October 2015

Ep #81: Transparency Without Clarity Is Like A Sink Full Of Dirty Dishes – With Robin Gelburd

By   Shift Shapers Podcast   Add new comment
  • ShiftShapersCoverArt-300x300

    ShiftShapersCoverArt-300x300

    View post

ShiftShapersCoverArt

On this week’s episode of ShiftShapers, we’re excited to be speaking with Robin Gelburd, president of FAIR Health, a national independent non-profit organization that’s currently doing some interesting and effective work around the broad subject of pricing and transparency.

They have recently released a must-read study for anyone in the benefits field titled “Understanding Consumer Health Insurance Preferences” (use our SPECIAL OFFERS link on the right to download the entire study).   Robin joins us today to talk about the study and to discuss why she believes that transparency without clarity is like a sink full of dishes.

We will explore some of the most interesting findings of the study, such as how and why certain constituencies access care in different locales. We also explore common misconceptions consumers have about pricing and what they find most important when choosing a healthcare plan. You won’t want to miss  this informative episode.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • What FAIR Health and their mission are all about.
  • Significant differences in trends with diverse demographic groups.
  • Whether it is surprising that consumers find health care costs higher than imagined.
  • The most important factors to consumers when selecting a plan.
  • The recommendations that the survey suggests.

Featured On The Show:

  • www.FairHealth.org
  • “Understanding Consumer Health Insurance Preferences” Study –
    get your copy by clicking the SPECIAL OFFERS link in the right-hand column

Listen To The Full Interview:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 

This Episode is Sponsored by:

ASCEND-NewBanner Crop 250pw


Enjoy The Show?

Subscribe-with-iTunes-small Subscribe-with-Stitcher-small

Ep #80: Building a Powerhouse Benefits Agency with Tim Olson

By   Shift Shapers Podcast   Add new comment
  • ShiftShapersCoverArt-300x300

    ShiftShapersCoverArt-300x300

    View post

ShiftShapersCoverArt

This week we welcome Employee Benefit Adviser Magazine’s “Adviser of The Year” Tim Olson, the managing partner at The Olson Group.  He joins us today to share his journey to building a successful benefits practice and to talk about some of the innovations their agency is using to keep the at the top of their game.

We begin by discussing their beginnings and the way the agency has expanded to provide a deeper level of value to their clients. Tim chats about the variety of services they offer and how they use those to attract prospects with various needs to become full-range clients. Tim offers key insights into the powerful strategies they are using to stay on top of the changes in the industry.

From using different types of technology to the immense value of mastermind groups, you’ll discover great tips and game-changing advice that can help your agency become a powerhouse in the benefits marketplace. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the “Adviser of the Year.”

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • How The Olson Group­­­ got its start.
  • How you can let prospects know about the full range of services offered.
  • What happens when you aren’t the “right fit.”
  • Why it is all about the value.
  • Why investing in technology is key – for all size agencies.
  • Why mastermind groups are crucial to continued development.

Featured On The Show:

Listen To The Full Interview:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 

This Episode is Sponsored by:

ASCEND-NewBanner Crop 250pw


Enjoy The Show?

Subscribe-with-iTunes-small Subscribe-with-Stitcher-small

Ep #79: Fortress and Frontier, Part 2: The Move Towards the Frontier – With Robert Graboyes, MSPA, PhD.

By   Shift Shapers Podcast   Add new comment

ShiftShapersCoverArt

On this episode of Shiftshapers Podcast, we continue our conversation with Dr. Robert Graboyes, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, about the economics of health care and why both sides are losing the debate.

Join us as we discuss the reasons why traditional economic principles have worked differently in health care and what is happening (and needs to happen) to move us toward the frontier. Tune in to discover what Bob believes needs to happen in the United States in order to fix our health care system in a way that will help provide better care to more people at a lower cost, year after year. Don’t miss this engaging conclusion of our conversation with one of the nations preeminent healthcare-focused economists!

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • Why most metrics in health care have been focused in demand.
  • How much of the overall problem is due to seeing this as a “demand” rather than a “supply” issue.
  • How innovation in health care currently happens in the U.S. and why that system is broken.
  • The examples of countries that we can learn from to help fix our health care.
  • What we can learn from WWII Pacific operations.

Featured On The Show:

Listen To The Full Interview:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 

This Episode is Sponsored by:

ASCEND-NewBanner Crop 250pw


Enjoy The Show?

Subscribe-with-iTunes-small Subscribe-with-Stitcher-small

Ep #78: Fortress and Frontier, Part 1: Why Healthcare Innovation is Lagging Behind Other Industries – With Robert Graboyes, MSPA, PhD.

By   Shift Shapers Podcast   Add new comment

ShiftShapersCoverArt

In this episode of ShiftShapers Podcast, we are privileged to welcome a leading economist and thought leader in our field, Robert Graboyes. Bob is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University where he examines the economics of healthcare. His paper, “Fortress and Frontier in American Health Care” (link below) caught my interest and I invited him to discuss that – and much, much more – on the podcast.

We begin our conversation by exploring why he once referred to health care as an “Economic Oz.” We touch on the implications of the ongoing left-right political struggle over the health care. For good measure, we also delve into the ancient paternalistic tradition of physicians, and how that has contributed to the fortress vs. frontier mentality.

Join us discover why Bob believes that healthcare has been unwilling or unable to take on disruptive innovation like many other industries today and what we can do in order to allow for these beneficial changes to happen. You won’t want to miss the this interesting and informative discussion – or part 2 next week!

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • Why ACA is “an unworkable vision with multiple applause lines.”
  • What Robert means by “Fortress and Frontier.”
  • Why healthcare innovation has lagged behind other industries.
  • How much of the overall problem is due to seeing this as a “demand” rather than a “supply” issue.
  • When and how did we go from insurance to prepaid health care.
  • What we can learn from WWII Pacific operations.

Featured On The Show:

Listen To The Full Interview:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

 

This Episode is Sponsored by:

ASCEND-NewBanner Crop 250pw


Enjoy The Show?

Subscribe-with-iTunes-small Subscribe-with-Stitcher-small

Back to top