Benefits Breakdown

Adam and Jared are joined by Dr. Louise Short and Uthona Mikrut from the Brown & Brown Population Health team. They will share their insights on how best to understand and evaluate on-site clinics for employers. The team dives deeper into services, like physical therapy, mental health and more that are available through these clinics and offers a checklist of ideas to consider when reviewing the opportunity for your organization. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Adam and Vanessa are joined by Managing Consultant and Population Health specialist, Gina Julian. Gina, a registered dietician, dives into a recent article titled ‘Food as Medicine.' She focuses on how organizations can increase access, improve quality and remove cost barriers to nutritious foods. Using the acronym ‘EAT,' Gina's discusses how to Establish the right programs, Adjust your work environment and Tailor your plan design.  Read ‘Food as Medicine:' https://www.bbrown.com/us/insight/food-as-medicine/  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Adam and Vanessa are joined by Colin Bradly, CEO of Winston Benefits, part of the Brown & Brown team. Colin dives into key strategies that employers can consider when reviewing their Benefits Administration technology for their organization. The team investigates employee engagement campaigns and what employers can do to streamline customized and digital benefit solutions in a competitive market space.  https://winstonbenefits.com/   Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Adam, Jared and Vanessa are joined by Robyn Piper, Managing Partner at Piper Jordan— part of the Brown & Brown team. Robyn dives into the strategies discussed in our recently released Brown & Brown Employee Benefits Market Trends Report: Redefining Care Through Innovation. The team looks into healthcare trends, key cost drivers and considerations for employers, including a focus on chronic conditions, weight-loss drugs and innovative care delivery models.  Download the Market Trends Report Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Adam, Jared and Vanessa are joined by Brown & Brown's President and CEO, Powell Brown. Powell dives into the state of the market, sharing what he is seeing on a global scale that employers may need to consider. The team investigates the importance of culture, health and family and how they are balanced at Brown & Brown. Powell also speaks about his recent ‘Misogi' (an ancient practice thought to purify the mind, body and spirit through physical and mental challenges)— a bike ride through the French Alps that raised more than $4 million dollars for Shifting Gears on Brain Health. For more information, visit https://shiftinggears.world/.   Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared and Adam lead a discussion on how to set up your benefits plan year and strategies your organization can consider.  The team talks about different demographic features that you can look at to compare last year's plan year to the current one.  They then discuss best-in-class practices to help set up for a successful pre-renewal and 2025 renewal.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared and Adam are joined by physician, scientist and professor at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Robert Green.  Dr. Green leads us through a discussion on genetics in the workplace, providing insights on genetics, genomics and precision medicine.  Until recently, genomics has been fragmented and expensive – it has now evolved to be offered to employees and their families. Explore what you can do as an employer to make better decisions with better data.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Brown & Brown's Chief People Officer, Julie Turpin.  Julie leads a discussion around Purposeful Leadership and her 'People Lead People' Playbook.  The conversation expands into building culture, focused authenticity and supporting your team's mental health.  Join us on this journey with Julie and what leaders can do to support their teammates and organizations.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared and Adam are joined by Sally Patterson from the Brown & Brown Population Health Team.  As a registered nurse, Sally has a deep clinical background to understand the implications of the tripledemic, the combination of the flu, RSV and COVID-19.  As cases continue to go up and impact health plans, learn tips on what you can do to protect your organization. Help Keep Your Workforce Healthy by Avoiding the Tripledemic Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared, and Adam are joined by the CEO of Susan G. Komen, Paula Schneider.  Komen's mission is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.  In 2023, it's estimated that 300,000 women and men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Paula explores the advocacy that Komen can provide and what your organization can do to support your employees and their families.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared and Adam are joined by Abinue Fortingo and Kelly Polinski, two specialists from the Brown & Brown Population Health team. In this episode, the team discusses the direct and indirect impacts of cancer on employers and their employees. Kelly and Abinue identify four key areas to focus on: Prevent, Detect, Navigate and Support. As cancer evolves more into a chronic condition and people are living longer with the disease, it is essential to understand what you can do as an employer and plan fiduciary. From the perspective of the employee, learn how you can provide critical guidance to help them find the best care and support.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared and Adam are joined by Richard Scherer from the Brown & Brown International Benefits team. The team leads a discussion around the importance of International Benefits in today's global and multinational workforce. Employers face many challenges in designing, implementing and complying with local laws and regulations. These benefits go well beyond medical and include disability plans, ancillary benefits and even pension plans that vary by country.  Richard provides some important considerations and action items for employers on how to build a winning international benefits plan!  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared and Vanessa are joined by Kelly Polinski and Jared Hansen from the Brown & Brown Population Health & Well-Being team. The team led a discussion around Social Determinants of Health and spatial analytics in public health and how they can be used for health benefits. Along with insightful conversation, the team provides some to-do considerations for employers and examples of resources available in the marketplace today.