BenefitsPRO-Perspectives's podcast

Founded as a COVID-19 testing firm, Texas-based Curative has pivoted into employee benefits with a unique approach: No copays and no deductibles as long as members complete a Baseline Visit or orientation to the plan within the first 120 days. As a member of the Luminaires Class of 2024, Curative is being recognized in the category of Humanizing Benefits. CEO and co-founder Fred Turner recently sat down with BenefitsPRO contributor Michael Krieger to discuss how the company's approach helps expand coverage by removing financial barriers to quality health care.

During a recent program examining critical facets shaping consulting firm success, Consulting Magazine and Integreon delved into the minds of real clients to learn what is truly important, from their perspective. With a focus on understanding and leveraging the generational advantages within firms; as well as extracting rainmaking secrets from some of the best business development professionals in the service industry. That program focused on key elements for advancing firm client development capabilities and practices for cultivating strong business relationships and nurturing lifelong clients. In this episode of INDUSTRY INSIGHTS, we talk with Murray Joslin, Executive Vice President of Creative and Business Solutions with Integreon and editor-in-chief of the LinkedIn newsletter Scaling Greatness, about what those industry luminaries shared regarding these critical elements shaping the success of modern consulting firms. During this episode Michael and Murray discuss: The art of making rain The secrets of cultivating strong relationships and nurturing lifelong clients What really matters to clients and their real expectations from consultants and firms

With employee recruitment and retention still at the top of the agenda for many organizations, total rewards programs can help HR and benefits professionals deliver a better worker experience.

Keeping employees both happy and healthy is a difficult task. To help workers, many organizations have shifted their focus from preventative care to creating a culture of well-being that focuses more on ensuring employees have what they need to manage stress, create time for self-care and develop tools for resilience. In this second episode of a new podcast series sponsored by LabCorp, What Are Your Answers for a Healthy and Resilient Workforce?, Dr. Richard Safeer, Chief Medical Director, Employee Health and Wellbeing at Johns Hopkins Medicine, talks to Shavise Hargro, Wellness Program Manager at LabCorp, about how the 'Healthy' at Hopkins employee health and wellness program works to address workers' well-being in a more holistic way. To hear the second episode, press play. You can also listen to Labcorp's first episode in the series by clicking the link below: Fresh Approaches to Employee Health and Wellbeing

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast we'll hear highlights from the presentation How to Ensure a Critical Work Life Balance for Parents. In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by Rethink Care and hosted on BenefitsPRO, we'll hear highlights from the Aug. 25 webcast, How to Ensure a Critical Work Life Balance for Parents. For many organizations, work-life balance is a common problem, especially for parents. According to a FlexJobs survey, 53% of working mothers and 51% of working fathers say managing a career makes it hard to be a good parent. Achieving a healthy work-life balance, however, is often not only up to the individual, but the company or organization.  However, a healthy work-life balance is not only good for your employees, but also for business.  During this episode, Angela Nelson, Vice President and Executive Director of Clinical Services of RethinkCare, discusses how the post-pandemic world is changing how we think about work-life balance, and what challenges working moms and dads face as they try to balance their families and careers. Some of the topics covered include: What work-life balance is and where the concept originated from; Why work-life balance is critical for both individuals and organizations; How to progress towards a better work-life balance. The webcast can be found in its entirety on demand at https://www.benefitspro.com/2022/06/28/how-to-ensure-a-critical-work-life-balance-for-parents/

Since the pandemic, the twin concerns of employee health and wellbeing have been on the minds of human resources executives and benefits directors as they look to balance the needs of remote work and the flexibility that the workforce demands. In the first episode of a new podcast series sponsored by LabCorp, What Are Your Answers for a Healthy and Resilient Workforce, Emily Roberts, Leader of Client Success at Labcorp Employer Services and Dr. Richard Safeer, Chief Medical Director, Employee Health and Wellbeing at Johns Hopkins Medicine, talk about changes in employee health and wellbeing over the last two years. They also detail how Johns Hopkins has taken innovative approaches to address these issues with workers and their families. Roberts and Safeer also discuss the relationship between LabCorp and Johns Hopkins. To hear the first episode, press play.

