In this episode of "Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist," Scott Vold, the Chief Commercial Officer at Renalogic, describes the complexities of kidney disease, its treatment, and the economic impact on employers and their health plans. Scott talks about the critical and often overlooked public health crisis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the intricacies of the dialysis market. With a background in health technology and actuary, Scott explains Renalogic's mission to manage both the human and financial costs of CKD for self-funded health plans. He shares eye-opening statistics, such as the fact that about 37 million adult Americans have CKD, with a staggering 90% unaware of their condition, highlighting the disease's silent proliferation and its ranking as the ninth-leading cause of death in the U.S., projected to rise to fifth by 2040.The discussion also covers the evolution of the dialysis market into a duopoly, which has led to inflated costs for treatments, emphasizing the need for a strategic approach to healthcare management within self-funded health plans.Key takeaways from the episode include:The severe underdiagnosis of CKD and its correlation with other chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, underlining the necessity for better awareness and early detection.The economic burden of dialysis treatment on employers, with costs often being a top health plan expense, and how Renalogic helps reduce these costs through unit cost reduction and disease management.An in-depth look at the dialysis market's evolution into a duopoly, with Scott detailing how this market structure leads to inflated costs for health plans and limited options for patients.Practical advice for employers on tackling CKD, including leveraging data for early detection, rejecting complacency in accepting high dialysis costs, and engaging with specialized care management programs like Renalogic's to prevent disease progression and reduce expenses.The episode provides an insightful perspective on the challenges of managing CKD and the strategies employers can adopt to address this growing concern, emphasizing the importance of proactive healthcare management and specialized care programs in improving patient outcomes and achieving cost savings.Stay in Touch!Connect with Scott Vold on LinkedInVisit RenalogicLearn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resourcesGet the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and David PittmanHave feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In this engaging episode of "Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist," hosts Jennifer and David invite two guests from PHM, Natalya Gertsik and Tommy Axford, to discuss innovative strategies for managing employee benefits, with a particular focus on cancer care. Natalya, specializing in population health risk management and biopharmaceuticals, sheds light on the actionable guidance PHM provides for optimizing cancer care. Tommy, with his actuarial background, emphasizes the importance of focusing on the small subset of cases that drive a significant portion of healthcare spending.The conversation delves into the complexities of cancer treatment, including the challenges of adopting precision medicine and the necessity of personalized care plans that consider the unique needs and preferences of each patient.Key takeaways from this discussion include:The importance of striving for precision medicine in targeting cancer treatment.The vital role of personalized medicine, considering the patient's personal preferences, cultural background, and socioeconomic factors, highlighting the need for a more holistic treatment plan.Innovative solutions like PHM's Clear Cancer Care Management Solution, part of the Springbuk Activate Marketplace, which offers employers and their advisors data-driven ways to connect with partners who can address specific healthcare needs, particularly in managing high-cost cancer treatments.Real-life success stories that illustrate the life-changing impact of creative and personalized cancer treatment strategies, emphasizing the potential for significant improvements in patient outcomes.Stay in Touch!Connect with Natalya Gertsik and Tommy Axford on LinkedInVisit PHMLearn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resourcesGet the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and David PittmanHave feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In this episode, we delve into the mission of Summus, a healthcare company that aims to revolutionize the way patients access top medical expertise. Nick Razzi, Chief Revenue Officer at Summus Global, describes how their platform provides a quicker route for patients to connect with leading specialists, ensuring that critical healthcare decisions are informed by the best possible advice. The narrative explores the importance of specialty care, particularly for patients navigating complex health conditions, and how Summus plays a crucial role in guiding them through these challenges.The episode also highlights the benefits of Summus's ability to rapidly connect its members with a network of esteemed doctors. This capability is not only about speed but also about the seamless integration with local healthcare systems, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive care. Additionally, the discussion touches upon how Summus has adapted to the healthcare landscape transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including their strategies for engaging with physicians and the trends they have observed in how their services are utilized.Looking towards the future, Summus is focusing on developing condition-specific pathways that promise to further streamline the patient experience, potentially reducing healthcare costs and improving outcomes. The narrative provides insights into these upcoming