Can you create an agency that is focused more on relationships and results than on the traditional sales-driven mentality? That’s what Braden Monaco, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Blue Horizon Benefits, set out to learn. Along the way, he and his team created a concept they call the “Total Concierge Approach,” which creates true results-driven partnerships. Braden shares his firm’s journey and what they learned – good and bad – along the way. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: What does i...
Feb 04, 2019•21 min
Mark Blum has taken a very different path to get to the healthcare universe – starting as a labor organizer and negotiator who quickly found healthcare to be the most frequent stumbling stone in negotiations. The determination to find a way to resolve that issue has brought him to some interesting destinations and some surprising conclusions along the way. He is Executive Director of America’s Agenda, a non-profit healthcare delivery innovation center, and also serves as President of SolidaritUS...
Jan 28, 2019•23 min
We have had a few guests discussing RBP, but the inevitable comments come down to how to implement it successfully more than how the components work (or occasionally – don’t work). Lester Morales is CEO of Next Impact, and he shares his extensive experience about how to go from “here to there” without the usual client and employee fears. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: Why RBP (done right) matters. Pre or post: that is the question. Are any traditional carriers dabbling with RBP? The critic...
Jan 21, 2019•24 min
Have you finally “had it” with commission compression, but don’t have a clue about how to escape the commission boa constrictor and move toward a fee-based or hybrid practice model? Cheryl Perez, President of BIG-HR, shares her agency’s journey and offers specific advice about what KPIs to watch, how to value what you provide to clients and how to gain a competitive advantage in the process. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: How ACA was the catalyst for change in Cheryl’s agency. How to begin...
Jan 14, 2019•21 min
With the stratospheric rise in advisor interest in self-funding as a base financing design for bringing other state-of-the-art tools to employers, it is critical for advisors to understand the components and players. Jonathan Socko is Senior Vice President for Sales & Business Development for East Coast Underwriters and offers his advice for newbies and seasoned practitioners as well. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: The difference between a General Agent, an MGU, a Direct Writer and a T...
Jan 07, 2019•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...
Dec 31, 2018•23 min
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 other professionals, including fin...
Dec 24, 2018•22 min
On this episode of ShiftShapers, our guest and I discuss the new and diverse tools that advisors within the insurance industry are using to market their businesses. The fastest growing method happens to be video, and Bart Camarata is an expert on the topic. Bart is the creator and host of BenefitAdvisor TV , where he leverages his Middle Tennessee State education to produce quality video content. Bart takes on some preconceptions about video - is it expensive to get started? and is it difficult ...
Dec 17, 2018•21 min
Drug costs are soaring and driving more of medical spend than ever before. The good news is that there are tools coming to market to help consumers and plans alike. That is what our guest, Gary Becker, CEO of ScriptSourcing, and I discuss on this episode. We begin with an exploration of why prescription drugs are so much more expensive in the United States than they are in other countries. We discuss the particular drugs that are driving the pharma cost component to all-time highs. Gary explains...
Dec 10, 2018•20 min
Clients want more than a broker slinging the same old solutions – they want an advisor who can help them understand where the money is going, and how to control their spend over the entire claims spend continuum. Our guest on this episode, former professional poker player turned benefits advisor John Sbrocco, has spent time, money and a whole lot of effort to be that advisor, and in the 2-part interview, he shares what he has learned. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: How did poker inform his...
Dec 03, 2018•27 min
Clients want more than a broker slinging the same old solutions – they want an advisor who can help them understand where the money is going, and how to control their spend over the entire claims spend continuum. Our guest on this episode, former professional poker player turned benefits advisor John Sbrocco, has spent time, money and a whole lot of effort to be that advisor, and in the 2-part interview, he shares what he has learned. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: How did poker inform his...
