Benefits advisors have a huge opportunity with individual disability. Recent estimates are that the market in the blue, gray and white collar segments is only 30% penetrated. If your clients and prospects can’t afford to retire today, you need to be discussing how they can insure their paychecks. Patrick Irving, Managing Director of Covala Group, joins us to share his Disability Income (DI) expertise with The ShiftShapers audience. Many large corporations offer life insurance benefits, but fewer...
May 15, 2017•21 min
Many of the precepts on which health reform efforts are based are nothing more than myths. ShiftShapers guest Greg Scandlen explodes 30 of those myths and why those incorrect assumptions continually doom efforts at health care reform. Based on flawed research, incorrect assumptions and flimsy evidence, these myths may make great bumper stickers but they yield miserably screwed up health care policy. Greg’s new book, Myth Busters: Why Health Reform Always Goes Away explores those false assumption...
May 08, 2017•18 min
Absolute engagement can help you design a business that supports the life you really want to live. You can work less, earn more, and build a world-class business that delivers an exceptional client and team experience. This week on ShiftShapers, Julie Littlechild joins us to talk about the concept of absolute engagement. Jullie’s new book, “The Pursuit of Absolute Engagement” outlines the process that advisors can use to accomplish that goal. We discuss how the process creates more fulfilling gr...
May 01, 2017•21 min
On this episode of ShiftShapers, Jeff Hogan shares the innovative approach his company has used to deliver an engaging, modern, and consultative approach to employee benefits. At the core of this approach lies a focus on building strong partnerships with brokers to provide better options for employers and employees alike. Jeff and his team encourage employers to view their benefits offerings like any other corporate asset. Once they’ve established this mindset, Jeff works closely with his broker...
Apr 24, 2017•21 min
This week on ShiftShapers, Kevin Trokey joins us to share strategies for building a market-competitive insurance agency. Kevin is a founding partner and coach at Q4Intelligence, a consulting firm dedicated to removing the barriers that keep independent benefits and insurance agencies from reaching their full potential. Kevin reveals how his extensive experience as a broker and a principal helped him develop the firm’s unique approach. Kevin talks about a common mistake most agencies make: focusi...
Apr 17, 2017•23 min
On this episode of ShiftShapers, Jessica Waltman continues her quarterly visit from episode #156. She is an expert on legislative politics and a Principal at Forward Health Consulting. Jessica is here to help you make sense of recent political events and how they affect you. President Trump and the Republican-led Congress decided to pull their legislation designed to reform, not repeal, the Affordable Care Act. This has left the future of cost-sharing subsidies for low-income earners in doubt mo...
Apr 10, 2017•23 min
On this episode of ShiftShapers , Jessica Waltman joins us for her quarterly visit. She’s an expert on all things legislative and a Principal at Forward Health Consulting. If the twists and turns on Capitol Hill have you scratching your head, Jessica will help you make sense of recent events. The Republican led Congress and President Trump decided to pull legislation designed to reform the Affordable Care Act. Contrary to common media messages, this bill would not have repealed the ACA. As a rec...
Apr 03, 2017•21 min
On this episode of ShiftShapers , Tobe Gerard shares valuable insight into how she built a successful agency specializing in long-term care insurance. She had 20 years of experience in the insurance industry before starting her firm, and for the past 15 years, she’s built a highly efficient, effective and successful agency using a unique strategy. Rather than finding prospects directly – as is the case with most practices – Tobe took a different route. Instead, she cultivates relationships with ...
Mar 27, 2017•22 min
Communication is a critical component of personal and corporate success. We may think of conversation and communication as an art, but it turns out that the keys to effective communication are firmly rooted in science. On this episode of ShiftShapers we explore those connections with Rachael Bosch, Managing Director of Fringe Professional Development, a Washington D.C. firm that helps organizations, teams, and individuals reach their professional learning goals. We spend the majority of our time...
Mar 20, 2017•22 min
This week, we continue our conversation with a pioneer and disruptor in direct primary care (DPC): Samir Qamar, M.D. Dr. Qamar is the founder and CEO of MedLion and MedWand. On this episode of Shiftshapers , Dr. Qamar shares his latest invention, which aims to take telemedicine to another level. Telemedicine is a huge component of the direct primary care model. First generation telemedicine tools only allowed doctors to provide consultations because doctors weren’t able to examine patients. MedW...
