About Julie Stich
Julie Stich serves as Vice President, Content, for the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In this role, she oversees the International Foundation’s educational programs, including online learning courses, webcasts, virtual conferences and more than 100 annual face-to-face educational events. As an employee benefits expert, Ms. Stich closely follows emerging employee benefits issues and trends, ensuring that the Foundation’s 31,000 members, who represent more than 25 million lives, are informed. Ms. Stich regularly speaks on health care, retirement and other employee benefit topics and has been quoted by numerous media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes and CNBC. She is involved with the Society of Actuaries’ Committee on Post Retirement Needs and Risks.. Ms. Stich is a member of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, the Pension Research Council and the Employee Benefit Research Institute. She holds the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) professional designation, a master’s degree in library and information science and a bachelor of arts degree in English and history from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
About the International Foundation:
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is a nonprofit membership organization that provides objective and actionable information for those working in the employee benefits industry. The organization works with plan sponsors representing a wide range of industries to share information and produce education that helps inform decisions impacting the lives of over 25 million workers through the U.S. and Canada.
Mission Statement: The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is the premier educational organization dedicated to providing the diverse employee benefits community with objective, solution-oriented education, research and information to ensure the health and financial security of plan beneficiaries worldwide.
More info: www.ifebp.org/aboutus
Get Involved form: www.ifebp.org/getinvolved
Medical Travel & Digital Health News (MTDHN): Please tell us our readers about yourself and your role in the organization.
Julie Stich (JS): I am the Vice President of Content at International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. In this role, I oversee all of the educational programs that are a big part of our mission — whether they are delivered in person, virtually, curriculum-based or during a conference. This April marks my 35th year with the Foundation.
I started as an information specialist, helping to provide member benefits and customized, personalized research of secondary sources. We compile and send resources to our members to help them deal with situations. It’s not legal advice, but it provides background information to help people before they go and talk to their lawyer or broker. Through this role, I gained my initial understanding of employee benefits. From there, I moved on to our primary research area leading survey work and then stepped up to my current position.
MTDHN: Where do you feel you bring the greatest value to the market?
JS: I believe our greatest value lies in our mission of providing objective, high-quality education and information to those who work in the benefits industry. We take great pride in it, especially in maintaining objectivity.
In a world where it often feels like you’re being pulled in different directions, we try our best to bring our participants what they need to know in an objective way. Our goal is to support individuals at all stages of their careers – whether they are just entering the industry and don’t yet understand benefits to those who are more advanced in their careers.
We train and educate people who are in the early stages of their careers. For individuals who are more advanced in their careers, we help keep them up to date with the latest trends and what they need to be thinking about.
Compliance is a major focus because so much of employee benefits is shaped by legal and regulatory requirements. Whether it’s at the U.S. federal or state level, or the provincial level for our friends in Canada (where we also serve members), we want to be the source of everything impacting benefits for employees and their families.
It’s important to stay current to keep plans relevant and in compliance. Therefore, we like to say that we represent 25 million lives with our members because the work we do directly impacts the benefits they provide.
MTDHN: Who are the members and what does it cost to join?
JS: Our membership dues are based on the calendar year and vary depending on the type of membership and region. For example, for U.S. members:
- Individual membership = $265
- Organizational membership = $995 (up to 4 individuals) + $220 for each individual over 4
- Trust Fund memberships range from $1,040 to $2,055, depending on the number of individuals.
We have a diverse membership that spans various sectors. In a company, our members can include HR professionals, benefits specialists, risk and insurance professionals, etc. We also have members who work in the public sector.
For example, someone might be working for the city of Milwaukee or the state of Wisconsin retirement system. Members in these roles could be HR professionals managing public employee benefits or trustees appointed to oversee pension and benefit plans.
Another membership group includes the multi-employer sector which consists of benefit and pension plans designed for individuals who otherwise would not have access to these benefits because they work in the construction, entertainment and hospitality industry, where they jump from project to project. These individuals don’t have access to benefits because they don’t have a single, long-term employer.
These types of plans are developed by the association of employers in conjunction with the union. Together, they run these plans to ensure workers receive benefits. But we’re also here to educate the trustees who oversee these entities.
Additionally, we educate professionals who provide services to purchasers. These members include actuaries, attorneys, investment managers, benefits consultants, accountants, auditors, third-party administrators and insurance brokers. We also have members from the captive insurance industry.
MTDHN: Since you’re the International Foundation of Employee Benefits, do you serve other countries or is it primarily the U.S. and Canada? Do you have any plans to expand?
JS: Currently, we are focusing on the U.S. and Canada. But from time to time, we’ve talked about exploring other countries. That said, we certainly do provide education on global benefits. For any organization that has global reach, we offer resources and learning opportunities that address global benefit strategies.
MTDHN: Can you tell me about your platforms in terms of events and meetings. How can someone get involved?
JS: Since we are a membership association, anybody can join if they want to get involved.
We’re always looking for subject matter experts to help us as we’re developing our education. For example, we host a variety of conferences where we approach planning in different ways.
Some conferences have an open call for proposals, while others are planned by gathering a committee of subject matter experts who advise us on what topics should be covered at an upcoming conference.
