Benefits Executive Roundtable

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses the current state of the health insurance group market, and what you can do to help contain costs, with David Franklin, Strategic Growth and Technology Executive from EBA&M Corporation, and Anne Kelly, insurance agent and consultant from Kelly & Kelly and Patrick & Patrick Insurance Services. We discuss Small Group cost containment tools, including using MERPS, HRAs, & HSAs paired with HDHPs, ICHRAs and QSEHRAs. We also discuss large and small group fully insured carrier strategies, chronic illness costs and strategies, how diet and wellness play significant roles. We then turn to level funding and self-funding strategies. Join us for this informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s8e7-health-plan-cost-containment-3-state-of-group-health-insurance-market

#DorothyCociu #healthinsurancegroupmarket #costcontainment #DavidFranklin #EBA&M #AnneKelly #Kelly&Kelly #Patrick&PatrickInsuranceServices #MERPS #HRAs #HSAs #HDHPs #ICHRAs #QSEHRAs #fullyinsuredcarrierstrategies #chronicillnesscosts #dietandwellness #levelfunding #self-fundingstrategies

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu discusses Medicare Updates during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period with Maggie Stedt of Stedt Insurance, a Medicare Agent/Expert and Medicare Advisor/Task Force Emeritus Member for the National Association of Benefits & Insurance Professionals. We discuss what’s new and important for seniors to know before they re-enroll in or enroll for the first time in Medicare. We also discuss the new (higher) deductibles and out-of-pocket thresholds for 2027, the new GLP-1 bridge program, and all of the other changes for 2027. Join us for this highly informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s8e6-medicare-updates

#Medicare #OpenEnrollment #MaggieStedt #Insurance #MedicareAgent #MedicareAdvisor #TaskForceEmeritusMember #NationalAssociationofBenefits&InsuranceProfessionals #Medicaredeductibles #medicareout-of-pocket #GLP-1bridgeprograms

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu celebrates Cyber Awareness Month with a panel of Cybersecurity and Liability experts, Carl Grifka, Principal of Newport Consulting, LLP and Alpha Secure, LLP, Miguel (Mike) Villegas, Founder of iSecurePrivacy, and Adriana Mendieta, Tech Coordinator, Cyber Insurance Solutions. We discuss the most recent cyber threats, including the FBI and Pentagon employee database breaches, the use of Artificial Intelligence in phishing, impersonation, deepfake, and social-engineering attacks, and how many cyber incidents begin with vendors, cloud providers, software platforms, or other third parties. We also discuss how organizations should evaluate and continuously monitor the cybersecurity practices of their service providers, as well as other current threats in cyber. Join us for this highly informative and timely podcast!

Visit Podcast Website for Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s8e5-cyber-awareness-month-updates-and-lessons

#DorothyCociu #CyberAwarenessMonth #Cybersecurity #CarlGrifka #NewportConsulting #MiguelVillegas #iSecurePrivacy #AdrianaMendieta #CyberInsuranceSolutions. #FBIbreach #Pentagonemployeedatabasebreach #ArtificialIntelligence #phishing #impersonation #deepfake #social-engineering

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Troy Lannoo, Senior Vice President, Client Engagement, Leaf Health, a pharmacy management consulting firm. They discuss the drivers of rising pharmacy costs, including GLP-1 drugs, specialty drugs, the most effective strategies employers can use to manage specialty-drug costs without creating inappropriate barriers to necessary treatment, the best ways to design plans that cover GLP-1 drugs and more. What should employers look for and the most important questions to ask when shopping PBMs? We also discuss rebates, compensation and transparency. Join us for this informative podcast!

Visit Podcast Website for Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s8e4-pbm-hot-topics-and-cost-containment

#costcontainment #DorothyCociu #TroyLannoo #LeafHealth #pharmacymanagementconsulting #GLP-1drugs #specialtypharmaceuticaldrugs #drugcosts #PBM #rebates #compensation #transparency

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses medical plan cost containment and pharmacy benefit cost containment with Kyle Gerdts, VP of Sales & Account Management for Pinnacle Health Solutions and Don Anderson, VP of Pharmacy, Orion Rx. What works and what doesn’t? What are employers and brokers/consultants asking this year? We discuss the most effective ways to contain health plan costs with networks, referenced-based pricing, plan design and other solutions being used successfully today. We also talk about the ways to contain pharmacy program costs, including the use of step therapy, specialty drug management programs, and plan design. In addition, we dive into employer decision-making on GLP-1 drugs, as well PBM rebates and the upcoming implementation of CAA 2026 as it relates to PBMs and TPAs. Join us for this informative Podcast!

