Benefits Executive Roundtable

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu talks last minute tips & tricks to wrap up these last weeks of the 4th quarter open enrollment period with Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office and Anne Kelly from Patrick & Patrick Insurance Services. We discuss how to stay organized, the key market impacts and compliance reminders during this very stressful time. What are the most commonly asked compliance questions? How has the One Big Beautiful Bill changed the way we look at open enrollment, and how may it effect group health plan enrollment? Join us for this informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e7-last-minute-tips-to-successful-compliant-open-enrollment

#DorothyCociu #tips #tricks #4thquarteropenenrollment #MarilynMonahan #MonahanLawOffice #AnneKelly #PatrickandPatrickInsurance #marketimpacts #compliance #OneBigBeautifulBill #openenrollment #grouphealthplan

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu discusses Medicare Updates for Fall, 2025 with Maggie Stedt, Stedt Insurance, a Medicare Expert & Medicare Advisor/Task Force Emeritus Member for the National Association of Benefits & Insurance Professionals. We discuss the new rules for agents selling Medicare Plans, and why Medicare recipients should be aware of them, as well as the options available related to the types of coverage those recipients will receive in 2026. We also discuss what Seniors need to know as far as plan changes and options, as well as legislative and regulatory changes everyone involved with or on Medicare should know. Join us for this highly informative podcast!

Visit Podcast Website & Download Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e6-medicare-updates-fall-2025-what-everyone-needs-to-know

#DorothyCociu #Medicare #MaggieStedt #MedicareTaskForce #NationalAssociationofBenefitsandInsuranceProfessionals #rulesforagents #Medicarecoveragetypes #changeMedicareplanoptions #Medicarelegislation

In this episode, Host Dorothy Cociu discussed the hottest topics in the self-insured health industry with Chris Condeluci, ERISA Attorney and Washington Legal Counsel for the Self Insurance Institute of America (SIIA), and Anthony Murrello, SIIA’s Government Relations Manager. We discuss the latest on Price Transparency, Compensation Disclosure and Data Sharing, Fiduciary Duties and lawsuits against plan sponsors, and the latest in the Surprise Billing/No Surprises Act federal IDR portal, including a discussion on how and why providers are flooding the system with thousands of disputes, many of which are not even eligible for the Federal IDR process. Join us for this very informative podcast!

Visit the podcast website and download show notes:

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e5-inside-self-insured-health-industry-legal-updates-regulatory-changes

DorothyCociu #self-insured #Chris Condeluci #ERISA #SelfInsuranceInstituteofAmerica #SIIA #AnthonyMurrello #PriceTransparency #CompensationDisclosure #DataSharing #FiduciaryDuties #lawsuits #plansponsors #SurpriseBilling #NoSurprisesAct #FederalIDR

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Angel Onuoha, co-owner and CEO of Avelis Health, an innovative AI-driven Claims Auditing Firm. We discuss how AI can assist TPAs in their auditing of claims quickly and efficiently, and can review every single claim for billing errors, without disrupting claims or plan set-up. Specifically, we discuss how they can assist with provider overcharges, recoveries and appeals, often with no up-front costs. We also discuss data security when using such an AI system, as well as HIPAA compliance when using AI. Join us for this very informative podcast!

Visit Podcast Website & View Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e4-can-ai-claims-auditing-save-plans-money-and-increase-claim-accuracy

#accuracy #ai #AngelOnuoha #AvelisHealth #costcontainment #HIPAAcompliance #insuranceclaimprocessing #ThirdPartyAdministrator #TPA

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu is excited to bring you important cyber security updates from Matt Fields, a Principal Cyber Security Consultant from Microsoft. We discuss what consumers and businesses can do to protect themselves from cyber risks, including internal and external threats, and the importance of comprehensive and ongoing risk analyses/risk assessments. We also talk about the sophistication of today’s cyber criminals, Advanced Persistent Threat groups, many coming from China, North Korea or Russia, and of course today’s greatest Artificial Intelligence threats. Lastly, we discuss the best ways overall to manage cyber security. Join us for this very important and informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e3-cyber- security-updates-w-microsoft-matt-fields

#AdvancedPersistentThreats #China #cyberattacks #cybersecurity #Microsoft #NorthKorea #Russia #SecurityConcerns #nationstateactors #MattFields #DorothyCociu #riskassessment