initiatives and the positive implications they may have for the healthcare industry.Key take-aways from the episode include:Summus' mission is instrumental in providing faster access to top medical experts, which is crucial for making informed healthcare decisions and improving patient outcomes.Specialty care is a key component of the healthcare journey for patients with complex conditions, and Summus facilitates this by connecting patients with the right specialists.The ability of Summus to quickly link members with leading doctors and integrate with local healthcare providers is a significant advantage for patients.Summus is actively adapting to the evolving healthcare environment post-pandemic and is planning future initiatives aimed at creating condition-specific pathways to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery.Stay in Touch!Connect with Nick Razzi on LinkedInVisit Summus GlobalLearn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resourcesGet the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and David Pittman Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In this episode, Justin Holland, CEO and co-founder of HealthJoy, shares his international upbringing, entrepreneurial ventures, and the personal healthcare challenge that led to the creation of HealthJoy, a platform designed to simplify healthcare choices for employees and employers alike.With a focus on enhancing healthcare navigation and reducing costs, HealthJoy emerges as a critical partner for employers seeking to offer better healthcare solutions to their employees. Holland's journey from a skiing accident to the inception of HealthJoy highlights the universal struggle with navigating healthcare options, underscoring the platform's mission to make quality care more accessible and understandable.Key takeaways from the episode include:The inspiration behind HealthJoy rooted in personal experience, emphasizing the need for simplified healthcare navigation.HealthJoy's approach to cost containment and personalized healthcare guidance, aiming to deliver savings to employers and improve employee health outcomes.The significant impact of virtual care and telemedicine, especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and HealthJoy's adaptation to offer a comprehensive range of virtual healthcare services.Holland's perspective on current and emerging challenges within the healthcare industry, including pharmacy costs, high-cost claimants, and the obesity epidemic, and HealthJoy's commitment to addressing these issues through innovative solutions.The importance of a seamless user experience in healthcare platforms, combining digital efficiency with human support to meet the diverse needs of users.The need for a platform to deliver a healthcare cost containment strategy on the back of a challenging macroeconomic environment.Stay in Touch!Connect with Justin Holland on LinkedInVisit HealthJoyLearn more about Springbuk ActivateGet the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and David Pittman Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Dive into an episode that's all about the big issues hitting our health and wallets: skyrocketing prescription costs and the obesity epidemic. Two co-authors of the 2024 Employee Health Trends report from Springbuk take you through the ins and outs of how these challenges are reshaping the landscape of employer healthcare spending and what it means for all of us. Janet Young, MD, Clinical Analytics Advisor at Springbuk, and co-host Jennifer Jones, Population Health Practice Leader, explore the tangled web of drug pricing, unravel why your medicine costs keep going up, and discuss steps employers can take to reduce costs. Plus, we're not shying away from the weighty issue of obesity. Jennifer takes a deep dive into how it's impacting healthcare costs in ways you might not expect.This episode is a must-listen for anyone involved in employee health benefits, offering actionable strategies and a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape.What You Will Learn:The significant role of prescription drug pricing in increasing employer healthcare costs, with a particular focus on brand name and specialty drugs.Insights into the obesity epidemic and its direct and indirect impacts on healthcare spending and employee well-being.Strategies for employers to manage rising healthcare costs, including the adoption of generics, biosimilars, and comprehensive health programs.The importance of a data-driven approach to health benefits planning, leveraging insights from healthcare analytics to inform strategies.Emerging treatments and approaches for managing obesity, highlighting the role of GLP-1 agonists and the need for multifaceted treatment strategies.Stay in Touch!Connect with Janet Young on LinkedInGet the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and David Pittman Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Dive into the world of high-cost claimants trends with Janet Young, MD, Clinical Analytics Advisor at Springbuk and one of the authors of the 2024 Employee Health Trends report.  