Government-controlled healthcare has been on the minds of leaders in the benefits industry for years now—looming as a distant threat but often pushed aside for more pressing concerns. During the opening keynote of the NextGen Growth & Leadership Summit in Nashville earlier this month, Nelson Griswold, president of the Workplace Benefits Association, warned that his industry underestimates the threat of single-payer healthcare at its own peril.

Citing a progression from Hillary Clinton to Bernie Sanders, and a lack of clarity from President Trump, Griswold discussed the growing momentum around the idea of Medicare for All, adding that although government-controlled healthcare doesn't generally poll well, everything changes when you ask Americans if they're interested in “Medicare for All.” For example, recent surveys have found that 70 percent of Americans are open to adopting Medicare for All. Even 52 percent of Republicans support the idea.