Mar 13, 2017•22 min
On this episode, we’re honored to be speaking to a pioneer and disruptor in direct primary care (DPC): Samir Qamar, M.D. Dr. Qamar is the founder and CEO of two companies, MedLion and MedWand. DPC revisits a traditional business model that eliminates insurance for non-catastrophic health care needs. In this first episode of our two-part interview, we asked Dr. Qamar to talk about the ins and outs of the direct primary care model and share his unique journey into that field. We also talk about ho...
Mar 06, 2017•22 min
After a market contraction due to a low interest rate environment and its effects on reserves as well as challenges understanding the pricing on a relatively new product, Long Term Care is poised for a comeback. In part two of two, Bill Dyess and I continue our conversation about the future of Long Term Care insurance. Bill is the President of Dyess Insurance Services and one of the country’s foremost experts on long-term care. Bill and I talk about how hybrid policies, which combine life insura...
Feb 27, 2017•18 min
After a market contraction due to a low interest rate environment and its effects on reserves as well as challenges understanding the pricing on a relatively new product, Long Term Care is poised for a comeback. On this first of a two-part series on the ShiftShapers Podcast , we’ll investigate a resurging need for long-term care insurance. There is a 75% chance that those who reach the age of 65 will need long-term care at some point in their lives. Our guest, Bill Dyess, is President of Dyess I...
Feb 20, 2017•24 min
According to the CDC, over 29 million people in the US are diabetic. It costs more than $176 billion to treat diabetes – so how can employers and employees manage the treatment and complications of this lifelong disease? Today Tom Milam of TrueLifeCare talks about just how big the diabetes problem has become in the workforce. He distinguishes between the two components contributing to the scope of the problem, which is affecting employees across age cohorts: costs associated with diagnosing and ...
Feb 13, 2017•22 min
Today’s advisors are being asked to do more . . . and often – with less. Can a CRM help increase your effectiveness along with your practice’s efficiency? Commission compression, client expectations of broader and deeper service levels and an ever more complex industry have all put pressure on benefit advisors. In many practices, this has had a significant effect on profitability. On this episode of ShiftShapers we explore the wide world of CRM systems. With a little bit of work, the right syste...
Feb 06, 2017•23 min
As “wellness” evolves to “wellbeing” many savvy advisors are adding a financial component. The problem is pervasive and expensive for employees and employers, but new advisor-driven solutions are coming to market. Jameson Fauver, Director of Business Development at Kashable, joins the ShiftShapers podcast this week to discuss why financial health is the big problem that nobody is talking about. We will learn how a seemingly simple issue faced by millions of employees can be helped by new service...
Jan 30, 2017•20 min
This week on the ShiftShapers podcast, we speak with John Park – Chief Strategy Officer at Alegeus. As the Trump administration transitions to power in Washington, there have already been serious signals in the consumer-directed marketplace. John shares his views of how consumerism in healthcare may change and how that will impact the future of healthcare services. Incorporating and driving more individual responsibility in health care decision-making is at the heart of the consumerism movement....
Jan 23, 2017•21 min
Is there a better way to position wellness programs with employers and what do advisors need to know about the evolution of those programs? This week on the ShiftShapers podcast, we delve into strategies that advisors can use to position wellness programs and help employers improve employee engagement in those programs. Andreas Deptolla, the Cofounder and COO of Thrivepass, walks us through how first-generation wellness differs from what’s available in the marketplace today. Companies used to vi...
Jan 16, 2017•18 min
This week on the ShiftShapers podcast, we revisit an interview with Rick Bauman, head coach of Intellectual Capital Coaching Corporation, to discuss the importance and role of culture in our businesses. He’ll explain why culture defines your organization and is the biggest differentiator in an age where differentiation is a huge challenge for many organizations. In many practices, the laser focus on strategy overshadows culture – a critically important component of business. Rick discusses how o...
Jan 09, 2017•22 min
Commission compression is causing advisors to rethink their business model – especially looking a few years out. One option is to shift to a more consultative fee-based motif. Our guests, Mike Grinnell and Kirsten Tudman of CPI-HR, are among the handful of advisors at the forefront of this shift. They join us today to discuss the impetus for the change as well as some lessons learned along the way. They also take us through what the employer conversation sounds like and what kind of questions an...
