What does it take to get employees genuinely interested in a benefit they may not understand or even believe is real? At a crowded benefits fair, a flyer is rarely enough.

Jenae Hernandez, Senior Client Executive at Lantern, and Christina Taylor, Client Success Manager at Lantern, share what they have learned from attending benefits fairs across the country. They discuss common employee questions, creative ways to increase engagement, and why real member stories build trust. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How face-to-face conversations can overcome employee skepticism and make unfamiliar healthcare benefits easier to understand and trust
• Strategies for using games, giveaways, and proactive outreach to turn a benefits fair booth into a meaningful employee interaction
• Why tailoring the conversation to each employee’s health plan, personal needs, and stage of care can increase benefits awareness and utilization

Highlights:
(00:00) Meet Jenae Hernandez and Christina Taylor

(01:47) Why employees overlook benefits that sound too good

(02:22) The member stories that instantly build trust

(03:38) How direct conversations outperform repeated communications

(04:48) Explaining how free surgery actually works

(07:33) Why high-quality providers create long-term savings

(07:53) Candy, games, and the secret to booth engagement

(08:54) Why stepping out from behind the table matters

(11:01) How proactive outreach reached one family in need

(12:43) Making overlooked benefits feel relevant to employees

(15:40) How employers gamify the benefits fair experience

(21:29) Extending the benefits conversation beyond the booth

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Jenae Hernandez’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hernandez-relationshipmgmt/

Christina Taylor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-christina/

Lantern’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lantern-specialty-care/about/

Is promoting a healthcare benefit the same as advertising jeans? Not really—and at the same time,  yes. It all comes down to reaching people at the exact moment they need something. And not once they’ve already gotten a procedure done or finished up their shopping for the season. 

Kaitlin Quinn, Head of Enterprise Data and Analytics at Lantern, shares how her team uses marketing testing, targeted outreach, and data-driven experimentation to improve benefits engagement, build trust, and connect members with care when it matters most.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How targeted benefits communications can significantly increase employee engagement by reaching people when they are most likely to need care
• Strategies for using simple marketing experiments to improve benefits awareness without requiring a large analytics team
• Why balancing broad awareness campaigns with personalized outreach builds trust and encourages greater benefits utilization

Highlights:
(00:00) Why "just send another benefits email" doesn't work anymore

(00:46) The test Lantern ran to prove targeted marketing works

(02:03) What it costs to build a real marketing test

(03:56) Lantern's targeted marketing test drove a 20% lift in engagement

(05:55) The jeans example that explains healthcare marketing

(06:49) Why word of mouth beats every other marketing channel

(07:46) The exclusion logic behind every message Lantern sends

(10:08) How sacrificing revenue for one test won over skeptical clients

(10:51) Envelope colors, subject lines, and other tests any team can run

(11:27) Awareness marketing vs conversion marketing, explained

(13:21) Why one coworker's story outperforms a company-wide email

(14:20) Testing subject lines to see what actually gets opened

(15:56) How to tell if your test worked or you just got lucky timing

(16:55) A one click poll that tells you if people are engaged

(18:05) How Lantern tracks whether word of mouth is actually working

(18:30) Why Kaitlin says marketing Lantern is "good for good"

(19:46) The halo effect: why even non-users benefit from awareness

(20:20) What years in retail marketing taught Kaitlin about healthcare

(21:26) Timing outreach around ID cards, deductibles, and open enrollment

(22:19) Why you need both awareness marketing and conversion marketing

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Kaitlin Quinn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlin-quinn-22514213/

Lantern’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lantern-specialty-care/about/

Navigating healthcare benefits can be confusing, especially when employees need specialized care.

Adrienne Lee-Jones, Director of Payroll and Benefits at Loomis, shares her personal experience using Lantern, how concierge-style healthcare support can improve outcomes, and the communication strategies she uses to help employees understand and engage with complex benefits year-round.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How personal experience and concierge-style healthcare navigation can help employees feel more confident when making complex care decisions
• Strategies for explaining specialized benefits in simple, relatable terms that drive employee understanding and engagement
• Creative ways to build year-round benefits awareness through testimonials, wellness initiatives, and open enrollment communications