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast we'll hear highlights from the presentation The Great Reimagining: Your Opportunity to Reframe the Value of Benefit Spending and Savings Accounts. In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by UMB Healthcare and hosted on Benefits Pro, we'll hear highlights from the May 11 presentation, The Great Reimagining: Your Opportunity to Reframe the Value of Benefit Spending and Savings Accounts. As the US returns to pre-pandemic behavior, employers are grappling with an ever-changing business landscape. Unemployment is at record lows, financial markets are in flux, and employees are rethinking how, where—and even if—they want to work going forward. As a result, attracting and retaining top talent is a major challenge for organizations of all sizes. Most employee benefits are table stakes in the competition for the best and brightest candidates. The great reimagining is a moment to not only demonstrate that you're hearing what clients want, but also to make sure that their benefits fit into this newly reimagined work world.  During this episode, Phil Mason, Executive Vice President, COO Institutional Banking, Director of Healthcare Services at UMB Healthcare, and Matt Clarkin, principal and co-found of Access Point HSA, discuss recent employment trends and how benefit spending and savings accounts can help various organizations. Some of the topics covered include: Key features and advantages of benefit spending and savings accounts; Myths versus facts around what these accounts can and should do; What employees need from their benefit accounts and key features and services that employers expect from account vendors.  The webcast can be found in its entirety on demand at: https://www.benefitspro.com/2022/03/24/the-great-reimagining-your-opportunity-to-reframe-the-value-of-benefit-spending-savings-accounts/

Health care should not be one size fits all.   That's according to Dr. Erich Huang, Onduo's Chief Science and Innovation Officer. Huang has a long career in academic medicine at Duke University, and now spearheads clinical evidence generating programs and research at the virtual care company, which is based in Newton, Mass.   Huang, who is a Ph.D. and a medical doctor, notes that in today's healthcare environment, there is little room for personalization. But he and his team at Onduo are working hard to change that.   “We need to be part of people's lives to get signals that are health relevant and then help navigate them to better health,” he says.   He discusses how health care providers need to look at an individual's activities, or a series of tests, to find better ways to personalize their care. Taking these signals from the course of an individual's life and using them to tailor care over time is the future, states Huang.   Press play to hear more of Dr. Huang's expertise about how employers are improving and further personalizing benefits and what the future holds.

Highlights from the August 25 webcast “Catastrophic Risk Protection in a Post-Pandemic World.” This event featured, both from HM Insurance Group, Eric Berg, Sr. Vice President, Reinsurance, Partnerships and Operations; and Greg Sullivan, Sr. Vice President, Business Enablement.   The webcast can be found in its entirety on demand at https://www.benefitspro.com/2021/07/23/catastrophic-risk-protection-in-a-post-pandemic-world/  

Highlights from the August 4 webcast “Today's Political Landscape & The Powerful Possibilities of HSAs.” This event featured Kevin McKechnie, Executive Director of Health Savings Account & Senior Vice President at the American Bankers Association, and Phil Mason, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer & Director Healthcare Services at UMB.

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by Liberty Mutual and hosted on BenefitsPRO.com, we'll hear highlights from the July 7th presentation titled, Voluntary Benefits: Why Pet Insurance is Trending & Your Clients Should Offer It.

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by Perky and hosted on BenefitsPRO.com, we'll hear highlights from the June 15th presentation titled, How to Solve Benefits Communication Challenges.    A challenge benefits brokers continue to face is helping clients communicate effectively with their workforce regarding available benefits.  With in-person and remote workers, new and long-term employees, a simple communication tool can clarify what is available, increase usage and improve onboarding. Different decision support solutions can facilitate benefits utilization and address employee concerns.   Jim Prekop, CEO of PeopleStrategy, Shelby George, JD, CEBS, CEO of Perky, and Samantha Smith, Director of Marketing at Perky, address solutions to help tackle clients' communication concerns.   The full on-demand webcast can be found here: https://www.benefitspro.com/2021/05/14/how-to-solve-benefits-communication-challenges/   Jim Prekop | CEO | PeopleStrategy Mr. Prekop, a senior growth-focused leader, has proven success delivering exceptional results in developing and executing business and product development strategies and sales. His role has a continued focus on Client Acquisition and New Markets growth. Shelby George, JD, CEBS | CEO | Perky Shelby is an employee benefits evangelist and believes that benefits like health insurance, retirement savings, and life insurance play an essential role in improving consumers' financial security. As an ERISA attorney turned CEO, her passion is using that knowledge to create new tools and resources to help workers make the most of their paychecks. Samantha Smith | Director of Marketing | Perky Samantha is focused on increasing awareness and utilization of employee benefits through the use of decision support and will act as the session's moderator

According to Versant Health’s Lisa Hall and Kelly Wenrich, more employers are recognizing that offering vision benefits is a cost-effective way to reduce health-related absenteeism and health care premiums, while increasing productivity.   Providing a vision care plan to employees gives employers a “leg up on the competition” because it’s a benefit not yet commonplace in the recruitment process, says Kelly Wenrich, director of client management for Versant Health.   Wenrich also points out that when employees take care of their vision, they are healthier and more productive, which can benefit the company overall.    Encouraging employees and their families to have annual eye exams can be a relatively low-cost and minimally invasive way for them to gain a window into their overall health.    “A comprehensive eye exam is much more than reading an eye chart,” says Lisa Hall, Versant’s regional vice president of third party commercial sales. She adds that more than 25 chronic health conditions can be identified through an eye exam and that surprisingly, 20% of people diagnosed with diabetes first learned of their condition through a routine eye exam.   Both Wenrich and Hall say that offering a vision care benefit requires very little commitment from employers, both operationally and financially, yet it can be a key component for increasing employee satisfaction and loyalty.    Press play to hear more from Hall and Wenrich on ways to encourage vision care enrollment, its effect on pricing and network choice, and its role in early detection of chronic conditions.   