Visit Podcast Website for Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s8e3-health-plan-cost-containment-p1-medical-plan-and-rx-spend

#DorothyCociu #medicalplancostcontainment #pharmacybenefitcost containment #KyleGerdts #PinnacleHealthSolutions #DonAnderson #OrionRx #referencedbasedpricing #steptherapy #specialtydrugmanagement #GLP1drugs #PBMrebates #CAA2026 #TPA

Part 2 of 2-Part Fiduciary Responsibility & Liability Series

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses the US Department of Labor’s Cybersecurity Requirements for Plan Sponsor Fiduciaries with Carl Grifka, CISSP, CISM, CISA, PMP, CDPSE, LSSGB, Principal of Newport Consulting LLC and Alpha Secure LLP. We discuss the most important things companies need to know about Cybersecurity in general, AI and AI Governance, and mostly, how Plan Fiduciaries are responsible for understanding and analyzing the cybersecurity practices of their service provider vendors, because they hired them. Whether fully insured or self-funded, most employers have one or more service providers for their benefit plans, including administrators for claims, FSA, HRA, or COBRA, Benefit Admin or HRIS Systems, ACA reporting and tracking firms, and more. The Guidance requires plan sponsor fiduciaries to have a documented process to compare competing vendors and vet existing vendors, to be sure their cybersecurity practices are acceptable to protect confidential data, and a process to monitor those service providers. We also end with a special announcement on how ABC can help you in this practice. Join us for this highly informative podcast!

Visit Podcast Website for Show Notes & Downloads

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s8e2-dol-fiduciary-cybersecurity-requirements-and-solutions

#USDepartmentofLabor #CybersecurityRequirements #PlanSponsorFiduciaries #CarlGrifka #AIGovernance #FSA #HRA #COBRA #BenefitAdmin #HRISSystems #ACAreporting #Dorothy Cociu

To kick off Season 8, host Dorothy Cociu welcomes Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office, to discuss ERISA Fiduciary Responsibilities and Liabilities. In this week’s podcast, we discuss what it means to be a Plan Fiduciary, how Fiduciaries can delegate certain functions to a Service Provider, but still remain responsible because they hired that service provider. We also discuss how a defined process is required by fiduciaries for service provider selection and monitoring, ERISA prohibited transactions, DOL/EBSA auditing of health plans, and CAA 2021 and 2026 requirements. Lastly, we discuss the DOL Cybersecurity requirements for Plan Fiduciaries, and how Fiduciaries are required to confirm that their service providers/vendors have solid cybersecurity practices, which again, requires a defined process. Join us for this informative podcast, and stay tuned for Part 2 of this series on fiduciary responsibilities and liability next week in Episode 2!

Visit the podcast website for show notes:

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s8e1-erisa-fiduciary-responsibilities-and-liabilities

#ERISA #Fiduciary #DOL #EBSA #cybersecurity #marilynmonahan #monahanlawoffice #dorothycocui #caa

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu welcomes back Chris Condeluci, ERISA Attorney and Washington Counsel and Anthony Murrello, Government Relations Manager for the Self Insurance Institute of America, to continue their discussions from Episode 5, when the Government Shutdown delayed expected activity in Washington. After a whirlwind of Congressional & The Departments’ Regulatory activity since December, they report on the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, DOL Compensation Disclosure Regs, the 2026 Clarifications to ERISA 408(b)(2)(B), the CAA 2026: PBM Transparency and Surprise Billing updates. Join us for this highly informative update as we close out Season 7!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/sS7e10-washington-updates-healthcare-insurance-and-self-insurance-industry

DorothyCociu #ChrisCondeluci #ERISA #AnthonyMurrello #SelfInsuranceInstituteofAmerica #GovernmentShutdown #2026CongressionalRegulations #PatientsDeservePriceTagsAct #DOLCompensationDisclosureRegulations #ERISA408b2B #CAA2026 #PBMTransparencyandSurpriseBilling

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses the use of Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans (MERPs), a specific type of HRA, to control costs in health plans with Craig Lack, President, and Sean Casey, Chief Legal Officer of Catilize Health, a TPA specializing in MERP administration. We discuss what they are, how and when they can be used, plan customization, governance, and more. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of offering a MERP, and the legal documentation required. Join us for this informative podcast!

Visit the Podcast Website:

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e9-understanding-merps-can-they-be-effective-cost-containment-tools-in-health-plans

#DorothyCociu #MedicalExpenseReimbursementPlans #MERP #HRA #CraigLack #SeanCasey #CatilizeHealth # healthplancustomization #governance

In this week’s episode of the Benefits Executive Roundtable, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses AI Security, User Liability and Best Practices to Use AI Safely with guests Adriana Mendieta, Cyber Liability Agent and Avid AI Agile User, Eric Barricklow, a Chief Information Security Officer and owner of Stellar Cyber Solutions, and Miguel Villegas, Founder of iSecure Privacy, a Consultant who brings deep expertise in AI security, governance, and risk assessment to TPAs and health insurance industry organizations.

In today’s podcast, we discuss the most common uses of AI today, the risks of using AI, how AI is changing the landscape of cybersecurity, and the differences between AI leaders like Microsoft Co-Pilot, ChatGPT and Google Gemini, and where/how they work best. We also discuss privacy laws and how they apply to Artificial Intelligence, and Best Practices when using AI in your organization.

Join us for this highly informative podcast!

Visit the Podcast Website

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e8-ai-security-user-liability-and-safety-best-practices

#ArtificialIntelligence #Security #Liability #Best Practices #Dorothy Cociu #AI Security #Adriana Mendieta #Eric Baricklow #Miguel Villegas #AI security #Microsoft Co-Pilot #ChatGPT #Google Gemini