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared and Adam dive into strategies for Open Enrollment and expand on innovative ideas seen in the marketplace. From an Open Enrollment Rap Song to a Branded Benefits Experience, the discussion focuses on turning off the ‘autopilot' for Open Enrollment and adding the human element that best shares the company's culture. In addition, the team goes into compliance considerations for everyday enrollment to help ensure the organization is protected.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by the head of AGIS Network, Kevin Sypniewski. The team leads a discussion around strategies and best practices for employers to help understand the evolving Long-Term Care industry. With 14 states looking at legislation and eight carriers launching new or improved products, employers are now evaluating the launch of new programs. Kevin helps guide this strategic discussion about what employers can do to understand and evolve in the Long-Term Care space.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Chief Population Health Officer of Airrosti, Dr. Chris Cato.  The team explores the current state of the musculoskeletal (MSK) industry and how virtual care has directly impacted strategies for employers. MSK conditions make up 19% of all healthcare visits and continue to evolve and impact other forms of care. Dr. Cato also dives into the indirect costs of MSK issues such as absenteeism, productivity, lost wages and behavioral health.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Steve Maike, Chief Pharmacy Officer for Remedy Analytics (part of the Brown & Brown team), and Alan Pannier, Vice President of Strategy with SmithRx. The team leads a discussion around strategies and best practices for employers to help confront the rising costs of pharmaceuticals for employers. Pharmacy cost increases are projected to be 9.8% with specialty drugs leading that trend, up almost 13.5% in 2023. The team covers strategies from highlighting biosimilars, gene therapy, navigational resources and recent legislation directly impacting employers on their pharmacy plans. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by President and CEO of Brown & Brown, Powell Brown. The team explores employee benefits and how to attract and retain the best teammates from an executive viewpoint. Powell dives deeper into the importance of mental health (or brain health) and discusses the investment from the organization and how it can impact and support teammates and their families. The team also highlights a book called ‘The Comfort Crisis' that speaks to getting ‘comfortable' being ‘uncomfortable'. This is a great strategic look at employee benefits for anyone in an organization!  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Brown & Brown's National Clinical Leader, Dr. Louise Short, MD, MSc, FACOEM and Andrea Grande R. PH, Principal within the Brown & Brown Pharmacy Team. The team leads a discussion around strategies and best practices for employers to help address obesity in the workplace. Obesity costs the U.S. Healthcare system $173 Billion per year and an obese employee costs employers twice the normal amount in medical, sick days, short-term disability and workers' compensation claims. The team covers strategies from highlighting cultural factors, digital solutions to support employees, prevention and ways to tactically react to recent press regarding drug treatment of obesity.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared and Adam lead a discussion around strategies and best practices for employers on the heels of the Brown & Brown 2023 State of the Market being released.  The team digs into strategic considerations surrounding your medical and pharmacy plan, including big updates in the specialty drug and biosimilar marketplaces.  The team covers strategies from highlighting virtual primary care within the physical, mental & behavioral health space. Furthermore, strategies around increased advocacy in musculoskeletal cases, cancer care and many things fueling healthcare innovation in 2023.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa and Jared are joined by Business Group on Health CEO Ellen Kelsay! Ellen has an incredible resume in the health and welfare consulting space and now helps lead the charge with the Business Group on Health. Ellen tackles various topics, including Health Equity, access to quality health care, and ways to manage the most significant driver in health care costs, cancer. This engaging conversation will make you think and drive new discussions in your organization. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by the Head of Government Relations for Sun Life, James Slotnick. After the recent mid-term elections, James looks at what employers can likely expect with future legislation. This includes many decisions at the state level, James looks at potential changes with paid leave, drug pricing and potential compliance challenges with the transparency laws. The team also explores recent legislation out of Massachusetts that applies a Loss Ratio to dental plans, that may create new discussions across the U.S.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared and Adam are joined by Population Health Consultants Kelly Polinksi and Abinue Fortingo. The team discusses caregiving and how employers can help support the different needs throughout their population. Abinue and Kelly tackle a plethora of topics including what is caregiving, the impact it has on mental health and strategies employers can adopt to help make this an ongoing discussion. The discussion also shifts into direct and indirect costs that align with absenteeism, productivity and overall benefits expense. This fast-paced discussion will make you think about your benefits program and drive new discussions in your organization.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Wes Bryan, Vice President of PGT, a national leader on disability and executive disability plans.  In a working world where 1 in 4 employees will become disabled over their career, protecting employees and their ability to protect their income at time of a disability is vitally important. The team expands into broader issues with general Group Long Term Disability (LTD) and builds into to help protect those that might fall outside standard limits.  As that usually involves executives and C-Suite individuals, putting in the protections not only helps protect the individual but also the organization.  Don't let your disability plans ‘sit on the bench.' Explore what you can do to help build a best-in-class disability offering.

