SPARK 2019: Jeff Young and Mel Robbins Inspire, HSA Day Announced + More

If you’re part of the record-breaking crowd in Miami Beach with us for WEX SPARK Health 2019—and we hope you are—we trust you’re finding your time here inspiring, engaging and fun. Yesterday, day one of our conference, we hosted a welcome reception as well as a first timers’ reception for Partner conference newbies, and spent the afternoon digging into some fantastic spotlight sessions.

For those who didn’t partake in Miami’s nightlife last night, we kicked today off bright and early with the Morning Fun Run at 6 a.m. Together was the unofficial theme of the morning as we gathered in Sparkle Ballroom for both the opening keynote with our president Jeff Young and our motivational keynote with Mel Robbins. From each, we received some big news and some big ideas. Here are some of the highlights:

Our president announces HSA Day and forthcoming research report

“There is no question that innovating often has been important,” our president, Jeff Young, told the audience during his keynote. “The WEX Health ecosystem is evolving quickly, and we intend to lead the market.”

Young shared with attendees the achievements and momentum that have resulted in more than half of Fortune 1000 companies—52 percent—choosing WEX Health as their technology platform for the most demanding and complex employer benefit programs in the country.

He also used this time to announce that WEX Health will soon launch our new awareness initiative: National HSA Awareness Day (HSA Day). The event, which will take place annually on Oct. 15, will be dedicated to bringing the public and the healthcare benefits industry together to discuss the power of HSAs and their ability to impact some of the most prevalent healthcare issues Americans face today.  

Building on our commitment to help consumers navigate healthcare expenses, Young announced that WEX Health has invested in a series of consumer-directed healthcare focused research studies. This includes a partnership with Visa to conduct an in-depth qualitative study into the emotions people have about their HSAs and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). A composite summary of findings from all studies will be included in our 2019 research report, previewed at the conference and to be released in full later this month.

In a subsequent breakout session today, Visa’s Sajid Imam and our own Chris Byrd, executive VP of operations, dove into some of the highlights from this research, including that 37 percent of all HSA conversations online include some type of question, which means the complexity around these accounts has caused mass confusion. Who’s job is it to clear up the confusion? Ours—and yours. And you can expect our report to be full of suggestions on how to simplify the business of healthcare for Americans.

“If you’re not nervous at least once a week, you should be … because you’re not doing anything new”

We were also honored to be joined onstage by CNN contributor, author and motivational speaker Mel Robbins, who immediately dialed into to our conference’s mission to spark ideas, action and new business relationships.

Robbins is very pragmatic; as the author of “The 5 Second Rule,” she told the audience today that she’s come to understand that many people who hear her speak think, “5-second-rule? How could anything that simple be so impactful?” (As she explains on her website, “The 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it. The moment you feel an instinct or a desire to act on a goal or a commitment, use the Rule.”)

With both incredible vulnerability and strength, Robbins explained how to use her 5-4-3-2-1 strategy to reprogram our brains and get out of autopilot and into drive mode. “Autopilot is the only thing you are in competition with … ever,” she told us.

Inspiration will continue into the evening tonight as we recognize the achievements of WEX Health Partners at our annual Partner Awards Dinner and Program, celebrating and shining the spotlight on our Partners’ outstanding successes. Stay tuned for award winners on our blog tomorrow!