Highlights:
(0:00) Meet Adrienne Lee-Jones
(1:23) Adrienne's Lantern surgery experience
(3:38) The value of compassionate care
(6:16) Why dedicated support matters
(7:07) Building a year-round benefits strategy
(8:49) Communicating cost savings and quality
(9:10) Turning employees into benefit champions
(10:00) Using testimonials to drive engagement
(16:56) Helping employees understand complex benefits
(19:05) Real examples that make benefits click
(24:49) Reaching employees beyond email
(26:26) The rewards and challenges of open enrollment

Resources:Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/
Adrienne Lee-Jones’s LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/adrienne-lee-jones/
Loomis’s LinkedIn: https://www.loomis.com/en/

Open enrollment season is coming, and we're spending the summer getting ready for it. All season long, we're bringing in guests who've been in the trenches of OE to share what's actually working, what's flopped, and the creative ideas worth stealing. By the time October hits, you'll have a fresh playbook and a lot less dread. Making Healthcare Sustainable will drop new episodes all summer. Follow the show so you don't miss a single guest!

Most healthcare innovations fail for the same reason: they don't address the underlying incentive misalignment baked into a fee-for-service system.

Omair Ahmed, Principal at Echo Health Ventures, explains why solving that problem first is what separates the solutions that actually move the needle from the ones that just add to the vendor stack.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why incentive misalignment and data opacity are the root causes behind most of healthcare's thorniest challenges
• How pairing quality analytics with benefit design nudges members toward better decisions and not just better information
• Why local networks of high-quality providers outperform traditional center-of-excellence models
• What benefits leaders who are early adopters are doing differently to evaluate solutions before they scale

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Omair Ahmed

(02:07) Centering the patient experience

(04:14) Key challenges in healthcare incentives and data transparency

(07:00) Distribution and integration matter more than product innovation

(09:36) Lessons from public-private partnerships and Medicare innovations

(11:07) Why cost, quality, and access don’t have to compete

(13:00) Understanding how patients interpret cost signals

(15:43) The power of surgical volume and appropriateness in decision-making

(16:44) Evaluating ROI for high-cost, high-variability solutions

(20:04) Learning from churn and variation across clients

(22:38) Network of Excellence vs. legacy Center of Excellence models

(25:53) How local care improves adherence and outcomes

(27:07) Prioritizing high-impact solutions for employers

(30:29) AI, analytics, and culture driving optimism for healthcare innovation 

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Omair Ahmed’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omair-ahmed/
Echo Health Ventures’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/echo-health-ventures/

Healthcare costs keep rising, but many employers are still approaching benefits the same way they did 20 years ago. And those who are taking a more radical approach might want to consider these three words: design dictates disruption.

Lee Lewis, Chief Strategy Officer and GM of Medical Solutions at the Health Transformation Alliance, shares a blueprint for getting the lower costs you need while rocking the boat (or pirate ship—tune in to learn more) just the right amount. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to reduce healthcare disruption through smarter benefit design
• Why simplicity helps employees make better healthcare decisions
• The ABC framework employers use to strengthen healthcare benefits 

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Lee Lewis

(01:41) Why employers are embracing healthcare innovation

(02:23) How alternative health plans simplify care

(05:20) Does innovation always create disruption?

(07:09) What makes a modern Center of Excellence work

(12:00) Why employees just want "the good doctor"

(17:10) The biggest barriers preventing change

(19:55) Lee's playbook for improving benefits plans

(26:27) Why behavioral health access matters

(33:03) Why trust changes healthcare outcomes

(35:07) Predictions for the future of employer healthcare

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Lee Lewis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leewlewis/ 

Health Transformation Alliance’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-transformation-alliance/ 

Substance use disorder is a growing issue in workplace healthcare, but it often remains hidden. 

Dr. Suzette Glasner, Clinical Psychologist and Chief Scientific Officer at Pelago, discusses the hidden impact of addiction in your claims data, how employers are taking action,  and what might surprise you about the latest research on effective addiction treatment. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The physical impact of addiction on employees and how this trickles down to healthcare costs 
• Misconceptions about addiction treatment and Dr. Glasner’s thoughts on the headlines around psychedelics as addiction treatment
• Surprising research Pelago led on the right “dose” of human support for recovery

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Dr. Suzette Glasner

(02:07) The hype vs reality of psychedelic treatments for addiction

(03:20) Why effective treatments are underutilized

(07:13) The barriers of stigma, access, and insight

(10:37) Why employers play a crucial role in addressing SUD

(20:14) How harm reduction can engage people in treatment

(28:49) Balancing human touch and AI in treatment approaches

(32:10) What makes a recovery-ready workplace

(39:44) Closing the gap with evidence-based solutions 

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Dr. Suzette Glasner’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzette-glasner-ph-d-5846804/ 

Pelago’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pelago-health/

Healthcare costs keep rising, and most employers feel stuck.