Additionally, we have curriculum-based courses and training that we develop with the help of the subject matter experts. These experts can also serve as speakers, panelists and facilitators during our events.
We offer a mix of formats that make our education accessible such as:
- Virtual education (i.e. webcasts) that are free for our members,
- Virtual conferences, workshops and training sessions,
- Asynchronous e-learning courses – available anytime so people can learn at their own pace, at their own time,
- And a wide array of in-person education, including courses, training programs and conferences.
MTDHN: Do you think there would be any interest among the members in learning more about the medical travel industry, both domestic and international?
JS: I think there could be. It’s a topic we cover periodically. We do biennial benchmarking surveys where we ask our members to tell us if they use domestic or international medical travel as a healthcare cost management technique. Our results show that while it’s not a high percentage, there are still some who do.
We cover domestic and international medical travel in some of our educational programming. I’d say there’s been more discussion around it recently than in the past, so interest does seem to be growing.
MTDHN: Where do you see the benefits industry going under this new administration?
JS: Much of what we anticipate might happen is based upon discussions during the campaign or from the previous administration.
For example, during President Trump’s first administration, there was interest in expanding access to short-term, limited duration health plans for individuals who were uninsured. Traditionally, these plans had been used as temporary coverage, whether they’re for four to six months in between jobs, after graduating school, or when you’re 26 years old and you lose coverage under your parents’ plan.
During the Trump administration’s first term, they were interested in having these plans be of a longer duration, but the Biden administration went back to making them a shorter term. We think that the Trump administration might extend that again.
We’re also closely watching key appointments such as RFK Jr. being confirmed as HHS Secretary. It will be interesting to see what direction health care policy will take under his leadership.
MTDHN: What can the industry do to be more adaptive and responsive to the changes? Is that something that the IFEBP helps with?
JS: Absolutely. The Foundation provides information in a variety of ways in addition to our education.
For example, in early January before the inauguration, we hosted a webcast for our members featuring our subject matter experts discussing what our members might see once the new administration was sworn in – particularly, what it might mean for regulations and laws.
We also have an in-person conference, Washington Legislative Update, held every May in Washington D.C., and that will also be covered. This year, the conference will be held from May 19-20 at the Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection.
Additionally, we publish a daily newsletter that goes out to our members, providing coverage of legislative changes and regulatory updates. We watch what’s coming out of the agencies and what benefits professionals need to know. Members are able to find these updates on our website and blog page.
The blog is available to anyone, but the newsletter is available only to members. We also have toolkits on our website covering topics such as the new administration, mental health, wellness, etc., and you do not have to be a member to access this content.
For example, our Presidential Administration and Employee Benefits toolkit tracks presidential administration developments to help educate the benefits community and their plan participants.
Lastly, I host a monthly podcast with my co-workers, Justin Held, Anne Patterson and Stacy Van Alstyne, called Talking Benefits Podcast. Here, we discuss various topics including mental health, employee stress, substance abuse in the workplace, financial education, family-friendly benefits, student loan repayment and educational benefits, open enrollment, spinal health in the workplace, association plans, and telemedicine, to name a few.
MTDHN: How do companies deal with their expat employees? How do they ensure that these employees receive the right healthcare and benefits?
JS: We actually have a conference for global companies – CONNECT Global Employee Benefits and Workforce Strategies Summit to be held on July 21-23, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. It not only touches upon medical tourism but is also designed for companies with multinational operations.
It’s a great opportunity for HR and benefits professionals to get insights and connect with others managing similar global challenges. Session topics this year include navigating global travel insurance, challenges of global leave management and future-proofing employee wellness in the age of hybrid work.
We also have curriculum-based training for people who work in global benefits, called the Certificate in Global Benefits Management. The program is offered twice annually with the next training July 14-18, 2025 in Chicago.
In addition, we have an online workshop called, Global Benefits Fundamentals Online Workshop, which will be held December 2-3, 2025. This is a great workshop for those who are new to global employee benefits, including those who have significant benefits experience in their home country but limited exposure to benefits at a multinational company.
MTDHN: How many members do you have now?
JS: We have about 31,000 members.
MTDHN: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
JS: Yes, I’d like to mention a few key topics our members are most focused on. We really cover it all — but there are a few areas that currently stand out.
The first and one of the biggest ongoing discussions right now is regarding prescription drug plans. Specifically, members have a lot of questions on specialty medications and their rising costs. They’re also interested in pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) – how to choose one, how to negotiate contracts, how rebates work and how to effectively use them. Additionally, there is a lot of interest in the regulatory and legal changes happening in that space.
Second, GLP-1 drugs are a huge topic. Everyone is trying to understand the short- and long-term impacts on health plans. What does the cost trajectory look like? Will people need to stay on them indefinitely? How should employers manage that spend strategically? We actually published a press release and survey report on employer coverage of these drugs.
We’re also seeing continued interest in mental wellbeing and overall wellness strategies involving the whole person, so physical, mental and financial wellness.
Lastly, on the plan design side, we cover self-funded and fully insured plans, HIPAA privacy and security, consumer directed health plans, HSAs, HRAs, etc.
So, we cover all aspects of healthcare benefits and we’re continuing to evolve to meet our members’ needs.