Captivating Health Insights

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Brian Shonat and Giorgio Vescera of Navion to explore how the growing use of biosimilars is changing the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) landscape and the way employers evaluate pharmacy costs.

The conversation explores the relationship among lower upfront drug costs, rebates, formulary design, member cost sharing, PBM contracting, and rebate credit language. Through practical examples, Shonat and Vescera explain how different PBM strategies can affect an employer’s true net cost and why understanding utilization, contract terms, and formulary decisions is increasingly important as biosimilar adoption grows. They also share key questions employers can ask to better evaluate their PBM strategy and determine whether it aligns with their plan’s needs.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek continues her conversation with Ryan Picarella, Executive Director of the Wellness Alliance, to explore how employers can turn workplace well-being strategy into action using the Wellness Alliance’s seven benchmarks.

The conversation explores leadership alignment, collaboration, data, operating plans, program implementation, workplace culture, and ongoing evaluation. Through practical examples, Picarella shows how employers can use the framework to identify priorities, build organizational support, measure progress, and continuously adapt their approach to create sustainable well-being strategies that advance both employee well-being and organizational success.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Ryan Picarella, Executive Director of the Wellness Alliance, to discuss how employers can rethink employee well-being by moving beyond traditional wellness programs and creating workplace cultures that support both employees and organizational success.

The conversation explores leadership engagement, organizational culture, employee feedback, change management, business performance, and practical strategies for building sustainable well-being initiatives. Through real-world examples, Picarella shares how organizations can create healthier workplaces that strengthen employee engagement, improve business outcomes, and help people thrive.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Max Osbun, Executive Vice President of Client Success and Development at FEDlogic, to discuss how employers can help employees navigate the complex landscape of federal and state benefit programs. Drawing on personal experience and years of helping organizations support employees through major life events, Osbun explains how programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Disability, veterans' benefits, and other government resources can improve financial well-being while reducing unnecessary healthcare costs.

The conversation covers benefit navigation, healthcare affordability, employee advocacy, compliance, communication strategies, and the role employers can play in connecting employees with valuable resources they may not realize are available. Through practical examples and real-world insights, Osbun illustrates how expanding access to existing federal and state benefits can strengthen employee support, improve workforce well-being, and create meaningful value for both employees and employers.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek welcomes back Dave Gillis, Managing Director, Medical Stop Loss; Joe Parrilli, Chief Business Officer, Health Solutions; and Kevin Hallen, Managing Director, Health Solutions, for a live Ask Us Anything session following the three-part Health Captive Fundamentals series. Together, they answer real-world questions from employers and advisors, covering key topics such as eligibility, customization, reporting, and stakeholder involvement.

The discussion highlights how captives operate in practice — emphasizing flexibility in plan design, transparency through financial and claims reporting, and a more collaborative, strategic approach to managing healthcare costs. The group also addresses common misconceptions, explains how captives integrate with existing health plans, and explores how employers, Chief Financial Officers, and consultants play a more active role in ongoing performance.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Kevin Hallen, Managing Director, Health Solutions at Captive Resources, to conclude a captive education mini-series focused on captive structure. Kevin explains how health captives function as member-owned insurance vehicles within a self-funded model supported by stop-loss coverage and a shared reinsurance layer. He outlines how risk is structured across layers and explains the differences between pooled and risk-reward models. The conversation also explores how governance through board participation provides transparency and control, how captives help stabilize renewals and reduce exposure to market volatility, and why structure plays a key role in long-term performance. Kevin emphasizes the importance of education and alignment, highlighting how employers can evaluate whether a captive structure fits their goals, risk tolerance, and overall healthcare strategy.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Joe Parrilli, Chief Business Officer, Health Solutions at Captive Resources, to continue a captive education mini-series focused on traditional versus captive stop loss. Joe explains stop loss as protection against catastrophic claims and outlines how the captive model differs by providing greater transparency into premium allocation, risk sharing, and financial performance. The conversation addresses common misconceptions around pricing, highlights how captives are structured to break even with the potential return of surplus, and emphasizes the importance of managing total healthcare spend. Joe also explores how captives shift the focus from an annual shopping stop loss to a more strategic, long-term approach to controlling costs and improving outcomes.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Dave Gillis, Managing Director, Medical Stop Loss at Captive Resources, to kick off a captive education mini-series focused on transitioning from fully insured to self-funded health plans. Dave breaks down the foundational components of self-funding, including third-party administrators (TPAs), provider networks, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), while explaining how captives provide a more structured and supported path into this model.

The conversation addresses common misconceptions about risk, outlines how stop-loss and risk-sharing help stabilize costs, and highlights the value of transparency in understanding true healthcare costs. Dave also explores why pharmacy is often a key starting point and how employers can take a phased, strategic approach to managing spend over time. A practical discussion on gaining control, improving outcomes, and building a more sustainable health plan.

In this episode of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Kris Atkins, President of Cancer CARE for Life & INTERLINK, and Ashley Urzendowski, MSN-L, RN, CCM, of Cancer CARE for Life & INTERLINK, to explore the growing impact of cancer on employer health plans. With decades of oncology and transplant experience, Kris and Ashley share how specialized cancer management supports employees through one of life’s most difficult diagnoses while helping employers manage rising costs.

The conversation covers high-cost oncology drugs, site-of-care optimization, evidence-based treatment review, Centers of Excellence coordination, and the critical role of early detection and prevention. Through real patient stories, they illustrate how the right oversight can prevent unnecessary treatment, reduce complications, and improve return-to-work outcomes. A powerful discussion on delivering compassionate, clinically sound cancer care that protects both people and the plan.