The report sheds light on managing those hefty healthcare expenses. Janet describes the journey through the world of healthcare economics, beginning with a breakdown of high-cost claimants into distinct segments, then explaining how those groups differ in their influence on overall healthcare spending. The conversation then turns to the diverse health conditions within these categories, underlining the critical need to grasp these differences for crafting impactful management strategies. You'll hear about innovative approaches like encouraging regular cancer screenings and leveraging Centers of Excellence for top-notch care and advice, particularly vital in the priciest categories dominated by facility expenses.What You Will Learn:The segmentation of high-cost claimants in healthcare and their impact on total spendingThe importance of understanding the variation in health conditions across different cost categoriesStrategies for managing high-cost claims, including early cancer screenings and leveraging Centers of ExcellenceCatch the full conversation.Connect with Janet Young on LinkedInGet the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and David Pittman Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In this engaging and informative podcast, hosts Mike Pattengale and Jennifer Jones chat with Alex Frommeyer, the co-founder and CEO of Beam Benefits. Alex shares his journey from being an engineer to founding Beam, a digitally native employee benefits company that's transforming dental insurance and more.Key takeaways:Digitally Native Benefits: Beam's success lies in being a native digital company, leveraging AI-powered underwriting and a wellness program to offer flexible and innovative benefits for small and medium-sized businesses. This digital approach differentiates Beam from traditional insurers and creates a memorable experience for employees.Dental Wellness Program: Beam's unique dental wellness program gamifies dental care, allowing users to accumulate points by brushing their teeth with the connected Beam toothbrush. These points can be redeemed for various products and gift cards, promoting better dental health while engaging users passively.The Future of Employee Benefits: Alex envisions a more integrated and comprehensive approach to employee benefits, where data-driven solutions unify various health-related coverages and experiences. He believes tech and entrepreneurial innovation will be the driving force behind this future.The next time you brush your teeth, remember that you can make dental health more fun and rewarding with Beam!Catch the full conversation.Connect with Alex Frommeyer on LinkedInVisit Beam Benefits' websiteConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Brian Whorley, founder of Paytient, explained how the company's health payment accounts provide interest-free credit lines for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, aiming to bridge the gap between existing healthcare savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), and the financial burden of healthcare costs. Whorley stated, "Credit is what we use in our lives to turn large, unexpected, or infrequent expenses into affordable things."Paytient's health payment accounts, unlike HSAs and FSAs, do not require employer or employee funding and do not perform credit checks on the account holders. Whorley emphasized that there's "no interest to the actual members" and "no credit check to the actual members." The goal is to enable more people to access healthcare and reduce financial stress around medical expenses.Whorley said Paytient can be used with existing HSAs and FSAs to create more equitable access to healthcare, particularly for lower-income employees who may struggle with high-deductible health plans. Whorley explained that Paytient is a flexible product that can be tailored to the needs of different employers and their workforce demographics. This allows employers to ensure that their health plans are more accessible and equitable for all employees, regardless of their income level or job position.Whorley also talked about how Paytient can help address deferred healthcare, which has been more prevalent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. By providing individuals with a way to afford healthcare without incurring additional financial burden, Paytient aims to encourage more people to seek medical care when they need it, rather than delaying or avoiding treatment due to financial concerns.Whorley acknowledged the need to address the root cause of high healthcare costs, but emphasized that Paytient offers a practical solution for individuals and employers in the meantime. He said, "As long as you have your phone, you have a way to pay for care," demonstrating how Paytient can help make healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone.Key Take-aways: Paytient provides interest-free credit lines to help people afford healthcare expenses.Paytient can sit alongside HSAs and FSAs, making all benefits more effective.Deferred care is a pervasive issue that can be addressed by providing more affordable healthcare options.Paytient can be deployed at any time throughout the year for employers.Paytient recently closed a $40 million Series B funding round to support its growth plans.Connect with Brian Whorley on LinkedInVisit Paytient’s websiteConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

If you look at almost any engagement survey that a company does, career development is almost always one of the lowest scores. Robyn Clark, the founder of WinningWise, an HR and talent management company, says that’s largely because employers career development because they think it's only for the person – the employee – and not for them. That’s completely and utterly wrong.Robyn explains that if employers are preparing a workforce for the future, they should be looking to develop people so they can take on ever-bigger projects and go into broader roles, some of which may not even be known yet. Robyn further says career development is probably the most important talent strategy today, one that offers a huge win for both the organization and the individual because the employer is building the bench that they want and they're meeting two significant needs for the employee: mastery and personal growth.Catch the full conversation.Connect with Robyn Clark on LinkedInWatch WinningWise’s webinar “Understanding Individual Needs: How Employee Needs Have Shifted Since the Pandemic”Get the complete 2023 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