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by Artemis Health and hosted on BenefitsPRO, we’ll hear highlights from the April 14th presentation titled, Create holistic benefits strategies: Tips for partnering with the C-Suite and HR. As businesses shift the way they view benefits in light of the past year, CFOs and other members of the C-suite continue to become more involved in benefits decision-making. This emerging trend is good news for advisors who are prepared to take advantage of it. Engaging with more decision makers presents opportunities for education and innovation, but also requires data and transparency to generate buy-in and create more impactful plans. The panelists — Steve Watson, CFO & CHRO at Trendbreakers; Kim Eckelbarger, Founder of Tropical Benefits; James Froschmayer, Director of Product Analytics at Artemis Health; and Paul Wilson, Editor-In-Chief of BenefitsPro — discuss why companies that have a more engaged C-suite tend to be more progressive in managing their benefits plans, as well as how to leverage benefits analytics to identify opportunities, and much more.  The full on-demand webcast can be found here: https://www.benefitspro.com/2021/03/10/partnering-with-the-c-suite-and-hr-to-create-holistic-benefits-strategies/ Steve Watson, CPA, SHRM-SCP |CFO & CHRO | Trendbreakers Steve Watson has a diverse background and a lot of titles that can be put after his name – CEO, CFO, CHRO, and CPA. It could be intimidating, until you meet him. Rather than riding the wave and seeking ever more important positions, Steve looks for ways to give back. He grew up on a sheep farm in Utah, earned his degree in business and international finance at BYU, got married, worked in accounting, and at the age of 26, moved to Brazil and took a job as finance director for a publicly traded company. Five years later, in 2009, he moved his growing family back to the U.S and took a position as a CFO at a mid-sized social work company in Phoenix, Arizona. It wasn’t long before they asked him to take on the role of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). All the different titles he wears could be confusing, but Steve has found a unique way to put them all together and complement each other. This is especially true in his role as CEO of TrendBreakers, a consulting business where his extensive knowledge and skills meet to help other companies break the trend of rising healthcare costs. He is also a nationally known speaker, hosts a podcast three times each week, is a married father of seven, and is bilingual in Portuguese. Kim Eckelbarger | Founder | Tropical Benefits Kim participated in the NextGen Benefits Mastermind Partnership, as well as Health Rosetta and serves as Founder & President of Tropical Benefits in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.She has been profiled in Employee Benefit Adviser (EBA) magazine and was the cover story in their August 2018 edition. Kim was named “NextGen Benefits Adviser of the Year” at the 2019 ASCEND conference. Kim has been invited to share learned expertise at prestigious industry conferences, including the Workplace Benefits conference, the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo and the World Health Care Congress 2019. Kim is a co-author of the Amazon bestselling book, Breaking Through the Status Quo, which outlines some of the cutting-edge strategies she and other NextGen Benefits Advisers are using to control and lower healthcare costs.She is an early adopter of innovative strategies, including Healthcare Abroad, Direct Primary Care, Second Opinions, and RBP, and has implemented these employer solutions with successful outcomes. Her clients outcomes have been published in industry specific publications and the outcomes are accomplished with data and transparency. James Froschmayer | Director of Product Analytics | Artemis Health As a Director of Product Analytics, James Froschmayer works with product management, user experience, and health analytics experts to meet the needs of benefits teams today and anticipate their needs in the future. James is responsible for developing leading-edge analytic methodologies embedded within the Artemis reporting system. He also performs analyses and supports clients in the implementation of their integrated health, attendance and disability management programs. Having come from the consulting world, James has seen the landscape of employee benefits become increasingly complex. As an analytics expert, he helps self-insured employers to identify opportunities within their data to manage costs, improve program value, and boost employee health and well-being. James is passionate and committed to using industry best practices and technologies to improve the healthcare system from both the patient, provider, and payer perspectives. Paul Wilson | Editor-In-Chief | BenefitPro | Webcast Moderator Paul Wilson is the editor-in-chief of BenefitsPRO Magazine and BenefitsPRO.com. He has covered the insurance industry for more than a decade, including stints at Retirement Advisor Magazine and ProducersWeb.

