In this special Friends with Benefits episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie sit down with Jessica Brooks Woods, healthcare leader, executive, and Founder of the newly launched Health Intelligence Network (HIN). This episode was filmed April 16, 2026.

Jessica has spent her career bringing together employers, policymakers, consultants, innovators, and healthcare leaders to tackle some of the industry's biggest challenges. In this conversation, she shares the personal experiences that shaped her mission, why collaboration is the key to meaningful healthcare transformation, and how AI may fundamentally change the way we solve healthcare's most complex problems.

The discussion covers:

🔹 The story behind launching Health Intelligence Network (HIN)

🔹 Why healthcare doesn't have an information problem—it has a cohesion problem

🔹 Trust as healthcare's biggest challenge

🔹 AI's role in the future of healthcare and benefits consulting

🔹 Why collaboration beats competition when solving healthcare problems

🔹 The power of employer coalitions and collective action

🔹 Healthcare innovation, transparency, and leadership

🔹 Building businesses that create impact while remaining profitable

One of the most memorable takeaways: "We're not lacking information. We're lacking cohesion." Whether you're an employer, benefits professional, consultant, healthcare executive, entrepreneur, or simply interested in the future of healthcare, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, innovation, and creating meaningful change.

🎙️ Subscribe to The EOB Podcast for conversations that pull back the curtain on healthcare benefits, costs, transparency, and the future of healthcare.

This episode was filmed on March 19, 2026.

The healthcare benefits industry is changing faster than it has in years...

In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie break down the growing pressure facing Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), including the FTC settlement involving Express Scripts, new Department of Labor transparency proposals, the impact of CAA 2026, and emerging fiduciary litigation that could reshape the healthcare benefits landscape.

Topics include:

• FTC action against PBMs and what it means for employers

• Spread pricing, rebate retention, and hidden compensation

• The proposed DOL PBM transparency rule

• Why fiduciary responsibility is becoming impossible to ignore

• Direct contracting and the future of employer-sponsored healthcare

• The role of transparency in reducing healthcare costs

• What employers should be doing right now to protect their plans

Justin and Julie also discuss why healthcare affordability has become a bipartisan issue, how employers can gain leverage during contract negotiations, and why simply accepting the status quo is no longer a viable strategy.

If you're an employer, HR leader, CFO, advisor, benefits professional, or healthcare industry stakeholder, this episode is packed with practical insights on where the market is heading next.

Because one thing is becoming increasingly clear:

The healthcare industry is changing, and employers need to be ready.

This episode got a little… theatrical. 🎭

In the first-ever LIVE episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie are joined by Shawn Gremminger, President & CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, for a deep dive into one of the biggest issues in healthcare today:

👉 Why employers still struggle to access their own data 👉 How PBMs and carriers use opaque contracts 👉 And why healthcare pricing still feels intentionally confusing

Through a mix of live skits, audience interaction, sarcasm, and real policy discussion, the episode breaks down:

• Shared savings programs • Contract transparency • PBM reform and data access • Employer fiduciary responsibility • Hospital pricing and pharmacy spend • ERISA preemption • Why employers are finally pushing back

Shawn shares insights from working with employer coalitions representing more than 90 million Americans and explains why this moment feels different than years past.

One major takeaway:

👉 Employers are no longer willing to blindly trust the system.

And yes… there’s also a fake Kohl’s rebate program skit.

What if the biggest risk in your healthcare plan… is something you can’t even see? In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie are joined by Jamie Greenleaf, Co-Founder of Fiduciary in a Box, to break down one of the most important (and overlooked) issues in healthcare benefits today:

👉 Fiduciary responsibility — and why most employers aren’t prepared for it Drawing from decades of experience in the retirement space, Jaime connects the dots between what happened with 401(k) plans… and what’s now unfolding in healthcare.