A 2023 Business Group on Health survey showed that for the first time in history, cancer overtook musculoskeletal disease as the top cost driver for employers. Natalya Gertsik, vice president of Clear Cancer Solution Management at PHM, and a contributor to the 2023 Springbuk Employee Health Trends report, says this is a major issue from employers and their employees because of three main deficiencies in our healthcare system related to cancer care:limited accessinadequate communicationinefficiencyShe describes the respective underlying issues with Centers of Excellence and community-based oncologists, and then explains how PHM is applying an ”independence clinical excellence model” to address these deficiencies and challenges.Catch the full conversation.Connect with Natalya Gertsik on LinkedInGet the complete 2023 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

For the past few years, specialty drugs have played a large and growing role in the overall cost of employee healthcare. In this episode, Janet Young, M.D., lead clinical scientist and co-author of Springbuk's 2023 Employee Health Trends Report, describes the factors that are driving the biggest increases and get some tips on what employers can do to keep their costs under control. Catch the full conversation.Connect with Janet Young on LinkedInGet the complete 2023 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

We are now into our fourth year of dealing with COVID. Since it burst into our consciousness in early 2020, we've seen massive changes in treatments and long-term effects, including the enigmatic, long COVID  and strains on mental health. To kick off season two of “Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist,” we're going to start with a mini-series, exploring the major trends that are reshaping employee healthcare. This episode’s featured guests are three of the analysts and authors of Springbuk's 2023 Employee Health Trends Report. Janet Young, M.D., lead clinical scientist; Chris Gagen, senior director of analytic and strategic consulting; and Jennifer Jones, MSM RD, enterprise employer practice leader.Catch the full conversation.Connect with Janet Young and Chris Gagen on LinkedInGet the complete 2023 Employee Health Trends report and other related resourcesConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players. Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Imagine you’ve just received a life-changing diagnosis: maybe it’s cancer, maybe it’s ALS. Whatever it is, the last thing you would want to worry about is finding the best specialist or questioning if your prognosis is correct. That’s where an Expert Medical Opinion solution can help. Josh Reimer, Director of Channel Partnerships at Included Health, joined us to review many of the challenges of our current healthcare system:Confusion: 50% of individuals struggle to understand their insuranceLow engagement: 33% of individuals avoid medical care altogetherLack of access: >16,000 physician offices closed due to COVIDHigh costs: 30% of healthcare spend is considered wasteHe then explained how an EMO solution can help break down those barriers to simplify the healthcare experience, delivering access to 4000  of the top clinical specialists and subspecialists nationwide.Listen to the full conversation.Connect with Josh Reimer on LinkedInVisit Included HealthConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and David Pittman Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast playersHave feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

“What we've seen in the last 10 to 15 years … is a juggernaut of costs from specialty medicines, usually wonderful medicines with great cures, but that come at a significant cost. … And whereas the split between medical and pharma used to be that we spent some of our time on utilization of pharmacy and prescriptions and generics and mail order versus retail, now specialty medicine is just blowing everything out of the water from a cost perspective.” With that, healthcare industry thought leader Dr. Ron Leopold launched into an engaging conversation about macro trends in employee benefits, covering the ever-evolving effects of COVID, the proliferation of point solutions, the major cost drivers for employers, and how those employers should be using data to contain their costs.“There's a whole lot that we can measure if we're smart and understand this requires both looking at the data and then really thinking through cause and effect,” said Dr. Leopold.Listen to the full conversation.Connect with Dr. Leopold on LinkedInVisit RonLeopold.comConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast playersHave feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) was signed into law, including many provisions that impact employer-sponsored health plans. The CAA mandates a new set of requirements for pharmacy reporting, mental health parity compliance, consumer price transparency, balance-billing practices, and other requirements related to contracts between employers, their health plans, and broker/consultant partners.It’s complex. Shannon Kukulka, an employee benefits attorney at Waller and former  in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 company, joined Nicole Belles, vice president of product at Springbuk, and regular host Jennifer Jones to share her legal knowledge and practical advice on how employers can navigate the murky waters of the CAA.Connect with Shannon on LinkedInVisit Waller’s websiteRead Shannon’s blog about the CAAConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Nicole Belles Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast playersHave feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Healthiest Employers is the trusted awards program that recognizes people-first organizations that are taking a more proactive approach to employee health. Since its inception in 2009, the Healthiest Employers corporate wellness program has attracted over 10,000 employers representing more than 60 million employees from all