EBRI Integrates HERO Staff and Research Tools
The Employee Benefit Research Institute is folding the Health Enhancement Research Organization's staff, research, and benchmarking tools into its own operations, giving HERO members access to EBRI research.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Wellness
The Employee Benefit Research Institute announced Thursday that it is incorporating the staff, research, and benchmarking tools of the Health Enhancement Research Organization, a Raleigh, North Carolina nonprofit that researches workplace health benefits. The integration gives HERO members access to EBRI research on retirement, employment-based health benefits, and financial well-being.
Why it matters
The combination links HERO's employer-focused workplace health research with EBRI's independent evidence on benefits, giving employers and policymakers a broader research base as health plan transparency rules continue to evolve. It reflects a consolidation of benefits research organizations serving the U.S. employer market.
The announcement is an organizational integration rather than a measured dataset, and it cites HERO's founding in 1996 and a 2021 amendment to ERISA increasing health plan service provider transparency. Terms of the integration, including financial details and program continuity, were not disclosed.
The players
Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)
A nonprofit research organization focused on employee benefits, retirement security, and health policy, which is absorbing HERO's staff and tools.
Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO)
A Raleigh, North Carolina nonprofit founded in 1996 that researches workplace health benefits and offers a best practices scorecard and well-being questionnaire.
Barb Marder
President and CEO of the Employee Benefit Research Institute, leading the organization that is integrating HERO.
Karen Moseley
President and CEO of the Health Enhancement Research Organization, whose organization is being incorporated into EBRI.
The details
Under the integration, HERO's staff, research, and benchmarking tools move into EBRI, and HERO members can now access EBRI's research on retirement, employment-based health benefits, and financial well-being. HERO continues to host live, policy-focused events for employers and policymakers.
Timeline
- 2021: Congress amended ERISA to increase health plan service provider transparency.
- 1996: Health Enhancement Research Organization was founded.
- Thursday, November 5, 2026: EBRI announced the integration.
Big Picture
The integration follows the 2021 ERISA amendments that increased health plan service provider transparency, a rule change that pushed employers to demand more verifiable benefits data. Combining HERO's employer benchmarking with EBRI's independent research reflects that demand.
Employers that use HERO's scorecard or well-being questionnaire may see their benchmarking data supported by EBRI's research on health and retirement benefits. Employees whose employers rely on these tools may see benefit design choices informed by the combined research.
The takeaway
Employers evaluating workplace health benefits can draw on combined independent research and employer benchmarking when comparing plan options. Checking how a benefits provider sources its data helps readers judge the strength of its recommendations.
Further reading
Explore more workplace health coverage in the Wellness section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PLANADVISER.
