The ShiftShapers Podcast

Michael Walsh, founder and CEO of Cariloop, is an expert on a growing problem that most employers may not even realize they have – and that is taking its toll on their employees’ productivity. According to Michael, there may be more than 25 million workers caring for someone and that has an impact on financial wellness, as well as productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism. The good news is that a...

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 valu...

Laura Carabello, Founder and Principal at CPR Strategic Marketing and Communication has spent the last 10 years focusing on domestic and international medical tourism. In this fast-paced episode, we discuss the inroads that both types of medical travel have made, beginning with jumbo employers and working their way to more recent acceptance and adoption by the mid-market.   We also explore some of...

Bret Brummitt, Managing Partner at AG Insurance Agencies and a thought leader in our business, believes that the two greatest things that have happened to our business are “Obamacare and Zenefits.” If that seems counterintuitive, listen in to hear Bret explain how those two things have shaped some of the transformative steps now taking place in the industry. We explore the role technology is and w...

Jack Hooper, Founder at Take Command Health, believes that data is the key to helping consumers connect with the plan that is right for them. Employees make plan decisions for a variety of reasons, but often do not find the plan that is right for them and do not understand the long-term impact of selecting the wrong plan. We discuss why it has been impossible for consumers to shop for healthcare i...

In part 2 of 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...

In the first of this 2-part episode, Eric Parmenter, National Leader of Value-based Care at Collective Health will explore why a market where buyers and sellers don’t know each other has led to misaligned market incentives. We also discuss a new variation of ACOs, the “E-ACO” that may answer some of the realignment that needs to occur to fix the broken triangle. What You’ll Learn From this Episode...

Over the years, "case management and utilization management" has evolved and expanded to include a wide variety of disciplines that help members and plans alike. Sally-Ann sorts it all out and discusses her view of that the future looks like. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: How the “rear view mirror” vantage point is moving toward looking out the windshield. What “population health”...

The good news is that there is a small wave of Generations X, Y and Z taking an interest in the insurance industry. Steven Griswold has first-hand knowledge as the head of a multi-generational firm dating back to 1948. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: The very unusual path Steve’s father took to starting their agency How Steve joined the agency and what he learned from that journey How a crisi...

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...

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 d...

Our guest on this episode, Mark Seghers, Chief Sales Officer at Healthio, helps individuals, their families and their providers to fill in the blanks during the 5000 hours they spend away from their doctors. For the last several years we have been talking about how The Internet of Things (IOT) will change medical care – and today that conversation is becoming real. Aging Baby Boomers who insist on...

Dr. Marc Grossman, Founder and CEO at PriceMDs, has a unique 30-year perspective on the industry, having spent time as a surgeon, an administrator and a hospital owner. Over that time he has developed a keen sense of the chaotic and often adversarial pricing system that is prevalent in today’s medical and insurance industries. He believes that “Episode Of Care” pricing for non-emergency procedures...

Bob Gearhart Sr. and Bob Gearhart Jr. have taken another leap and put their fees at risk, which they feel puts them on the same side of the table as the client. Learn how they do it on this episode of ShiftShapers. Bob Gearhart Sr. and Bob Gearhart Jr. – known simply as “Senior” and “Junior” (or “The Bobs”) to their clients and friends – have found the formula for a highly successful multi-generat...

Many of us make personal resolutions at the new year, but corporate resolutions can be an even more powerful way of keeping your eye on the big picture during the coming business year. Amy Evans, President of Colibri Insurance writes annual resolutions for her firm, but she goes a step further – she publishes them! We caught up with Amy to discuss her feeling that this is a key part of her agency’...

Mark Gaunya and Jennifer Borislow continue their discussion from last episode about why healthcare is so expensive and share their ideas to slow rising prices. With the release of the second edition of their book Bend the Healthcare Trend , Mark and Jennifer are advocating for consumer-driven healthcare as the solution to rising expenses. In analyzing the healthcare system, inflation greatly outpa...

Nine years ago, Mark Gaunya and Jennifer Borislow wrote “Bend The Healthcare Trend” to explore how healthcare consumers could counteract the damaging effect of a system with misaligned incentives, opaque pricing schemes, and unnecessary complexity. They are about to release the 2nd edition of their definitive book and ShiftShapers talks to them about how much has changed; and how little has change...

Twenty million Americans are employed by firms with 20 or fewer employees – many of which do not provide health care coverage for their employees. Josh Hilgers, Director of Enterprise Sales at Quotit says that despite all the usual excuses, the “21st Century Cures” Act signed two years ago is offering those employees and employees options while creating a huge opportunity for benefit advisors. Jos...

In Part 2 of this 2-part episode we will ask David Contorno, President of Lake Norman Benefits and Benefit Selling’s 2015 Broker of the Year about Performance-based Compensation and his belief that it puts advisors in a much better long-term position. Forbes Magazine called our guest, David Contorno, one of America’s most innovative benefits leaders. As he works with clients and travels the countr...

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...

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...

Although the concept behind Direct Primary Care (DPC) is more than 10 years old, more and more physicians are opting out of the insurance-based world for a practice model that is old-fashioned but in the best sense of the word. Our guest on this episode – Dr. Jeffrey Gold – explains the attraction from the physician side of the equation. What You’ll Learn From this Episode: Why patient experience...

A shift in communication and interaction with prospects and clients is the subject of Jeremiah Desmarais’ new book ….SHIFT. If you want to compete in today’s market, it is a must read. Jeremiah is an old friend who always seems to be able to see –and oftentimes define – the cutting edge in communications strategies. In this interview, we will discuss everything from the Theory of Reciprocity to a...

Jesse Slome is Executive Director at the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance. We asked him whether LTC was dead or alive and his answer may surprise listeners. We explore what happened to the first wave of LTC carriers and talk a bit about the recent divestiture and acquisition some major carriers have made.  Are so-called combination products, which provide both life and LTC insuran...

Is a PBM a gatekeeper and whose interests are they serving? Renzo Luzzatti is an expert on how and why pharmacy costs are growing at an exponential rate and driving an ever-more significant portion of claims spend. He explains that there are multiple vantage points to consider if benefit advisors and fiduciaries are to gain a good overall understanding of the problem and its possible solutions. We...