health

Healthcare is being disrupted. While innovators are advancing alternate coverage and delivery programs — such as benefit packages and telemedicine — insurers are changing the playing field for businesses by closing out individual policies as an option for their employees.

This disruption is causing distress and even dread among small-business owners and their employees, both of whom carry the brunt of problems in today’s healthcare system. While the Affordable Care Act did expand access to healthcare, it has sprung a host of other issues, resulting in dramatically high costs. In fact, healthcare costs are so high that small businesses across the country — which employ the majority of Americans — are struggling to survive. Economists even see this as an extinction-level event for job creation.

The good news is that there are solutions. Those solutions, however, will not be driven by more government, regulations and restrictions. They will be resolved by an empowered private sector and determined entrepreneurs who are fully committed to disrupting the status quo, as well as fellow business owners willing to think differently and entertain new ideas.

With an eye to the open enrollment period that begins next month, In Business Magazine sought out industry leaders in the various areas of healthcare and benefits here in the Valley. The cover story explores the current situation and trends that impact businesses complying with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as they prepare for 2017.

The election is a hot topic of conversation now — but how heated and what’s appropriate for the workplace are questions that touch on a variety of legal issues. A local attorney with Fisher Phillips provides some insights and guidance for employers in the Legal feature.

In the HR feature, Michael Timms gets into the subject of succession planning for business leadership — a topic that’s always important but has become even more critical with the baby boomer exodus from the workforce.

One of the employee benefits most cherished by families is maternity leave. But what about dads? The Roundtable feature looks at the growing interest of men to have employee benefits that allow them more flexibility to be more involved with their family’s routines.

In addition, In Business Magazine has updated its special “Open Enrollment Guide” to provide this annual valuable resource for employers.

Getting healthcare right is something I’ve become passionate about. I am pleased to help present this “Healthcare” issue of In Business Magazine, and hope you will find the healthcare articles — as well as those on the myriad of other issues important to business — to be informative and useful.

Sincerely,

Paul Johnson
Co-founder and CEO
Redirect Health

Paul Johnson is co-founder and CEO of Redirect Health, which helps entrepreneurial businesses use healthcare savings as a mechanism for growth. 

Widely known as a healthcare visionary, Johnson currently serves as chairman of the board of directors for Arrowhead Health Centers and is a past member of the board of directors for the John C. Lincoln Hospital Foundation. 

Johnson’s entrepreneurial background includes founding Southwest Next LLC, a countercyclical real estate company, and Old World Communities LLC, a land development company in the Phoenix market, among other multi-million-dollar companies. He has also held political office, serving on the Phoenix City Council from 1985 to 1990 and as mayor of the City of Phoenix from 1990 to 1994. 

Johnson’s active involvement in local civic and professional organizations includes currently serving as chairman of the City of Phoenix Bond Commission and as a member of the executive committee of the Greater Phoenix Economic Commission.