This episode rips the cover off one of the biggest myths in employee benefits: that your broker has everything under control. The truth? Most brokers only know what carriers want them to know—leaving employers in the dark about the data, options, and strategies that could truly transform their plans.

Join Lou Bernardi as he exposes how this lack of expertise and transparency keeps companies stuck on “renewal autopilot,” making decisions based on carrier spreadsheets instead of real insight. Lou also shares the essential questions every CEO, CFO, and HR leader should be asking to break free—and what happens when you finally stop letting the blind lead the blind.

If your renewal meetings feel rushed, shallow, or endlessly repetitive, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Every business decision follows a process, define the goal, gather the data, evaluate the options, and make an informed choice. Except, it seems, when it comes to health insurance. Why do companies that analyze every penny of their P&L turn around and renew multi-million-dollar health plans without a real evaluation? Today, we will break down how business decision-making is supposed to work and what goes wrong when the same logic isn’t applied to healthcare.

Does your health insurance work for the best benefit of your well-being, or is it simply another blatant cash grab? Louis Bernardi believes that the “machine” of healthcare and insurance must be significantly reworked, not just for the sake of the patients but the doctors as well. He explains what must be done to address the ever-blurring lines between insurance and healthcare, putting the patients’ needs above anything else. Louis also emphasizes the need for transparency in the insurance industry and why 340B pharmacy programs must be put under investigation.

There are five main segments of health CARE and health INSURANCE. Those five segments are riddled with misaligned incentives and hidden profits for insurers, pharmacy brokers, and the healthcare systems.

The American Healthcare Consumer must be aware of the pitfalls and possibilities that exist within their plans. Informed consumers are seeking aligned partnerships with TPA's, PBM's, and Population Health Companies and achieving remarkable results with the help of a new breed of benefits specialist that sells more than insurance.

Lou and Paul will discuss these and other solutions that are helping plan sponsors change the trajectory of healthcare and insurance costs, allowing these employers and their members to reach new heights.

Transparency in healthcare isn't just about revealing costs; it's about empowering employers to navigate a complex system, save on inflated expenses, and truly prioritize their employees' well-being. In this episode, Jamie Greenleaf discusses the complex world of fiduciary responsibilities within healthcare plans. She dissects and reveals the challenges faced by plan sponsors, CEOs, CFOs, and HR directors. Wendy emphasizes the importance of transparency in healthcare and how tools like Fiduciary in a Box are changing the way we navigate these complexities. Learn the surprising discoveries about secret payments, higher prices, and the deliberate tricks in the healthcare system. Tune in now!

Paytient makes it easier for your employees to afford the care they need – regardless of their credit history.

Lou and Chris discuss the impact skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs have on people financially and medically. Paytient is a simple plan addition that ensures members do not have to avoid necessary medical care, and can fill ALL their medications.

The results? Happier and healthier employees, lower healthcare costs because treatable conditions do not go untreated and become high-cost claims.

Employers have a tremendous opportunity to take control of health care spending with the incredible growth of technology in the healthcare space. The recent legislation also increases the fiduciary responsibility of plan sponsors, and companies like Talon can unleash actionable data like never before. In this episode, Lou and Mark Galvin discuss healthcare's challenges, opportunities, and future. The day the Transparency in Coverage Rule was finalized, most existing healthcare price transparency tools became obsolete. Legacy tools with legacy architectures become non-compliant when real prices and patient out-of-pocket responsibilities must be displayed rapidly and accurately to comply with the Rule. It is, therefore, necessary to partner with TALON to provide accurate negotiated rates to the consumer in a fully individualized user experience that supports consumers' essential information needs when healthcare purchase decisions are being considered and made. Join Mark and Lou in this conversation to find out more.

Marshall Allen is the second two-time guest of Benefits with Friends. He and Lou previously discussed his book "Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win." This time, the conversation focuses on Marshall's project aimed at empowering the American Healthcare Consumer: The Never Pay Pathway. The Never Pay Pathway is an educational platform with 16 videos, averaging 5 minutes. The videos will help the listener analyze medical bills, contest inaccurate and unreasonable bills, win appeals, avoid unnecessary care, and much more. They are also now available to insurance brokers and HR Leaders for continuing education credits. So, don't waste your time and tune in to this episode with Marshal and Lou today!