Nov 26, 2018•17 min
Specialty drugs represent an ever-growing driver of our overall enormous drug spend. Pramod John, our guest on this episode, is CEO of Vivio Health, which is singularly focused on using outcomes revealed by data and analytics to bend the hockey-stick curve of this spending trend. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: Why do Americans have the highest drug costs? Exploding the myth that Americans’ costs are highest because we pay for all of the R&D while the rest of the world benefits. Can Ama...
Nov 19, 2018•25 min
There is a fast-growing movement toward bundled, all-in one-price medical services that save money, provides less complexity for members, and may make networks (as we know them today) obsolete. Our guest on this episode is Stan Schwartz, M.D., the Chief Medical Officer of The Zero Card, a company which is in the forefront of making this dramatic change. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: What is the scenario when rates are unbundled? How rates get bundled. Is this a region-by-region or a natio...
Nov 12, 2018•21 min
Pharmacy costs are increasing exponentially – some estimate that they will soon represent more than a quarter of all plan spend. Yet this portion of the industry is so opaque that it is nearly impossible to accurately understand what, exactly, is being paid – and where those payments actually go. Our guest on this episode is Kent Thomas, founder of Pharmatrix, a marketing firm focused on creating a fiduciary-like environment where PBMs become fully transparent. What You’ll Learn From this Episod...
Nov 05, 2018•25 min
Direct Primary Care (DPC) has been available for some time, but it has been marketed mainly to individuals. Today, a small number of DPC doctors and executives are making substantial strides toward breaking into the employer market. Our guest, Alex Lickerman, MD, Founder and CEO at ImagineMD, thinks the time is right and explains how it all works. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: Understanding the different DPC practice models. The “single shingle” practice still plays a role. What advisors ...
Oct 29, 2018•23 min
On this episode, Megan Chiarello (Grassetto Creative) and your host – two admitted marketing geeks – discuss how to create impactful marketing campaigns and events. Megan offers her advice on the three questions you must answer to create success with your marketing efforts. We explore the differences between selling and marketing, and much more. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: The 3 first questions to answer before starting a marketing campaign. The difference between selling and marketing....
Oct 22, 2018•22 min
The midterms will undoubtedly create conversations and different directions for what we can expect around healthcare legislation and regulation. In part two of our two-part episode, Jessica outlines some of the thinking on both sides of the aisle, the key players to watch, and much more. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: What can we expect to see if the Democrats win both houses of Congress? What the result of divided government might be. Is “Medicare For All” anything more than a political p...
Oct 15, 2018•20 min
Legislative and regulatory changes that affect your practice and your clients continue to happen despite the other noise from the Hill. In part one of this two-part interview with regular contributor Jessica Waltman, we will explore those initiatives and what you need to know to advise your clients appropriately. In part two we discuss . . . politics! Which parties are taking what positions, how they might impact the midterm elections and beyond. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: Reporting ch...
Oct 08, 2018•27 min
In our visit with, Eric Parmenter (National Leader of Value-based Care at Collective Health) we discuss a little-known metric that research proves correlates positively with growth. The Net Promoter Score has been used in other industries for more than 10 years, but despite its simplicity and effectiveness, it has not been widely applied in our industry. The best part of this predictive metric is that it only requires that you ask one simple question. While the question may be “simple”, the psyc...
Oct 01, 2018•21 min
Brian Klepper, Principal at HC Performance Inc. and Worksite Health Advisors, believes that the value being delivered in today’s health care system is a “train wreck” and that many are complicit – and know that they are complicit. He explains why he believes that Fee For Service is the crack cocaine of healthcare. The good news is that Brian sees a new model emerging that focuses on delivering value across the entire health care delivery chain. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: What does the ...
Sep 24, 2018•21 min
Forbes Magazine called our guest, David Contorno, "One of America’s most innovative benefits leaders." So, what’s he up to and what tools, techniques and strategies is he bringing his clients? We discuss why the "old way" just isn’t working and how this leads employers to a dilemma. We also explore whether the advisor community is moving to a completely different delivery model. David explains why talking to the C-Suite is the way to provide 21st-century advice to clients. We chat about how rati...