Carl Pecoraro, Chairman of the Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Health and Welfare Fund, and Lindsay Leeder, SVP of Labor Union and Trust at Lantern, share how one fund changed that. Carl walks through building a plan with 21-point solutions and holding inflation to 1%. Lindsay brings the provider's view on what better care looks like.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to build point solutions that lower long-term healthcare costs
• Why primary care access changes outcomes and spend
• How better provider experience leads to better patient results

Highlights:

(00:00) How one fund beat healthcare inflation

(00:28) Meet Carl Pecoraro and Lindsay Leeder

(01:38) Think, feel, do on today's healthcare reality

(04:11) Lindsay on primary care and better outcomes

(07:05) Building a point solution strategy that works

(11:25) Finding Lantern and moving to direct contracting

(17:53) Driving utilization through better navigation

(21:48) Who the members are and why benefits matter

(24:43) Plan design: wellness incentives that actually work

(28:59) Fund leaders have more power than they think

(33:08) What happens when you get all your vendors in a room

(34:46) What the future of healthcare could look like

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Carl Pecoraro’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-pecoraro-93ab4142/ 

Lindsay Leeder’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-leeder-msn-arnp-6a3740146/ 

Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Health & Welfare Fund: https://www.cbtfunds.com/

Healthcare feels impossible to navigate when it matters most. Even doctors struggle to find the right care. 

In this episode of Making Healthcare Sustainable, Nancy Ryerson speaks with Grant Zarzour, MD, orthopedic surgeon and Lantern Medical Advisory Board member, on what actually drives better surgical outcomes. He shares how volume shapes results, why appropriateness comes first, and what faster recovery really looks like. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why high surgical volume leads to better outcomes and faster recovery
• How to guide members to the right procedure and avoid unnecessary surgery
• What quality really means beyond reputation and referrals 

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Dr. Grant Zarzour

(02:18) Navigating healthcare during a family crisis
(05:01) Partial vs total knee replacement decision
(08:41) Why appropriateness matters before surgery
(13:13) How to define quality in surgery
(14:30) What patient-reported outcomes reveal
(15:22) Coaching patients through recovery
(16:26) What great post-op care looks like
(20:17) What is driving faster surgical recovery
(23:35) GLP one drugs and the real tradeoffs
(26:45) Breaking sugar habits and spikes
(31:59) Why prevention still gets overlooked
(36:43) Why personalized care plans matter
(37:33) What the future of healthcare looks like

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Dr. Grant Zarzour’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantzarzour/

Healthcare costs are rising, especially for cancer, but there’s a better way to provide care that’s both affordable and effective.

In this episode of Making Healthcare Sustainable, host Nancy Ryerson talks with Dr. Troyen Brennan, a healthcare expert, about the high costs of cancer care and specialty treatments. Dr. Brennan explains how a shift to value-based care can help reduce costs while improving patient outcomes. He also shares simple ways that employers and healthcare leaders can make care more affordable and effective for everyone.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How high costs in cancer and specialty care are impacting healthcare
• Why switching to value-based care can lower costs and improve care
• Easy steps for employers to make healthcare more affordable and efficient

Highlights:

(00:00) Meet Dr. Troyen Brennan

(01:58) The impact of Medicare prior authorization on costs

(03:40) Understanding provider-induced demand in healthcare

(05:14) The evolution of healthcare costs

(06:47) Why Dr. Brennan is focusing on cancer care

(09:08) The players in pharmacy commerce and their impact

(10:28) Biosimilars: Lowering costs and maintaining margins

(12:02) Changing incentives in healthcare to drive value

(13:06) How employers can influence healthcare costs

(15:28) Community-based care vs. cancer centers

(16:32) The challenge of keeping up with new therapies

(19:14) The future of cancer trends and screening

(20:40) Reality check: The effectiveness of wellness programs

(22:44) One key move for benefits leaders to improve care

(23:34) A look ahead: The future of healthcare costs

Resources:

Nancy Ryerson’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyryerson/

Dr. Troyen Brennan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyen-brennan-494bb533/ 

Dr. Troyen Brennan’s Email: [email protected]