84. The People's Picks: The Most-Watched Moments of the Year

This episode is built entirely from your favorite moments. In this year-in-review special, hosts Chelsea Ryckis and Donovan Ryckis of Ethos Benefits count down the most-watched clips of the year, the conversations that changed how employers think about their self-funded health plan. Across seven conversations you'll hear from an HVAC owner who found a 97% price difference on the same medical claim, an HR leader who saved her company $24 million, a PBM insider who exposes who owns who in the drug supply chain, a stop loss expert who makes self-funded vs. fully insured make sense, a reference-based pricing specialist who busts the biggest myth about balance billing, a birth advocate making the case for doulas as a benefits strategy, and Mark Cuban on where healthcare pricing is headed next. If you only watch one episode of this podcast, make it this one. What You’ll Learn * What a PBM actually is, and who owns who in the "Big 3" * Why international drug sourcing can cut prescription costs by more than 75% * How an $80,000 medical claim became $2,000 for the identical treatment from the identical doctor * The real financial impact of reference-based pricing: one company's path to $24 million in savings * How to tell when your broker isn't actually on your side, and what fiduciary disclosure should look like * Why "balance billing" fears are mostly a scare tactic, and what the real numbers show * The simplest way to explain self-funded vs. fully insured health plans to any employer * Why doulas and maternal health support belong in a modern employee benefits strategy FROM OUR SPONSOR You're doing the work. Don't leave the proof behind. Managing a health or retirement plan takes time, oversight, and judgment. Fiduciary In A Box documents your governance, vendor oversight, and committee decisions in one secure platform, so your fiduciary process speaks for itself. Learn more at www.fiduciaryinabox.com. Time Stamps 00:00 - Welcome to The Business of Benefits 01:14 - Meet Your Host: A Highlight Reel Intro 02:08 - What Is a PBM, Really? (feat. Rachel Strauss) 05:20 - Who Actually Owns the PBMs (Vertical Integration) 07:33 - International Drug Sourcing and Real Savings Numbers 12:15 - The $80K Skin Graft That Became $2K (feat. Bryan Orr) 15:49 - The Big Lie of Healthcare Pricing (feat. Stephanie Porrino) 20:07 - The Problem-Solution Cycle and Choosing Your Hard 21:12 - Rolling Out a New Plan Before Open Enrollment (feat. Danielle Young) 22:52 - Balance Bills, Mythbu