Dr. Mark Ruchman and Lisa Hall of Versant Health discuss how vision care and coverage can impact key stages of advancement in childhood. Experts report that vision health is intricately linked to a child’s ability to learn and develop socially. “Simply, children can’t learn if they can’t see” says Dr. Mark Ruchman, Versant Health’s chief medical officer, but young children “don’t know what they don’t know.” While adults can sense a change in vision, younger children may simply cope due to a lack of understanding about what they are experiencing, he adds. Ruchman stresses that vision evaluations are a central component of comprehensive health care for children and can provide a wealth of wellness indicators. Annual eye exams can help evaluate vision and identify if a child is at the appropriate neurological and social stage for their age. In turn, the information can be shared with educators and pediatricians who work together for the benefit of the child, says Ruchman. The widespread introduction of remote learning over the past year has significantly increased screen time for many children and adults, says Lisa Hall, Versant Health’s regional vice president of third-party commercial sales. “Adults and kids spend most of their day in front of a computer, tablet or phone,” says Hall, which is significantly increasing eye strain issues. According to Hall, one in four school-aged children have vision problems that can affect learning and development. She says this is why vision experts recommend an eye exam at birth, 6 months old, 3-4 years old, just prior to entering kindergarten, and then every year following. “So much of society is based on visual learning,” adds Dr. Ruchman, “and children need to begin their formative years by seeing well.”   Press play to hear Dr. Ruchman and Lisa Hall further discuss the links between vision and childhood development, the nationwide “Vision to Learn” initiative and why it’s important to consider the employee’s entire family when determining vision plan coverage.

In this episode of the Perspectives podcast, sponsored by Carrot Fertility and hosted on BenefitsPRO.com, we’ll hear highlights from the March 16th presentation titled, Building an Inclusive Benefits Package for a Remote Workforce.

Listen to Versant Health’s Amy Mann and Larry Opperman as they break down the role of vision coverage and how employers can better educate employees on its benefits. Offering vision coverage is often seen as a healthcare benefits perk, but it also can contribute to employee loyalty, well-being and safety. It plays a key part in a comprehensive benefits package by helping attract and keep employees, while improving vision wellness.   Amy Mann, Versant Health’s vice president of human resources, says more than 50 percent of HR professionals agree that offering voluntary benefits like vision care helps organizations attract and retain employees.   “To employees, voluntary offerings, such as vision care, has really become the expectation of a competitive benefits package,” she says, adding that research has shown more than 68 percent of employees say having the option of enrolling in these programs can influence whether they select or stay with a company.   Premium vision benefits can also improve overall productivity by saving time and reducing work-related sick days that often goes unnoticed, notes Mann. Expanding vision coverage can affect a company’s financial and administrative bottom lines. Versant Health’s regional vice president of third party commercial sales, Larry Opperman, says that with simple steps, such as adding safety eyewear programs or addressing digital eye strain (a condition that has been on the rise with increased remote working), employers can increase the value of coverage and quickly see administration efficiencies by streamlining billing, eligibility and more. He notes that the connection between safety eyewear programs and increasing administrative efficiencies has come a long way over the last 10 years in the vision space. Both Mann and Opperman agree: clear vision is needed for employees to efficiently and effectively perform their jobs. Encouraging utilization of benefits can reduce downline medical costs for both employers and employees. Press play to hear more about how employers can promote workplace safety, benefits utilization and overall vision care — all of which contribute to attracting and retaining a robust workforce.  

Medical billing errors have long been a problem that self-insured employers seek to weed out. One such effort involves payment integrity to help stem the tide of fraud, waste and abuse by implementing processes and procedures to ensure that all health claims are correctly paid. With this in mind, it’s imperative for a TPA to have a robust, end-to-end solution to address these concerns, suggests Jessica Bemowski, manager of payment integrity at UMR, a United Healthcare Company. Such practices include a review of all stages within the life of a claim, ranging from pre-adjudication logic and prepayment to post-adjudication and post-payment. In an interview, she explains that now more than ever it’s imperative for self-funded employers to be aware of what they’re spending their money on, noting how UMR’s use of payment integrity routinely saves its customers $5 to $10 per member each month. The overriding goal is to apply cost-containment solutions as early as possible, including giving providers an opportunity to correct errors prior to routing claims through the system. Since new schemes are always emerging, it’s critically important that the TPA field a team of expert investigators who are well trained to spot and eliminate them, as well as provide a list of organizations with whom continuing education and training are provided. California, Texas and Florida are a hotbed of such activity, while air-ambulance providers have become increasingly egregious in overbilling customers. The more that a system can be automated, the more Bemowski says it will strategically free up representatives to be on the lookout for inaccurate billing.