Sep 17, 2018•21 min
Gene Thompson is both a Project Director and Director of Health City Cayman Islands (HCCI), an amazing facility that is delivering higher quality, lower cost care with greater patient satisfaction scores. Pioneered by Dr. Devi Shetti, a physician and health care visionary based in India, HCCI has become a leading model for medical tourism. With the increased interest in self funding, the cost and quality curtain is being pulled back. Many U.S. companies are offering huge employee incentives in e...
Sep 10, 2018•21 min
Mike Dendy is CEO and Founder at Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions (AMPS) and a student of the irrational pricing and misaligned incentives that drive today’s US healthcare system. We begin our conversation by discussing the widely-held myth of the PPO discount. From there we explore the general pricing methodologies and incentives in healthcare. Once you wrap your head around all of that, the discussion of how often claims are incorrectly priced and what can be done about it will bring us to a...
Sep 03, 2018•22 min
David Snow is Chairman and CEO of Cedar Gate Technologies and a self-described “health care junkie” whose career has touched nearly all facets of the health care system. As such, David has a very unique view that informs how he works with and helps companies use data to drive better decision-making. We discuss the notion that data provides multiple levels of analysis, from focusing on the patient through the other elements and constituencies in the system. David explains why there is a steep lea...
Aug 27, 2018•22 min
Ten years ago, a number of physician “academies” came together to pioneer the concept of Medical Home. Today, that concept is more widely known as Direct Primary Care (DPC). Today, interest in DPC and the practice model itself is rapidly evolving. Our guest, Jon Hernandez is the CEO at PeakMed Direct Primary Care in Colorado, and he is one of the drivers who are pushing DPC into its next evolution. In this fast-paced interview, we discuss different models of DPC and how the next version of DPC h...
Aug 20, 2018•23 min
As our population ages and medicine gets better, we are dealing with more chronic disease than ever before – and it is a huge cost driver in overall medical spend. Most of it falls into five categories and it represents a significant portion of overall spend. Sterling Smith, Director of Ventures at ACAP Health, offers perspective, as well as tools and techniques advisors can use to help their clients. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: How do you define “chronic disease”? What the scope of the...
Aug 13, 2018•12 min
In the 40’s we hired hands. In the 80’s we hired hearts and minds. Today we hire every bit of every employee – and that includes issues they deal with in their private lives. Savvy employers understand the drag on productivity that causes, and are providing information to help employees make smarter and more informed decisions. This week’s guest, Anna Mittag, has spent her career studying this problem and crafting solutions that resonate with employees and their employers. What You’ll Learn From...
Aug 06, 2018•21 min
T.J. Morrison is a second-generation agency owner with an interesting insight into what is happening in the self-funded universe. He believes that the huge interest in these plans requires that they be designed and operated differently than in years past. Listen to learn why T.J. thinks RBP is like a divorce attorney and Bundled Pricing is like a pre-nuptial agreement. We explore regional differences to see what is working and what is hot in different parts of the country, and more. What You’ll ...
Jul 30, 2018•23 min
With 23% of the US population using 3 or more prescription drugs, it is amazing that many physicians are still (essentially) guessing which drugs to prescribe. Adverse drug events cause 1 million ED visits, 280,000 hospitalizations and are the fourth leading cause of preventable death. But pharmacogenomics can alleviate all of those AND lower costs while providing a much better patient experience. Joe Spinelli, this week’s guest, explains how and talks about why your employer clients should be u...
Jul 23, 2018•24 min
One of the benefits of moving from old-fashioned “wellness” programs to today’s wellbeing initiatives is the opportunity to include and address more of the issues employees are dealing with. One such issue has been under the radar, but is now beginning to be addressed: life challenges. In this episode we explore what that means, and why is it critically important for employers and employees alike. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: What the scope of the problem is. What the most frequent issue...
Jul 16, 2018•25 min
