Shift Shapers Podcast

Ep #69: Voluntary Benefits, Part 1: The Small And Mid Market – With Matt Boeshore and Gail Stark

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For many advisors, voluntary benefits have gone from being a specialty area to being an integral part of their everyday businesses. Others are finding VB something they want to become a key part of their business. On this first of our two-part series on voluntary benefits, we invited Matt Boeshore and Gail Stark of eVolve Marketplace to talk about this exciting benefits area, specifically for small to mid-size markets.

Matt and Gail discuss what the voluntary benefits marketplace looked like just a few years ago and how it has evolved in the recent years. We discuss the key role of technology and what benefits advisors need to know to be able to have that VB conversation with employers. We also explore some of the newer, more uncommon benefits being offered and discuss the impact PPACA has had this fast-growing area.

Next week, we will look at the similarities and the key differences in offerings, technology and marketing in the large group segment.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • How voluntary benefits have changed in recent years.
  • How PPACA has changed advisor’s perspective on voluntary benefits.
  • Some of the newer additions to the voluntary benefits offerings.
  • What advisors need to know to have that first voluntary benefit conversation with a prospect or client.
  • The role of technology plays and whether it is a differentiator or just table stakes.

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Ep #68: Defeat Freebies With Your Secret Weapon – With Lillian Shapiro

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At the recent NAHU Convention, we spoke with Lillian Shapiro, president of HR360, about some of the challenges that benefits advisors face from companies providing “free” stuff in exchange for Agent of Record Letters. She points out that this type of marketing is not a new hurdle, but one that has reappeared at a particularly interesting time in our business.

On this episode of ShiftShapers,Lillian shares a simple yet powerful technique brokers can employ to give them a competitive advantage over any technology platform. She offers advice and ideas to help advisors become more effective and efficient in closing new clients and retaining existing ones. Lillian believes that advisors today have a unique value proposition – they simply need to learn how to present it in a compelling and competitive manner.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • The challenges advisors have faced in the past with freebies.
  • How to ensure your clients know the full scope of the services you provide.
  • How to use checklists and newsletters.
  • Why social proof matters.
  • The secret weapon in every client relationship.

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Ep #67: Using Data To Lower Costs, Increase Quality And Drive Client Value – With Troy Cook

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At the recent National Association of Health Underwriters Convention we invited Troy Cook, Vice President of Sales & Development at Telligen to discuss how we can use data and analytics to improve the system for all stakeholders. Troy discusses some of the key variables that advisors need to embrace and understand to help bring clients make informed decisions around plan choice, employee education, engagement, and more.

On this wide-ranging discussion, Troy explains what can be done, in light of the Affordable Care Act, to actually make the health care affordable. We discuss the possibilities of looking through the windshield rather than the rearview mirror when using evidenced-based medicine and predictive modeling. We also explore how using those data can help lower costs, improve quality and deliver a better overall client experience.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • Whether we can ever stop looking out the rear-view mirror.
  • Whether predictive modeling is advancing.
  • How clinical analytics can help providers.
  • How members can get the right care at the right place and at the right time.
  • The issue of readmission and what can be done to lower those rates.

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Ep #66: Stand Out By Personalizing Your Marketing – With Barbara Saxton

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From social media to video email marketing, one of the common themes we heard a lot of folks talking about at the recent National Association of Health Underwriters Convention was the need for better, more efficient and effective communication. One of the presenters from the convention, Barbara Saxton, CEO of Smart Choices, joins us on this episode to talk about the class she taught on that topic.

On this episode of ShiftShapers, Barabara explains the concept of personalized marketing and how it can help brokers differentiate their service and increase client retention. She shares her concept of the “5 Cs” of Communication which will help you to craft a message that resonates with your prospects and clients. We also explore using different communication strategies, tools and techniques you can use to stand out by personalizing your marketing.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • The importance of having a culture within organizations.
  • How “personalized marketing” is unique.
  • How to transform our communications strategies.
  • The “5 Cs” of Communication.
  • Social media vs. social proof.
  • How you can use video email marketing to build more personal connections.

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Ep #65: What You Need To Know To Position Self Insurance – With Jay Kempton

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Jay Kempton, president & CEO of The Kempton Group has been described as “the personification of a disruptive force in the self funded world.” In our wide ranging discussion, Jay talks about everything from what buying a truck would be like if we applied today’s insurance purchasing rules to why Health Savings Accounts aren’t a real long-term solution.

We also explore the gap between the insurance provider and the consumer of the health goods and services, how it has grown over the years and how it has affected buying decisions. Jay also shares his views about how PPACA has strengthened TPAs and increased interest in self insurance. Whether you are currently discussing self insurance concepts with your clients, or you are new to helping employers become insurance owners rather than insurance buyers, you won’t want to miss this episode.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • How the Kempton Group was founded.
  • How to help employers go from insurance buyers to insurance owners.
  • How the “distance” between provider and patient has distorted buying decisions.
  • Despite early concerns, PPACA has accelerated self insurance and strengthened TPAs.
  • Why HSAs are not really a long-term solution to creating consumers.
  • Whether patients are beginning to wake up and demand up-front pricing and quality metrics.

