Rachel Strauss joined me in OKC to discuss the vital role of a transparent PBM, such as her employer EHIM. She has been a previous podcast guest (Episode 10), and she is one of the most knowledge people when it comes to Pharmacy Benefit Management. She implores employers to ask the simple question, "How does my PBM get paid"? Rachel also relates the problem of "rebates", to getting money back on your tax return. Is it really better to overpay, and then wait 12 months to get money back? She sees ...
Mar 24, 2022•6 min
Modern marketing is evolving, and Trey Hinson of Ocozzio shares everything you need to know about this changing landscape. We covered an array of topics from Self-Funding, Bourbon, LinkedIn Sponsored Posts, The Power of Video for Marketing, Personalized Prospecting, the Decentralization of Healthcare Solutions, Storytelling, and so much more! This was one of the most difficult episodes to edit because there was so much great content. I ended up making 4 promo clips instead of 1!
Mar 22, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 39
In installment 3 of my coverage of the True Captive Summit, I sit down with the CEO of Vālenz®, Robert Gelb. "Vālenz® simplifies the complexities of self-insurance for employers through a steadfast commitment to data transparency and decision enablement". Rob is quickly becoming one of my favorite people in Employee Benefits because of his charisma, his focus on company culture, and the "yes, and" mentality he brought over from studying improv to apply to the business he runs. In this episode we...
Mar 17, 2022•14 min
In installment 2 of my coverage of the True Captive Summit, I sit down with Adam Berkowitz of Simpara, and his client Lance Young, of Shine Solar. In this mini-episode, we discuss Lance's experience working in Human Resources and how his partnership with Simpara inspired Shine Solar to transition from fully-insured to self-funded. Shine Solar went from experiencing annual costs increases with no ability to counteract this trend, to lowering their cost multiple years in a row, while simultaneousl...
Mar 10, 2022•8 min
Episode 38 of Self-Funded with Spencer features Jorge Arzate , CEO and Founder of MAKINA BENEFITS . Jorge joined me on the show to discuss the role of a boutique-style independent TPA and his passion for helping small employers take control of their healthcare spend. We had conversations about discipline as an entrepreneur, focusing on growth over just setting goals, and even kicked the chat off with our mutual upbringing on #heavymetal ....
Mar 09, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 38
I recently took the Self-Funded w/ Spencer Podcast on the road to Oklahoma City where I covered the Future of Business and Benefits Conference, Hosted by True Captive Insurance and Presented by Valenz. In this mini-episode, I sat down with the CEO of True Captive, David Vorhees, to discuss the goals for the conference and what the audience should expect in terms of quality content.
Mar 03, 2022•10 min
Dan is the US Head of Sales, Middle Market for Meritain Health. He has an extensive career in Employee Benefits, especially in Self-Funding, and received his CEBS designation through an affiliation with the Wharton School. In particular, this episode focuses on the advanced role of a TPA for self-funded groups, and how they can serve as an open architecture solution for employers to customize their health plan and better control the cost of care. Dan is also an avid fitness enthusiast, participa...
Mar 01, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 37
One of the most neglected parts of our healthcare system in the last few years has been the lack of availability in virtual mental/behavioral health support for employees. In this episode, Mike Kohl of Vida Health joined me to discuss whole person healthcare, which includes a heavy emphasis on getting members of an employer sponsored health plan access to mental health support as quickly as possible. Mike is a great person, with an awesome story, and I hope you find this information valuable....
Feb 15, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Erik Templin is Executive Vice President at Brown & Brown. He is one of the most knowledgeable people in our industry, and the person responsible for introducing me to the concept of self-funding. He's also an outstanding strategist, salesman, and family man, and has been a mentor for me as I go through my own career journey in this industry.
Feb 01, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Allison is the Founder of Altiqe Consulting, a boutique employee benefits consulting firm out of San Antonio, Texas. Allison is easily one of the most innovative EB consultants I know, and also a podcast host herself, with her show called "Raising the Bar with Allison De Paoli". https://raisingthebar.live/
Jan 25, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Chris Fisher is the Founder of BenefitsAlly and the creator of the 3x3x3 podcast series. Chris has alway had a finger on the pulse of what’s new and innovative in the insurance space, and he’s one of the most connected people I know in employee benefits. We discuss everything from new benefit solutions, carrier group school, Vonlane luxury bus travel, and Chris’ COVID hair!
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Megan Chiarello and Andy Neary join me in the studio to discuss how to maximize your efforts on LinkedIn. If you are a salesperson, an entrepreneur, a marketing specialist, and insurance broker, or just someone that wants to grow your network of prospects and clients, this special episode of the podcast is for you! Make sure you follow all of us on LinkedIn for more great content! Megan Chiarello - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganchiarello/ Andy Neary - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/ Sp...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Chetara Brisbon is the Director of Growth for Nice Healthcare. Chetara flew all the way in from South Carolina to share her story, as well as her company’s value proposition. In the show we talk family, her pursuit of a PhD, in-home healthcare visits, virtual primary care services, and so much more.