Because the pattern looks familiar:

• Hidden compensation

• Lack of transparency

• Vague or missing contracts

• And employers being held responsible anyway

The conversation dives into:

Why healthcare is following the same path as retirement plans

What “reasonable compensation” actually means under ERISA

How lack of disclosures creates real legal risk

Why litigation may drive change faster than regulation

The dangers of indirect compensation and conflicted advice

And how employers can start building a defensible fiduciary process

One of the biggest takeaways? 👉 If you can’t explain what you’re paying… you probably can’t defend it. This episode is a must-watch for employers, HR leaders, CFOs, and benefits advisors trying to navigate an increasingly complex and high-risk environment.

This one couldn’t wait.

In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie break down the proposed Department of Labor rule on PBM transparency — and the flood of industry responses submitted before the comment deadline.

With over 500+ submissions from carriers, PBMs, employers, and other stakeholders, the conversation reveals a clear divide:

👉 Those pushing for more transparency 👉 And those… pushing back hard

For the first time, the proposed rule would require PBMs to disclose all compensation — including rebates, spread pricing, administrative fees, and more — before a contract is signed.

So why the resistance?

Justin and Julie dig into real comment letters from major players in the industry, breaking down:

• Common arguments against the rule (and what they really mean)
• Why “this is too complex” keeps coming up
• What employers are being told vs. what they actually need
• How transparency impacts fiduciary responsibility
• And where this could go next

Along the way, they call out contradictions, questionable logic, and a few moments that are… unintentionally hilarious.

Because when it comes to healthcare benefits: understanding how money flows isn’t optional — it’s the whole game.

What if the solution to rising healthcare costs isn’t more complexity… but more structure? In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Friends with Benefits Episode 2, Justin and Julie sit down with David Balinski, Founder & CEO of Wire Health, to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in healthcare:

👉 Should hospitals be treated like utilities?

From unpredictable pricing to lack of transparency and inefficient administrative systems, this conversation breaks down why the current healthcare model isn’t working — and what it might take to fix it.

David shares a bold perspective on how regulating hospital pricing could:

• Reduce extreme cost variation Improve access to care
• Shift competition toward quality and outcomes
• Eliminate billions in administrative waste
• Create a more sustainable system for employers and patients

The episode also dives into:

• Why healthcare lacks a true free market
• The illusion of price transparency
• How networks impact pricing and access
• The inefficiencies in claims processing and repricing
• Why employers and employees are both feeling the financial strain

If you’re an employer, HR leader, CFO, benefits advisor, or simply someone trying to understand why healthcare feels so broken… this episode connects the dots. Because when pricing doesn’t make sense… the system doesn’t either.

Gag clauses were officially banned under the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA)… so why are employers still struggling to access their own healthcare data?

In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick break down the real story behind gag clauses — what they are, why they were prohibited, and how they’re still impacting employers today.

While plan sponsors are now required to submit annual gag clause attestations confirming they have access to their data, many are finding that access is still limited, delayed, or controlled through internal “company policies” rather than explicit contract language.

This episode covers:

• What gag clauses actually are in healthcare contracts
• Why they were banned under the CAA
• How carriers and PBMs have adapted post-ban
• The challenges employers face when requesting claims and pricing data
• What the gag clause attestation requires (and why it matters)
• How to think about fiduciary responsibility and data access
• Practical steps employers can take to improve transparency

If you’re an employer, HR leader, CFO, broker, consultant, or plan fiduciary, this episode will help you better understand your responsibilities — and why simply signing an attestation isn’t enough.

Because when it comes to healthcare benefits, you can’t manage what you can’t see.

Follow for more conversations breaking down healthcare benefits, ERISA compliance, PBM transparency, and the real financial mechanics behind employer-sponsored health plans.

• The real story behind PBMs and pharmacy rebates
• Why GLP-1 drugs are driving pharmacy trend
• The economics behind drug formularies and rebate deals
• Why employers struggle to get transparent pharmacy data
• How plan sponsors can better manage pharmacy spend