Jan 02, 2017•22 min
On this episode of ShiftShapers , we are stepping out of the realm of employee benefits, insurance and financial planning to discuss the ultimate differentiator for all businesses – customer service. Peter Shankman is the author of a new book, Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans . As an international consultant, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, corporate speaker, founder of Help A Reporter Out and The Geek Factory, Peter knows how to create zombie loyalists and why the...
Dec 26, 2016•19 min
On part two of this special, post-election edition of the ShiftShapers podcast, we discuss policy ideas that may be seeing a resurgence based on the election outcome and whether these ideas can really bring down costs in the healthcare marketplace. Jessica Waltman, Principal at Forward Health Consulting and our resident expert on all things legislative and regulatory joins us for part 2 of our look at healthcare in this post-election period. We discuss the theory being floated that an individual...
Dec 19, 2016•19 min
On part one of this special, post-election 2-part edition of the Shift Shapers podcast, we look at the reality of the “Repeal and replace” strategies and tactics being discussed by the new administration and other health care constituencies. Jessica Waltman, Principal at Forward Health Consulting and our resident expert on all things legislative and regulatory joins us for a two-part wrap-up on how November’s election results will affect the health care and employee benefits universe. In part 1,...
Dec 12, 2016•23 min
This week, our subject matter expert Daniel Wells, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Endeavor Plus, joins us to discuss emerging trends in consumer-directed health care plans. We investigate what’s working well, what can work better, and the tools available that will help self-insured consumers make effective decisions about their health care options. Join us as Daniel shares his takes on the overall state of consumer-directed health care plans. We also discuss why the network...
Dec 05, 2016•19 min
Steve Kelly is the President and Co-Founder of ELAP Services. He’s the foremost expert in a field that a lot of people are talking about – reference-based pricing. As our guest on this episode of ShiftShapers, Steve will help us understand the ins and outs of reference-based pricing, why it’s important, and where it will take our industry in the future. There is a resurgence of interest in self-insured plans as companies look for ways to keep healthcare costs down for employees. Advisors can hel...
Nov 28, 2016•22 min
In this episode, we explore some of the most common questions advisors ask about self-funding and discuss concerns ranging from minimum group size to tools and techniques. Our guest on this episode of ShiftShapers is Adam Russo, Esq., co-founder and CEO of The Phia Group, as well as the founding and managing partner at a law firm, Russo & Minchoff. He believes that, in light of the healthcare reform, the current environment is full of exciting opportunities that many brokers can take advanta...
Nov 21, 2016•23 min
On this episode of ShiftShapers, we’re pleased to welcome Sally Poblete , the CEO of Wellthie, to discuss how consumer expectations are influencing technology trends in the health care industry. Since everyone from millennials to baby boomers is eagerly adopting tech tools and mobile devices to manage their daily affairs, it stands to reason that consumers would gravitate toward tools that simplify their health care decision-making process. Sally shares why she believes the eCommerce movement in...
Nov 14, 2016•20 min
This week on ShiftShapers, Paul Gable, President of IBX, lends his expertise on technology tools in the benefits industry to the discussion. Benefits advisors are being challenged to meet the demand of delivering a higher quality of service with more efficiency to remain profitable. Paul highlights the affordable resources available to help small and mid-sized agencies recapture efficiencies in their businesses and thus save money. Paul points out that most agencies waste time with inefficient p...
Nov 07, 2016•22 min
This week on ShiftShapers, we wrap up our two-part discussion with Brooks Goodison, President of Diversified Group. Last week, Brooks helped us sort through the changes underway that target groups that want to move away from fully-insured plans. This week, he highlights strategies that employer groups are using to fight the rising cost of health care as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Health care expenses can easily become one of the largest expenses for families and the rising costs have a...
Oct 31, 2016•22 min
A quiet battle at the state level may make it more difficult for you to be creative in the small and mid-market spaces. In this week’s episode, Brooks Goodison, President of Diversified Group joins us to discuss how renewed interest in partially self-insured plans in the small to mid-market has drawn the attention of state regulators. In this first segment of a two-part discussion on ShiftShapers, Brooks helps us sort through the changes underway that target groups that want to move away from fu...
Oct 24, 2016•20 min
