Employee Benefits Masterclass

With over ten years of regulatory and legislative strategy experience, Christopher Bao serves as the Vice President – Regulatory and Legislative Strategy in the Employee Benefits division of Brown & Brown. In his role, Christopher is responsible for researching, analyzing, presenting and advising parties on strategies and best practices for group health plans. He also supports internal colleagues and Brown & Brown customers by reviewing and analyzing both federal and state laws that govern Employee Health and Welfare Benefit plans. These areas include HIPAA, the Affordable Care Act, ERISA and COBRA.

Christopher has experience in employee health and welfare benefits and seven years of litigation experience. Prior to joining Brown & Brown, he worked at a large international insurance brokerage firm in the areas of compliance and Employee Health and Welfare Benefits. Prior to that role, Christopher worked as a litigator in private practice. He joined Brown & Brown in August of 2022.

Tom Adamson, Director, Brown & Brown Absence Services Group

Tom Adamson, Director at Brown & Brown Absence Services Group, brings over a decade of leadership in providing Medicare and Social Security Disability solutions to organizations and individuals. With his expertise, Tom expertly guides clients through effective solutions that benefit both organizations and employees. His implementation of Medicare advocacy strategies within organizations and commitment to educating individuals and their families on Medicare navigation fosters a culture of empowerment and trust. Through collaborative efforts, Tom helps clients achieve cost savings and efficiency, providing employees and family members with a trusted dedicated Medicare and SSDI resource. His commitment to reducing risks and strengthening the financial well-being of his clients underscores his dedication to delivering beneficial services. Brown & Brown Absence Services Group serves as a trusted source of comprehensive solutions, providing support to organizations and individuals nationwide navigating Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Tom and his team simplify the Medicare experience and the SSDI application and approval process, driving positive outcomes through streamlined advocacy efforts.

Dave Ross, National Director of Benefits Strategy at Brown & Brown

In a past life, Dave worked as an Underwriting Strategist at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota where he designed pricing methodologies that satisfied Blue Cross Blue Shield’s strategic objectives. During his tenure, Dave acted as an internal liaison between actuarial, underwriting and sales and assisted with BCBS’s lobbying efforts to expand the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) marketplace.

Today, Dave spends much of his time traveling around the country educating employers and legislative bodies on the many counterintuitive and nuanced components of effective healthcare cost management. A true educator, Dave uses a whiteboard to illustrate how many employers have been and continue to be misled by the industry resulting in unsustainably increasing healthcare costs for both employers and their employees.

Dave is the National Director of Benefits Strategy at Brown & Brown, where he develops and maintains financial tools and methodologies that improve customers’ ability to effectively manage their employer-sponsored health plans. Dave’s role keeps him actively involved in managing key accounts, representing more than 300,000 members across the country.