In this week’s podcast, host Dorothy Cociu discusses with Steve McClung, CEO of Hines & Associates a new, and some would say much needed, way for self-funded health plans using reference-based pricing to better manage their risks of lawsuits and serious provider push-back. Offered in their new product Opus One, Hines executes agreements with providers before a service or facility stay actually happens. They combine their pre-certification process with the provider agreement activity, which lessens the risk of a legal batter after the service has been performed. Within the product, they also offer individualized human concierge service, as well as complete UM and case management services. Join us for this very informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e2-cost-containment-in-self-funded-health-plans-a-new-approach

Download Show Noteshttps://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/Show-Notes-Hines-2025-Core-Products.pdf

In this podcast, we will discuss the provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that apply to employer sponsored health plans and individuals covered by them, including Telehealth provisions, HSA Reimbursement for Primary Care, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account increases, and employer-provided educational assistance. We also discuss the OBBB changes to the Medicaid Program and the ACA Marketplaces. In addition, we cover HR/employment law changes including No Tax on Tips or Overtime, family and medical leave tax credits, the creation of Trump Accounts, new deductions for seniors and more. Join us for this very informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s7e1-one-big-beautiful-bill

Download Show Notes

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/Show-Notes-IRS-Tipped-Occupations-Detailed-8-27-2025.pdf

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/One-Big-Beautiful-Bill-Act-article-ABC-Version.pdf

#ACA #DependentCareFlexibleSpending #DorothyCociu #familyandmedicalleave #HSAReimbursement #MarilynMonahan #Medicaid #NoTaxonTips #OBBB #OneBigBeautifulBillAct #primarycare #TaxonOvertime #Telehealth #TrumpAccounts

Grass Roots Work in the Legislative Process; Working with Congress to Form Federal Legislation to Help the Health Benefits of Employers, Individuals and Medicare Recipients

In this week’s podcast, which is our last episode of Season 6, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses how the National Association of Benefits & Insurance Professionals (NABIP) works with Congressional representatives and staffers to help educate them on the true issues within the health insurance industry, and ways to reduce overall cost. NABIP President Alyson Reidl, Present-Elect Susan Rider and VP of Congressional Affairs Michael Andel discuss with Dorothy recent meetings on Capitol Hill to encourage legislation to codify telehealth benefits, PBM reforms, site neutral billing practices, as well as protecting the preferred tax treatment for healthcare within the ACA Marketplace and employer-sponsored health care system. Watch or listen to this informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e16-grass-roots-work-legislative-process

#Grassroots #Legislative #Congress #FederalLegislation #HealthBenefits #MedicareRecipients #

NationalAssociationofBenefitsandInsuranceProfessionals #NABIP #costreduction #telehealth #ACAMarketplace #employersponsored #AlysonReidl #SusanRider #MichaelAndel #DorothyCociu

In this week’s episode, Host Dorothy Cociu has a discussion with Phil Calhoun, owner and publisher of California Broker Magazine, as well as President/CEO of Integrity Advisors, about what’s going on around the health insurance industry and what Phil is seeing as the primary trends regarding the aging population of agents and Baby Boomers in general as they prepare for retirement and/or sales of their businesses, the young new agents and other workers that are poised to buy-out their businesses, the impact Babby Boomers have on the overall economy, and how they compare to Millenials, GenX and GenZ populations. We also discuss the move from celebrities and big businesses like Walmart and Amazon into the healthcare space, and the trends towards AI in the healthcare space. Join us for this informative podcast!

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https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e15-health-insurance-trends-from-media-publishing-perspective

#HealthInsuranceTrends #Media #Publishing #DorothyCociu #PhilCalhoun #CaliforniaBrokerMagazine #IntegrityAdvisors #agingpopulation #BabyBoomers #sellinginsuranceagency #buyout #Millenials #GenX #GenZ #Walmart #Amazon #healthcare

In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses California Legislative Updates with Faith Borges, Legislative Advocate for the California Agents & Health Insurance Professionals (CAHIP). We discuss the relationship between the Trump Administration 2.0 with California and what impact the federal elections will have on California, California’s statewide elections, the Super Majority in California and what it means, budget constraints, single payer threats and other legislation that affects agents, brokers, California employers and consumers related to health care and health insurance. Join us for this informative podcast!

Visit the Podcast Website

https://advancedbenefitconsulting.com/s6e14-california-legislative-updates

#DorothyCociu #CaliforniaLegislative #FaithBorges #CaliforniaAgentsandHealthInsuranceProfessionals #CAHIP #Trump #federalelections #CaliforniaSuperMajority #budgetconstraints #singlepayer #agents #brokers #employers #consumers #healthcare #healthinsurance