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Ep #64: Lessons Learned From Retailers Deliver a Better Client Experience – With Kara Trott

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It often seems as though the world of employee benefits is exempt from many of the forces that impact other industries. Kara Trott, Founder & CEO of Quantum Health, knows that is not true, and that much of what happen in other industries – especially retail sales – can help us to improve our industry and the client experience we provide.

We invited Kara to share her experience with using strategies from retail store design and product intercept to help lower healthcare costs and improve experience. She also talks about how these strategies apply to managed care companies, insurance companies, and patients. Kara believes that today’s consumers often feel like Dorothy, dropped into the land of Oz: confused, disoriented by a consumer experience unlike any other and with a multitude of simultaneous decisions for which they are unprepared.

She shares the lessons she has learned and techniques you can master to make those clients feel like they are back in Kansas again.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • Her journey from retail and commercial enterprise to the health industry.
  • Strategies and lessons learned from Citibank, Ford, Walmart and Kmart.
  • Where disconnects happen.
  • Why today’s consumers feel like Dorothy, dropped into Oz.
  • The widely-held theory that the physician is at the center of the trust relationship.

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Ep #63: Is Today’s System Like Organized Crime? – With Hobson Carroll

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We try to include a lot of different voices on the ShiftShapers podcast, and we have been missing an actuary’s perspective.  Our guest on this episode, Hobson Carroll, is the president of the Medrisk Actuarial Services. As you guessed from the headline, Hobson is a bit unorthodox and creative, but that is what makes him an intriguing and provocative thought leader in the industry – and a great podcast guest!

Hobson joins us today to explain why he describes a part of the current system as “organized crime” and why networks are like “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. He also shares his views on self funding, reference-based pricing and transparency in the marketplace. We will explore strategies that you can use to help your clients navigate  the current healthcare system.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • Why today’s insurance system is like organized crime.
  • Why precision in language is critically important.
  • Whether self-insurance is viable for small employers.
  • What networks have in common with “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
  • What’s coming in the near-term.

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Ep #62: Understanding and Positioning Captive Insurance Arrangements – With Mark Gaunya

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Mark Gaunya returns to ShiftShapers to discuss the use of Captive Insurance Arrangements as an alternate funding mechanism for your clients. More and more advisors are considering different types of self-insured financing mechanisms for clients – especially in the mid to large market space. A Captive adds a few components that help to create a comfort level with clients making the change to self insurance.

Before we discuss the actual ins and outs of Captives, Mark takes us through what he believes are a couple of critical conversations advisors should have with those prospects and clients. You will learn how to explore and understand your client’s buying philosophy, how to understand the three mindsets of a purchaser and how to help them move from being a purchaser to being an in-control owner.

Mark explains how captive insurance arrangement works, how it differs from a traditional insurance purchase and what type of organizations it is best suited for. Tune in to learn about the benefits of this model as well as how to find captives for your clients.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • How to find your client’s buying philosophy.
  • The three mindsets of a purchaser.
  • The difference between purchasers and owners.
  • How to help clients determine a strategy.
  • The difference between homogenous and heterogeneous pools.
  • 3 component layers of a captive.
  • Why brokers might want to consider a segregated cell group captive.

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Ep #61: A Futurist’s View on Healthcare – With David Houle

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As change accelerates all around us, most aspects of human life are undergoing dramatic amounts and various rates of shift. With that in mind, who better to ask about the myriad changes surrounding healthcare than a futurist?

Our guest on this episode is David Houle, is a not only a futurist who lectures worldwide, he is also the author of a number of books, including on that is aimed directly at our wheelhouse: “New Age Health: The Future of Health Care in America”.

David reminds us that the shift in today’s healthcare started long before the Affordable Care Act. In this wide-ranging discussion, we end by looking at the past to give us a clearer indication of the future, including some thoughts about initiatives, technologies and new ways of thinking that have the potential to lower costs and increase its efficiency. Don’t miss this informative episode.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • The true beginnings of today’s industry change.
  • How Gutenberg began a chain of influential events.
  • Why Dr. Devi Shetty is a perfect example of one possible future.
  • The role telehealth plays in today’s health care and where it’s headed.
  • Medical Miracles.
  • Why payers, patients, and providers are at war.

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Ep #60: Opportunities with Non-Insurance Benefits – Kyle Hodges

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On this episode of ShiftShapers, we’re exploring an area that a lot of our listeners have asked about –  non-insurance based benefits. Our guest, Kyle Hodges, president of The Broker’s Broker, tired of bringing clients “bad news” and changed his practice to specialize in only these types of corporate benefits.

Kyle shares some of the most common, and not-so-common, non-traditional non-insurance ideas. He also talks about how benefits advisors can start positioning these types of benefits in their practice and how to have that conversation with prospects and clients. Whether you want to go completely non-insurance, as Kyle did, or you want to add these unique opportunities to your current offerings, listen to learn how this strategy can help your clients increase their bottom line by creating savings opportunities.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • How Kyle got into employee benefits industry.
  • Examples of some non-traditional non-insurance ideas.
  • Commission compression as a driver for diversification.
  • How advisors can have the conversation with prospects and clients.
  • Whether this represents an opportunity to create strategic partnerships.

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