Change is possible, but it doesn’t start with spending more on a broken system. The cost-shifting and consumer-driven approaches of the past, like raising deductibles or copays, aren’t doing anything to help curb overall health care spending, nor is it making employees and their families any healthier. —Dave Osterndorf, chief actuary, Centivo
We are starting to see TPAs and vendors venture into the psychedelic care space, which is a new frontier for us, but it is a way for us to walk back what the pharmaceutical industry has done to us. —Sims Tillirson, regional director, consultant relations, Alight
We need to realize that in order to create change, we need to ask people where they are. We need to ask employees what they need rather than assuming. Perhaps we can create the narrative and drive that shift. —Bukola Ishola-Broome, client manager, Nava Benefits
Anytime someone reaches out to me, I will freely give my time. I’ve mentored a lot of people just because I want to see them succeed. That’s one thing we often don’t do well in this industry because we’re so competitive. But I don’t look at anyone as a competitor. We’re all in this together. —Nancy Giacolone, president, benefits consultant, Olympic Crest Insurance
Plan and utilization data is useless if you can’t use it to impact the ultimate price being paid. This is why we’ve been working to create our own health plans as a way of doing more. —Josh Butler, president, Butler Benefits
We’re making a difference; I see the impact that we’re having on how people are receiving care, what they’re paying out of pocket and how we’re impacting the bottom line. It’s more work; it’s harder. There will always be brokers who want to get paid and do less work and just jump from carrier to carrier. This is a long-term strategy. —Christina King, founder, president, C&A Benefits Group
When we as brokers think about the high cost of care, we see the numbers that are correlated with care. But when you’re on the other side of receiving care, it’s very different. We need to shift our mindset to the human side of benefits. —Dylan Slattery, co-founder and CEO, Excel Health Plans
Those are the things we’re going to have to deal with on an ongoing basis. If you run a small shop, the employees call you. They don’t want to share it with their employer. You’ve got to take politics out of it, the religion out. How can I serve this client and give them the best access to care? —Susan L. Combs, CEO, Combs & Company
Be curious and be paranoid. It’s very simple. Look at how many carrier parties are out there, and some of them look like they are all selling the same thing. So, if you look at it from the face… if you are not paranoid when you are talking to them to find out their true pros and cons, you can’t sit there with your client and tell them, ‘This is why this company is right for you.’ —Ami Shah, vice president, National Accounts, CSG
Employers have the power to change health care, but it’s a complex task to approach alone. Brokers and advisors can support them by bringing alternatives and innovations employers are hungry for. It’s time to help companies own their plans, propel health care outcomes and restore affordability for themselves, their employees and their families. —Drew Burns, mid-market sales lead, Centivo
Challenging the status quo
Design by Chris Nicholls
Illustration: Jorm Sangsorn/Adobe Stock
Making enrollment (and beyond) more impactful
Ensuring employee wellness
Using data & tech to your advantage
Creating better communication strategies
Innovative plan design
Personal & professional development
Building a better brokerage
Prospecting & making new connections
Creating a more diverse industry
Challenging the status quo
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