What if your company could significantly reduce prescription drug costs without changing its pharmacy benefit manager or taking medications away from employees?

In Part 2 of The H.I.T. Podcast, host Toby Kennedy continues his conversation with Louis Gallucci, CEO of Limitless Consulting Group, about how employers can take greater control of prescription drug spending through smarter sourcing strategies.

Louis explains why self-funded employers should look beyond traditional pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and explore alternative purchasing options that can benefit both their health plans and their employees.

From analyzing pharmacy claims data to identifying high-cost medications and exploring alternative sourcing channels like GoodRx and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs, this conversation provides practical insights for HR professionals, benefits managers, and business leaders looking to control healthcare costs.

In this episode:

• Why employees should have more flexibility in how they access prescription medications
• How identifying your five most expensive drugs can reveal potential savings opportunities
• Understanding the difference between clinical strategy and pharmacy procurement
• How employers can explore lower-cost sourcing without necessarily changing their PBM or formulary
• Why reducing out-of-pocket prescription costs can help employees access the medications they need
• How to request and analyze pharmacy claims data to identify unnecessary spending
• Why transparency matters when managing self-funded health plans and fiduciary responsibilities

Louis also shares a practical starting point for HR leaders: Request a report of your organization's 10 most expensive medications over the past 12 months. Then work with your broker or benefits advisor to explore alternative sourcing options.

The goal isn't simply to spend less on prescription drugs. It's to help employees access the medications they need while making smarter purchasing decisions for the organization.

Prescription drug costs are climbing—but the medication itself may not be the biggest problem. It may be how and where you're buying it.

On this episode of The H.I.T. Podcast, Toby Kennedy welcomes longtime friend Louis Gallucci, CEO of Limitless Consulting Group, for a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges facing employer-sponsored healthcare today: pharmacy costs.

With 20 years of experience across group benefits, carriers, voluntary benefits, benefits technology, and consulting, Louis explains why employers need to rethink the way they purchase prescription drugs—and start looking at healthcare through the lens of procurement.

Pharmacy now represents a significant portion of overall healthcare spending, and Louis shares how a surprisingly small number of medications can account for an enormous percentage of a health plan's total costs.

In this episode:

• Why prescription drug spending has grown so dramatically
• How just a handful of medications can drive a huge portion of plan spending
• Why the sourcing channel can matter as much as the medication itself
• Understanding the enormous pricing differences that can exist for the same drug
• Why rebates and traditional PBM strategies may no longer be enough
• How alternatives such as direct sourcing are changing the pharmacy landscape
• Why HR leaders should start thinking more like procurement directors
• What self-funded employers need to understand about their fiduciary responsibilities
• Why employers need to take ownership of their claims data
• The questions employers should be asking their PBMs and benefits partners

One of Louis' biggest messages is simple: employers are the buyers.

Your PBM may administer the claims, but employers need to understand what they're purchasing, where the money is going, and whether there is a more efficient way to source the same care.

And there's a personal connection to this episode, too—Toby and Louis go back nearly 20 years, from working together early in their careers to attending each other's weddings. Now they're sitting down to unpack how dramatically the benefits and pharmacy landscape has changed.

Employee mental and physical health aren't separate issues—and both can have a major impact on the workplace.

In Part 2 of The H.I.T. Podcast, Toby Kennedy continues his conversation with Andrea “Andy” Notch Mayzeles, Workforce Health Consultant at Kaiser Permanente, about the realities of employee well-being and what organizations can actually do to help.

With research showing significant levels of burnout, depression, and anxiety among today's workforce, the consequences extend far beyond individual employees. Absenteeism, healthcare utilization, retention, productivity, and even customer service can all be affected.

But mental health is only part of the equation.

Andy explores the often-overlooked connection between musculoskeletal health and mental health, including how physical pain can contribute to depression—and how depression and inactivity can make physical pain worse.

In this episode:

• The impact of burnout, depression, and anxiety in the workplace
• Why musculoskeletal health deserves more attention
• The connection between physical pain and mental well-being
• Why psychological safety helps employees speak up before problems escalate
• How micro-movement breaks can support physical and mental health
• Why simply taking a lunch break matters
• Why communicating benefits once isn't enough
• Creating a “surround sound” approach to employee wellness communication
• How leaders, wellness champions, HR, and safety teams can work together
• Why employees need to understand that resources like EAPs are confidential

One of the biggest challenges isn't always a lack of resources—it's making sure employees actually know those resources exist and feel comfortable using them.

Missed Part 1? Check out the first half of Toby's conversation with Andy on building workplace wellness that actually works.