across the United States.Haley Elmore, Healthiest Employers program coordinator, joined Jennifer and Mike to share several of the attributes found in organizations that were named in the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America. She also explain why companies choose to apply for the program and the value they take away from participating, even if they don’t receive a regional or national award. HINT:  it’s learning from the best of the best.Listen as Haley provides recommendations for both employers and their employees.Connect with Haley on LinkedInVisit Healthiest Employers websiteRead the Healthiest Employers blogGet a Benchmark Report with more than 40 pages of data, charts, and recommendationsConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast playersHave feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Specialty drugs are playing a significant role in the increasing healthcare costs in the commercial market. In this third episode of a mini-series based on the 2022 Employee Health Trends report, Janet Young, M.D., Lead Clinical Scientist at Springbuk and co-author of the report, talks about which specialty drugs are driving the most cost and alternatives that benefits leaders can explore.Discover why one condition has a relatively small percentage of people receiving a specialty drug, but that is still drive a large dollar value of spending, and hear which conditions our data scientists expect to drive growth of specialty drug use over the next couple of years.Get tips for how employers can reduce costs on specialty drugs without reducing efficacy, including looking at where the drugs are administered. And learn the steps employers can take now to increase adoption of lower-cost alternative drugs and to ensure they are able to reap cost savings as new biosimilars come into the market over the next two to three years.Listen as Janet provides recommendations for both employers and their employees.Connect with Janet on LinkedInGet the complete 2022 Employee Health Trends reportConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast playersHave feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Health insurance was established to protect us from catastrophic financial loss, but David Contorno, CEO and founder of E-Powered Benefits, says, “medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., with the huge majority of them having had health insurance?”David explains how the typical broker and carrier contracts are structured so that they benefit most when costs go up. His firm turns the usual system of incentives around so they’re paid on how much they lower costs. Learn about his firm’s approach to building benefit plans that are built specifically for a company’s culture and workforce … and discover why insurance carriers don’t like him much.Connect with David on LinkedInDavid’s viral post about Health Expenditure vs. Life ExpectancyGet the e-book Social Determinants of Health: A Springbuk PerspectiveMarshall Allen’s book, Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and WinGet the complete 2022 Employee Health Trends reportConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players.   Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In this second episode of a mini-series based on the 2022 Employee Health Trends report, we talk with co-author Janet Young, M.D., Lead Clinical Scientist at Springbuk, about the impacts COVID-19 has had on employee healthcare and employer benefit plans. Armed with data from more than 30,000 COVID patients, Janet and her fellow data analysts split the research into individuals who had COVID into hospitalized and non-hospitalized to get a better understanding of what was happening within each group.Their findings were stunning: during a six-month period after an initial COVID diagnosis, hospitalized patients cost about 70% more than the researchers expected. Even non-hospitalized patients saw an increase of about 25%.What’s this mean for employee benefit plans? As the pandemic seems to be drawing to an end, employers need to be mindful that doesn’t mean their healthcare costs will immediately drop. And besides the costs for acute care, the data show many people, unsurprisingly, have post-acute care mental health issues that may linger for an extended time. Listen as Janet provides recommendations for both employers and their employees. Connect with Janet on LinkedInGet the complete 2022 Employee Health Trends reportConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players.   Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In the 2021 Employee Health Trends report, Springbuk discovered the rate of telemedicine services per 1000 plan members had increased 12-fold over the previous year’s data, which was mostly prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Digging deeper into the data, Chris Gagen and the rest of the Springbuk analytics team found mental health accounted for more than 40 percent of those encounters.What has happened in the year since then? Have telemedicine visits overall increased, decreased, or remained relatively constant?What about telemental health services? Has the long two-year grind of the pandemic caused more people to seek care via the internet?Who is using the services most?What’s causing the variance in telemedicine visits among demographic groups?Those are some of the topics that Chris, Springbuk’s Senior Director of Analytic & Strategic Consulting, explains in this episode.Connect with Chris on LinkedInGet the complete 2022 Employee Health Trends reportConnect with our co-hosts Jennifer Jones and Mike Pattengale Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other popular podcast players.   Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com. Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening! Produced by David Pittman Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside