$1,000,000 Benefits Engagement Survey Tool Challenge

The Validation Institute’s Benefits Engagement Survey Tool (BEST) has just obsoleted every other way of measuring employee engagement. And we offer a $1,000,000 reward in support of that proposition.

The $1,000,000 Reward is offered to support the proposition that the BEST is the best way to measure engagement in non-core (meaning not PBMs or carriers/TPAs) benefits and programs, like navigation, wellness, disease management, health literacy or related programs. If a consulting firm believes it has a more valid way of measuring engagement, they are invited to claim the reward.

Entry Process to Claim the Reward

1. To apply, send $100 via Stripe Escrow Account. Within 5 business days the escrow account will be set up, assuming no delays on Chase’s end.
2. Then, you deposit $99,900 into the escrow account. It will be matched with $1,000,000 within 7 business days of when we are notified by Chase, or you automatically win.
3. Judges are paid from the escrow, 50-50 from VI and applicant’s shares.
4. If the applicant pulls out after publicly announcing they are applying is applying and then don’t, $50,000 is returned to the Applicant. This amount is tripled if procured through litigation. If VI pull outs, there is a $150,000 liquidated damages fee in favor of the applicant, tripled if it is procured through litigation.
5. The winner collects the escrow.

Claiming the Reward

There will be five judges, selected as follows:

• Each side gets to appoint one, drawn from The Healthcare Hackers listserv with more 1000 people on it, from all walks of healthcare.
• Two are appointed objectively. That will be whichever health services researchers/health economists are the most influential at the time the reward is claimed. “Most influential” will be measured by a formula: the highest ratio of Twitter(X) followers/Twitter(X) following, with a minimum of 15,000 followers.
• Those four judges will agree on the fifth.

The cost of the judges is $10,000, loser to pay costs. They will judge based on the following submissions:

1. The relevant portions of the engagement measurement tool
2. 1000 words in support of it
3. 1000 words rebutting the other engagement tool

Special case: if indeed the challenging engagement tool appears to look like it was based on the Validation Institute’s BEST tool, the Validation Institute may request from the Applicant five tools predating March 14th, 2025 to support the argument that the newer tool was inspired by/cribbed from the BEST. In that case, the $100,000 entry fee is forfeited, and this finding becomes evidence in a copyright violation cause of action.

There is no constraint on either side publicizing their participation.