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Julie Fernandez, Global HR Advisory Lead for herronpalmer (part of the Brown & Brown team), a leader in sourcing HR and employee benefit program administration systems. Julie focuses on a general outlook of the industry, why companies want better Human Capital Management and are transitioning to cloud-based and more advanced systems. Julie touches on five trends that may help bring momentum to the race to the cloud by companies between 1,000 and 20,000 employees.  This fast-paced discussion will help motivate you to think about your current systems and what you can do as you work toward the future. 

Jared and Adam are joined by Gina Schrieber, Brown & Brown's Medicare Advocacy Leader, to discuss ways employers can help manage Medicare Advocacy for their organizations. With an employee over 65+ costing 3.5x that of an employee under the age of 65, understanding the risk to a health plan is essential. The team speaks with Gina about how employers can best deploy strategies and educate employees (and their families) about navigating the Medicare space. Spoiler alert...companies can WIN, and employees can WIN by saving money and time! Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Dr. Louise Short, Brown & Brown's National Clinical Leader, to discuss cancer. This disease remains at the top of the list for large claims and plan spend. Dr. Short dives into the prevalence of cancer within organizations, cancer care and best practices to consider. The team then goes into genomic vs. genetic testing and employer strategies that involve everything from second opinion services through supporting behavioral health that integrates with cancer care.

