Voices of Self Funding

In this episode of Voices of Self-Funding, host Tom Testa sits down with Angel Onuoha, co-founder and CEO of Avelis Health, for a deep dive into how AI agents are reshaping payment integrity, claims auditing, and healthcare cost management. Inspired by his own experience navigating inflated medical bills after multiple knee surgeries, Angel set out to tackle one of healthcare’s biggest hidden prob...

Are you tired of the "lazy way" to cut healthcare costs—just increasing deductibles and co-pays? In this episode, we’re talking to someone who calls that approach what it is: the definition of insanity. Host Ramesh Kumar welcomes Adam V. Russo, Esq.—co-founder and visionary of The Phia Group, LLC, an innovative cost containment leader and attorney who represents employers and plan fiduciaries acro...

In this episode of "Voices of Self-Funding," host Ramesh Kumar sits down with Trey Hinson, Founder of Goliath Sales Strategies and a seasoned marketing and sales leader with over 24 years in the healthcare benefits space. Trey unpacks what authentic, research-driven sales and marketing look like in today’s self-funded ecosystem. You’ll learn: Why modern brokers are demanding measurable outcomes, v...

In this episode of "Voices of Self-Funding," host Ramesh Kumar welcomes Jonathan Socko, President of East Coast Underwriters, LLC, a Managing General Underwriter (MGU) specializing in Stop Loss insurance. Jonathan shares his perspective on stop-loss underwriting for small groups and unveils the blueprint for a remarkable success story: a 30-life employer group that has been successfully self-funde...

In this episode of Voices of Self Funding, host Tom Testa sits down with Matt Ohrt, National Executive Director of the Free Market Medical Association (FMMA), to explore how employers can take back control of healthcare costs and quality through free market principles. Matt shares his personal journey – from a 25-year HR career and near-fatal accident to leading national reform movements like Self...

In this preview episode of Voices of Self‑Funding, host Tom Testa sits down with Mike Strong, Director of Policy & Operations Strategy, Health Plan Cost Containment at Reliant Health Partners, to discuss his upcoming Executive Forum 2026 session: “Who Really Wins? Transforming the TPA Playbook for IDR.” Mike offers a candid look at how the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process is evolvi...

In this preview episode of Voices of Self-Funding, host Tom Testa sits down with ClarityCare AI co-founders Hermine Tranie and Alex Andrei to discuss their groundbreaking Executive Forum 2026 session: “How to Actually Use AI: A Hands-On Mini-Hackathon for Self-Insured Leaders.” Unlike typical conference talks, this immersive 90-minute workshop invites attendees to roll up their sleeves and build w...

In this special episode of Voices of Self-Funding, host Tom Testa sits down with Executive Forum 2026 keynote speaker Mike Abrashoff, former Commander of the USS Benfold and best-selling author of It’s Your Ship. Hear how Abrashoff turned the Navy’s lowest-performing ship into the top-ranked vessel in just one year – without changing a single crew member. In this quick preview, Mike shares lessons...

In this special preview episode of Voices of Self Funding, co-host Tom Testa sits down with Ron Peck, Chief Legal Officer at The Phia Group, to discuss his highly anticipated session at Executive Forum 2026: “Fiduciary Gotchas and the Company You Keep.” From revenue-sharing arrangements to PBM contracts and vendor disclosures, Ron shares what TPAs need to know now as courts and regulators sharpen...

In this episode of Voices of Self-Funding, host Tom Testa speaks with MIT-trained AI researcher and ClarityCare AI co-founder Hermine Tranie about how artificial intelligence is delivering measurable wins in utilization management (UM) and prior authorization (PA). Hermine explains how AI agents convert unstructured records into structured insights, drive real-time approvals at the point of care,...

In this episode of Voices of Self-Funding, host Ramesh Kumar welcomes Lee Lewis, Chief Strategy Officer at the Health Transformation Alliance and host of the Broken Benefits podcast. Together, they explore how some of the nation’s largest employers are reshaping healthcare and what smaller self-funded employers and TPAs can learn from their playbook. Lee introduces his “ABC” framework: Advanced Pr...

In this episode of Voices of Self-Funding, host Ramesh Kumar welcomes Arun Santhebennur, Co-founder and CEO of Voicegain, to explore how voice AI is reshaping healthcare operations for TPAs, payers, and health plans. They tackle the tough truth that 95% of AI pilots fail, unpacking why — from hype and skill gaps to the “build vs. buy” dilemma and change management challenges. More importantly, the...