Dec 27, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Reid Rasmussen came on the show to discuss the origins of freshbenies, what it was like moving from Canada to the US and how our healthcare systems differ, as well as his own original employee benefits show "Brokers in Cars Getting Coffee. freshbenies website - https://www.freshbenies.com/ Brokers in Cars Getting Coffee - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X1umyPQ0QA&t=19s
Dec 17, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 30
"Captives" Part-2 with David Voorhees, CEO of True Captive Insurance. David stopped by Frisco, TX on his way back to Kansas City and graciously helped me complete the second part of the #captive podcast miniseries. He brings a unique perspective having spent the majority of his career in recruiting and human resources, and his captive model has a very employee-centric approach to risk management. David was also the person who recommended I pitch Waterloo Sparkling Water on a podcast sponsorship,...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Phil is the Chief Operating Officer of Complete Captive Management Services. He entered the captive world more In 2010, after his 25 years as a Paramedic actually brought him into this world accidentally. Phil was one of the early warriors out there telling the story of Employee Benefits Captives long before they became as popular as they are today. This episode is Part 1 of a 2-Part miniseries on Captives, and Phil spends a big chunk of this podcast explaining what Captives are, as well as defi...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Geniece is a Principal at EPIC Insurance Brokers, and has spent her entire year in the employee benefits and consulting space. In this episode, we discussed her perspective on self-funding, as well as her interest in cryptocurrency, nomad capitalism, and her love for music as a choir director at her church. Enjoy!
Nov 19, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Preston was recommended separately to me by two industry peers, so I anticipated that it would be an exciting conversation, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. Not only is he an expert in Employee Benefits & Underwriting, but Preston also used to moonlight as a youth soccer coach for many years and has a son that’s pretty decent at the game ⚽️. He even gave me a few pointers as a newbie soccer coach, the most important of which was don’t put “Coach Spencer” on the back of your shirt. (Too la...
Nov 12, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Vince is VP of Sales at Partners MGU, a stop loss managing general underwriter with a unique business model that allows their clients an opportunity to financially benefit from the sale of the company in the future. Vince came on the show to discuss his upbringing in Detroit as the son of a Tailor, his accidental career move into insurance underwriting, and his eventual progression into Stop Loss Sales. Vince is a wealth knowledge, a kind man, and as you can see, a very sharp dresser as well....
Nov 05, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Matt shares his journey from being an All-American Golfer at the University of Texas, to spending 5 years as a professional golfer, to eventually finding his passion in the insurance world as a Benefits Consultant.
Oct 29, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Dwight Mankin is the President of WebTPA, a third party administrator with the tagline "We Do Weird" because they focus on large group self-funded clients that want to build a customized health plans for their unique needs.
Oct 22, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Colin is a Senior Advisors of Employee Benefits, with over two decades of experience. He takes a technical approach to self-funded, with a degree in Management Information Systems, and he really has a strong finger on the pulse of where the industry is going.
Oct 19, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 22
The product of two parents who were medical doctors, Will knew his future didn’t lie specifically in medicine, but rather found himself consumed by fixing the broken insurance payment model. With successful ventures in payroll, and FSA/HSA/Cobra administration, he’s now set his sights on lobbying for Direct Primary Care with the Employer Coalition for Direct Care.
Sep 03, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Chris Wilson is Executive Vice President of Business Development for Healthcare Highways - a "health plan built on by a high-performance network that delivers quality care, cost savings, and sustainable value." They are aiming to drive down cost and increase quality of outcomes simultaneously by delivering a tailored healthcare network to suit the specific needs of self-funded employers.
Aug 27, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Benjamin Prinzing is the Founder & CEO of Rover Analytics, a company on a mission to help small group employers get access to claims data by scraping member EOB's (Explanation of Benefits). Ben is a serial entrepreneur and started his journey in the healthcare and wellness world over a decade ago, motivated by the passing of a young friend due to a potentially preventable heart condition. There is no question that Rover Analytics is making waves in the self-funded world! https://roveranalyti...
Aug 20, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 19
TJ Hutchings is the Manager Director of Employee Benefits for Higginbotham in Fort Worth, Texas. He's one of the absolute best people I know in the insurance industry, and he came on to share his journey into benefits, as well as a very moving story about overcoming a rare form of childhood cancer called "Ewing Sarcoma".
Aug 13, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Megan Chiarello is Vice President of Marketing for WellNet Healthcare, who provides turnkey level-funded and self-funded solutions to small and mid-market companies. Megan brings a fresh voice and interesting perspective to a more traditional and slow-moving industry, and she is helping spread the word about a great solution for employers who are typically underserved because of their size. It is one thing to explain the technicals about a product or solution, and it is another thing to be able ...
Aug 06, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Today, Mike is a Benefits Consultant with Hotchkiss Insurance, but long before that, he had an incredible journey as a troubled teen, then becoming a Youth Pastor for about 15 years, then turning his sights to the private sector to succeed as one of the top sales people in the entire country at a well-known mattress firm. Then, he took his biggest gamble of all, putting his full faith in God to move his whole family to Texas, not knowing where they would live or where he would work. He just knew...
Jul 30, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Anthony Russo is an Executive Regional Manager for Voya Financial, and has spent his entire carrier working on the carrier side of the insurance world. Anthony has a wealth of knowledge to share about the value of a partnership with a large, director writer of stop loss like Voya, and he also came on to discuss the upcoming large prescription drugs making waves that employers need to be aware of. Last but not least, Anthony was the first person to give me a shot selling stop loss, and I will be ...
Jul 16, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Dan Labroad is the founder and CEO of Ovation Health and Life Services, a full service insurance consulting firm, with a specialty in self-funding. Dan is also a serial entrepreneur with a long track record of building successful business, and he bought and sold his first company (a paper route) at 13! Check out his company here - https://ovationlife.com/...
Jul 09, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 14