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by National Benefits Leader Robyn Piper with Piper Jordan, a recent addition to the Brown & Brown team of companies. Robyn discusses how to help build winning health plans and solve issues that employers and employees face. The team tackles a plethora of topics including Pharmacy Contracts, Social Determinants of Health, Food Deserts, Plan Discounts, High-Performance Networks, Low-Wage Plan Design and more! This fast-paced discussion will help you drive new ideas and conversations within your organization. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam lead a discussion around strategies and best practices for employers during open enrollment. Building off the recent article titled ‘Six Ways to Improve Open Enrollment' from Brown & Brown, the team expands on the impact when joining technology with the human element during open enrollment. The team covers open enrollment strategies including highlighting mental and behavioral health, increasing financial wellness education and sharing company messages to help build culture. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Brown & Brown's National Behavioral Health Leader, Dr. Joel Axler. Building on his recent white paper on Behavioral Health Trends, the team expands on the pandemic's impact and effect on our mental and behavioral health. The team will discuss behavioral health trends, employer concerns and actionable items for employers to consider. Dr. Joel also explores a reimagined employee assistance program to help drive engagement and support employees wherever they might be on their journey.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam dive deeper into the recently released Brown & Brown Employee Benefits GAP Analysis and go 'BEYOND MEDICAL BENEFITS' to discuss emerging trends with non-medical plans, ancillary benefits, fringe benefits, health services and family-friendly benefits. With so many services and offerings in the marketplace, the team focuses on products that can help reach and engage employees. Finally, the team discusses actionable ways that businesses can align coverages and contracts to support employees (and families) when they need it.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by their teammate, Rebecca Shipley, to discuss emerging trends within employee total rewards. Rebecca and the team examine how employers are finding new and innovative ways to expand the different forms of compensation, and how the world of total rewards has evolved in the last 24 months. They will also share areas where employers should be careful and pay special attention when creating a total rewards program. Finally, the team addresses areas of low-hanging fruit that any sized employer can focus on within their total rewards package. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa and Adam are joined by Dr. Eric Bricker to discuss Virtual Primary Care and how employers (and employees) can control costs and improve quality of care. Dr. Bricker dives into Virtual Primary Care, which focuses on 24/7 urgent care, chronic care and preventive screenings. These services provide quick, convenient access to a trusted doctor, helps improve access equity and promotes medication adherence. Virtual Primary Care can also reduce high-cost claims through coordinated referrals and chronic condition management. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by three industry specialists, Steve Maike, Laura Birkel and Frank Bacon, to talk about some of the emerging trends in pharmacy spending. Our panel jumps into all things pharmacy benefits, with the basics of what is a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) and the difference between carved in vs. carved out. They also address complicated items like managing specialty drug spend and what a copay maximizer program is. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Abinue Fortingo to discuss emerging trends in population health. They dive into the difference between a program that will help create an ROI and one designed solely for culture. Abinue also discusses his passion and knowledge on behavior health and how employers can make improvements to their mental health offerings. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Dave Ross. Dave is a seasoned insurance professional specializing in the self-funded space. Together they discuss self-funding from the basics to elements that even experienced professionals may not focus on. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Powell Brown, CEO of Brown & Brown, Inc. joins Jared, Vanessa and Adam to talk about the challenges many employers faced during the last two years and how they can approach the future. Powell shares what it takes to create a culture to recruit and retain talent, and how work-life balance is crucial. As an avid reader, he talks about his passion for reading and shares his all-time favorite books.

The Employee Benefits team discusses emerging trends in the employee benefits space and how employers can structure a winning strategy. They also talk about what employers should be focused on in 2022 and short-term trends versus areas every employer should have on their radar.

Thank you for your support in listening to our monthly episodes. We want to wish you happy holidays and a fantastic new year. We look forward to bringing you new episodes in January, where we'll continue to cover the complex and compelling topics of Employee Benefits. Look forward to seeing you in 2022!

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by James Slotnick from SunLife. James is a true Washington insider that focuses on the employee benefits world. James dives into several pieces of evolving legislation and how these law changes may have a big impact on employers and their current benefit offerings.

Jared, Vanessa and Adam are joined by Rich Babcock from the Brown & Brown Population Health team. In this episode, the team breaks down the changing world of population health. They also dive into how COVID-19 has put mental health care on the forefront for all employers, EAP, and how other services have stepped up to fill this need.

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Tom Goeltz to discuss the real dangers of distracted driving and how employers can play a part to reverse the trend we are seeing in the United States. Tom shares his personal story and some useful tips employers can utilize to help their employees and others on the road safe.

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Steve Piccolino to talk about the continuing advancements of benefits enrollment technology. The process for employees to enroll in benefits has evolved and it has never been more important for employees to have an easy experience to enroll in benefits.

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Terry Adams to talk about all things data and analytics. The data conversations are everywhere, but how can employers utilize data so it can have a real impact on their spend?

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Nick Karls to talk about the recent rules and regulation changes coming out of Washington D.C. that employers need to be focused on for their benefit plans.

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam talk about the latest trends and ideas in employee benefits. How can employers evolve to offer creative benefits that their employees need in an ever-changing environment? 

Jared, Vanessa, Adam are joined by Scott Horton of Delta Concepts Consulting to discuss ways employers can create a more inclusive and diverse culture in the workplace. 

Jared and Adam are joined by Pete Kranz from Beecher Carlson to discuss all things captives and address many of the common questions in the market.

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Melanie Payton from Pacific Resources to discuss the ins and outs of employee leave management and address many of the common questions in the market.

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined again by Dave Ross to discuss several myths and misconceptions about employee benefits.

Jared, Vanessa, and Adam are joined by Dave Ross to discuss several myths and misconceptions about employee benefits.