In this episode of Voices of Self Funding, Jeff Walter and Jim Farley discuss their strategic merger, titled "Merging for Independence". They reveal how independent TPAs like JP Farley and PBA are uniting to drive innovation and enhance customer experience, avoiding absorption by larger firms. Discover how this merger focuses on enhanced service with PBA's EOS system and in-house IT, improving ope...

In this episode of Voices of Self-Funding, host Ramesh sits down with Jeffrey Bloom, a 25+ year veteran in healthcare and employee benefits, to unpack the power of Direct Primary Care (DPC) for self-funded employers. Jeff brings deep expertise spanning underwriting, care delivery, and affinity markets — and a passion for reshaping member experiences. Together, they explore how DPC: Delivers hard s...

In this episode of Voices of Self Funding, host Ramesh welcomes Dr. Michael Fenster — better known as “Chef Dr. Mike” — interventional cardiologist, classically trained chef, and leading voice in the field of culinary medicine. Chef Dr. Mike will be familiar to many of our listeners as the keynote speaker at HCAA’s 2025 Executive Forum. Together, they dive into what it means to move beyond basic n...

In this episode of Voices of Self Funding, host Ramesh sits down with Marjorie Morrison — renowned entrepreneur, licensed psychotherapist, and mental health innovator. With decades of clinical and business experience, Marjorie brings deep insight into how self-funded employers can better support mental health while navigating the complexity of today’s benefit landscape. She draws on her work as fo...

In this episode of Voices of Self-Funding, Ramesh Kumar sits down with Kari Niblack , CEO of Boon-Chapman, and Amy Gasbarro , President of ELMCRx Solutions, to explore what transformational leadership looks like in the self-funded space. They discuss: Aligning vision and execution – How successful leaders bring teams together with clear goals and strategy. Authenticity in leadership – The power of...

Employers need proven strategies to manage risks and control costs, but with hundreds of point solutions on the market, how do brokers know where to focus? In this episode, a leading benefits consultant shares the innovative solutions they're implementing, why these choices matter, and the pivotal role a trusted TPA plays in this process. Tune in to gain insights that can guide your own risk and c...

Join me for an insightful conversation with Kirti Mutatkar, CEO of UnitedAg and President of HCAA. Discover how Kirti tripled UnitedAg’s business by leveraging the powerful resources of HCAA, and how she's bringing that same energy and passion to benefit other HCAA members. We’ll dive into the value HCAA provides to TPAs, brokers, and employers, and explore how its digital programs and live events...

Join us as we sit down with Paul Ashley, CEBS, a Vice President and Consultant at NFP. Paul has 22 years of experience managing health plans for upper- to middle-market employers. During the podcast, we talked about the various ways that organizations can improve transparency and reduce their pharmacy costs, as well as examining the latest trends in PBM contracting. This episode was sponsored by V...

Join us as we welcome Oliver Ayres, President Key Family, Key Benefit Administrators, to discuss the Direct-to-Employer (DTE) approach to improve health care cost containment. Oliver simplifies the complexities of DTE, empowering both employers and employees to navigate the health care benefits maze more effectively. In this episode, Oliver breaks down the intricacies of DTE and shares how it can...

In this episode, Ramesh continued his discussion with Fred Goldstein, co-founder and lead host of PopHealth Week, a weekly radio show that engages thought leaders, disruptive companies, and health systems in the field of Population Health Management. This is the second of a two-part podcast that was recorded in front of a live audience at HCAA's Executive Forum and examined GLP-1, weight loss, gen...

In today's episode, Ramesh interviews Fred Goldstein, co-founder and lead host of PopHealth Week, a weekly radio show that engages thought leaders, disruptive companies, and health systems in the field of Population Health Management. This is the first of a two-part podcast that was recorded in front of a live audience at HCAA's Executive Forum and examined GLP-1, weight loss, gene therapies, rein...

On this episode of Voices of Self Funding, Ramesh hosted Michael Schroeder, the legal luminary-turned-maverick CEO of Roundstone. A lawyer by training, Mike has been on the frontlines, advocating for captives and unveiling the nuances within this captivating world of captives. Ramesh sat down with Mike to gain an understanding of the current state of the captive market, the market’s path to maturi...

In our latest episode, we're thrilled to host Dr. Jerry Beinhauer, a clinician turned innovator and the brains behind Apaly Health. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of Direct Primary Care (DPC) arrangements including how to improve access, mitigate employee population risks, uncover the metrics that matter, and slash costs for ER and specialist visits. This episode was sponsored by Valenz Healt...