13 May 2019

Ep #266: Opportunities Offering HR Services To Employers – with Barry Cohn

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Many firms are diversifying their client offerings and beefing up their value propositions to achieve success in the current environment. Some firms are finding that path by offering HR services. Barry Cohn and his wife’s firm have been moving in that direction and are about to make a big-time change to their practice.

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  • The story starts with Barry’s wife, Renee.
  • The synergy between plans and employee benefits.
  • How including HR changes the conversation.
  • The benefits of a mastergroup.
  • Can sole practitioners survive in the future?

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29 Apr 2019

Ep #264: Deconstructing a Plan is Better Than Constructing A Plan – with Robson Baker

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There is a great deal of discussion in our industry about “deconstructing” health plans and the benefits available when an employer embraces a deconstructed plan while working with the correct advisor. Robson Baker, advisor at Clarus Benefits, has studied this strategy and has great advice for those already working on deconstructed plans, and for those who aspire to help employers embrace this technique. 

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  • How Robson’s personal experience with the health care system shaped his thoughts and actions.
  • Is it just about “hidden cash flow”? 
  • How can you push the limits on transparency?
  • What one university is doing to help educate.
  • Getting beyond prehistoric solutions.

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24 Dec 2018

Ep #246: Building A Successful Referral-Based LTC Practice – with Tobe Gerard

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On this episode of ShiftShapers, 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 financial planners, life insurance brokers, accountants, and others. Her network continually refers clients to Tobe as a subject matter expert in long-term care insurance. Once the prospects began flowing, she developed a multi-part strategy to convert prospects into clients.

Join us to find out how Tobe was able to shape her successful referral-based, long-term care specialty practice and how it is doing in today’s environment. Learn which tools and techniques are most effective for working with long-term care clients and prospects, and why the current trend of using riders on life plans may not always be the best solution for your clients.

 

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  • How Tobe was initially introduced to the insurance industry.
  • How she was able to build a referral-only practice.
  • How Tobe creates new sources of referrals for her agency.
  • Tools and techniques for working with long-term clients.
  • What “Invisible Coverages” are.

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17 Sep 2018

Ep #232: Providing 21st Century Advice to Clients – With David Contorno

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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 rationing of care has changed and how it has moved the industry and what questions advisors need to ask their clients. (Spoiler alert: those questions are VERY different than the traditional conversation).

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  • Why the old way isn’t working when it comes to the way we deal with benefits
  • The employee benefits see-saw and what that means to their well-being
  • Rationing of care and why it’s a real problem
  • Is CDHP a real thing that makes a real difference
  • The role of real ROI and what questions we need to ask

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16 Apr 2018

Ep #210: How 360-degree Data and Analytics Is Changing The Industry – With David Snow

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David Snow is Chairman and CEO of Cedargate 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 learning curve, but how we are getting better at understanding and acting on data in a timely manner that affects care and spend.

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  • Is data the piece of the puzzle that helps us make sense of the whole picture?
  • What are the opportunities for plan savings?
  • How is data different than analytics – and why do both matter?
  • Where do actuaries and underwriters fit in the future?
  • Why is there often an inverse relationship between cost and quality in healthcare?

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09 Apr 2018

Ep #209: Helping Employers Deal With The Growing Problem Of Employee Caregivers – With Michael Walsh

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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 as this problem grows, there are employer-based solutions that help both employer and employees and that today’s advisors can incorporate into their benefit planning.

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  • What are the problems created by employee caregivers?
  • What is the scope of the problem?
  • How can advisors quantify the problem for prospects and clients?
  • Are telemedicine and the IOT helpful?
  • What is driving the problem?
  • What solutions are coming to market?

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19 Feb 2018

Ep #202: The Evolution of Case Management – With Sally-Ann Polson

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Sally-Ann Polson, President of MedWatch, started her career with a focus on “case management and utilization management”. Over the years, that field 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 what 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” is all about and why it matters
  • Why the evolution of this field seems to have taken longer than logic might suggest.
  • What can be done with understanding underlying disease states
  • The role of predictive modeling
  • Why biometrics matter

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12 Feb 2018

Ep #201: How To Attract and Retain Young Advisors – With Steven Griswold

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Can any business – ours included – continue without attracting younger practitioners? The good news is that there is a small wave of Generations X, Y and Z taking an interest in the insurance industry. But they are attracted and retained for very different reasons than their parents. 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 crisis helped to reshape the agency
  • What it is that attracts younger advisors – especially Millennials – to our business
  • Why you have to know your mission

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29 Jan 2018

Ep #199: Why US Healthcare Is Like OPEC And Why Networks May Disappear – with Mike Dendy

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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 conversation around a concept known as Direct Contracting. We will also find out why Mike thinks that healthcare is like the OPEC oil cartel.

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  • What is the myth of the network discount?
  • Why does that matter to patients and payers alike?
  • Will networks be eliminated or replaced with personal networks?
  • How accurate are most claims?
  • What is Dzdirect contractingdz and what problems can it solve?

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22 Jan 2018

Ep #198: Technology Puts Healthcare In Patient’s Hands And Creates Community – with Mark Seghers

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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 remaining at home even while they manage chronic conditions, combined with a shortage of 90,000 physicians is combining to drive technology to fill the gaps. Learn about the latest and greatest on this episode.

What You’ll Learn From this Episode:

  •  What is the need?
  • Which populations are the target?
  • Is compliance better?
  • What information is captured?
  • How, and to whom, is the information sent or shared?

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