"Reversing obesity, reversing diabetes is possible. You don't just have to manage a chronic condition." - Steve Hastings

Steve Hastings, Leader of Health Plans at Virta Health, joined me to share Virta’s strategy to help members reverse type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity. He also shared their findings on just how important food is to our overall health and the power it has as medicine.

If you’ve listened to pretty much any episode of Self-Funded with Spencer, you’ve heard my thoughts on the importance of healthy nutrition and eating, and how so many of America’s chronic health problems are due to what we eat. Steve shared how they put together effective plans that actually work to help people lose weight, and keep it off, without using GLP-1s or other drugs. And, if a member needs GLP-1s, they work to create a strategy to make sure the drug is effective and they can maintain that weight loss.

Join us on Self-Funded this week to learn how it’s possible to reverse diabetes and obesity!

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Steve Hastings
00:02:53 Food As Medicine
00:07:47 Membership-based Primary Care
00:15:29 Nutrition-Based Reversal of Diabetes and Obesity
00:17:35 America’s Obesity Health Crisis
00:20:03 Long-term Health Goal Support
00:27:42 Tailored Nutrition Plans To Reverse Diabetes
00:35:55 Mental Health Improvement From Weight Loss
00:49:00 Optimizing Health Outcomes Through Food

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

Nutrition, Primary Care, Reversing Diabetes, Reversing Obesity, Diabetes, Obesity, Obesity In America, Behavior Change, Individualized Nutrition, GLP1s, GLPs, Ozempic, semiglutides, Food As Medicine, Wellness, podcast, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding, self funded health insurance, self funded insurance

#Nutrition #PrimaryCare #ReversingDiabetes #ReversingObesity #Diabetes #Obesity #ObesityInAmerica #BehaviorChange #IndividualizedNutrition #GLP1s #GLPs #Ozempic #semiglutides #FoodAsMedicine  #Wellness #podcast #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding #selffundedhealthinsurance #selffundedinsurance

"If you're not going to be excited when I'm calling you, we're probably not a mutual fit." - Maggie Quinn

Maggi Quinn, SVP of Consulting at Intrepid Benefits, joined me to discuss working at an all-female insurance agency, why specialization is so important in today’s market, and some innovative approaches to self-funded healthcare.

Maggi shares her journey into insurance, as well as how she found her way to Intrepid, and why the relationship side of the business is the most important to her. We also discuss what makes Intrepid so different, and how that’s won (and lost) them business over the years. 

Tune in this week to Self-Funded with Spencer to learn why I gave Maggi the name “Maggi Quinn, Benefits Woman”.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Maggi Quinn
00:11:18 Maggi’s Journey To Intrepid
00:22:11 Enhancing Employer Healthcare
00:26:09 Customized, Personal Solutions For Employers
00:31:06 Mutual Fit in Client Relationships
00:37:11 Enhancing Client Understanding in Healthcare Communication
00:39:18 Personalized Medication Management through DNA Sequencing
00:42:39 Enhancing Well-being Through Health Education
00:55:14 Innovative Approaches To Employer-sponsored Healthcare

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

Healthcare Solutions, Wellness, Personalized Medication, Client Relationships, Innovative Healthcare, Self Funded Employers, Specialized Healthcare, Future Of Healthcare, Cost Effective Healthcare, podcast, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding, self funded health insurance, self funded insurance

#HealthcareSolutions #Wellness #PersonalizedMedication #ClientRelationships #InnovativeHealthcare #SelfFundedEmployers #SpecializedHealthcare #FutureOfHealthcare #CostEffectiveHealthcare #podcast #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding #selffundedhealthinsurance #selffundedinsurance

"Be kind, be focused on others, be a steward of your craft and take the opportunity to take action.” - Sean Wood

Sean Wood, SVP of National Partnerships at ParetoHealth, joined me for a podcast that is far less about captives than it is about being a sales ninja. We talk about getting started in sales, the buyer as a skeptic, collaborative selling, and sales mentorship.

Sean was actually a pro basketball player, and he shares how his point guard experience has translated to his career. He shares what led him into sales and why he embraced it so quickly, and why Pareto felt like a natural fit when he joined. 

Whether you’re just getting started in sales or you’re a sales veteran, I promise you’ll learn something from this week’s episode of Self-Funded with Spencer.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Sean Wood
00:04:16 Elevating Your Team As A Leader
00:11:04 Transitioning From Pro Basketball To Sales
00:20:04 Trust-Based Team Selling
00:24:11 Long-term Relationship Building In Sales
00:31:30 The Importance Of Sales Mentorship
00:53:09 Healthcare Solutions Driven By The Market
00:59:57 The Future Of Healthcare Consulting

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

Transition To Sales, Collaborative Selling, Team Sales, Mentorship, Relationship Building, Sales Process, Healthcare Solutions, Buyer Mentality, Sales Success, podcast, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding, self funded health insurance, self funded insurance

#TransitionToSales #CollaborativeSelling #TeamSales #Mentorship #RelationshipBuilding #SalesProcess #HealthcareSolutions #BuyerMentality #SalesSuccess #podcast #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding #selffundedhealthinsurance #selffundedinsurance

“Whatever your clients find attractive about you and the reason they want to work with you is the exact same reason that a buyer is going to find you attractive and want to acquire your agency.”- Shelby Cowley

Shelby Cowley joined me this week to discuss the complicated world of insurance mergers & acquisitions. How do you get the best valuation for your agency? What key metrics are most attractive to buyers? How much does personality impact the value?

We answer all of those questions and more on this week’s episode of Self-Funded.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Shelby Cowley
00:08:51 Empowering Entrepreneurs through Unique Insurance M&A

00:11:42 Valuation Impact on Agency Acquisition Success
00:15:46 High Demand Driving Top-Tier Valuations in Acquisitions
00:19:29 Strategic Evaluation for Successful Business Acquisitions
00:22:18 Long-term Partnership Potential in Buyer Selection
00:28:45 Performance-Based Growth In Business Sale Agreements
00:37:57 Leveraging Private Equity for Growth and Acquisitions
00:42:15 Maximizing Acquisition Value Through Seller's Representation

00:45:18 Value-Driven Consulting in Client Relationships

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

Insurance Mergers, Mergers And Acquisitions, Business Sales, Sales, Business Acquisition, Market Dynamics, Transactions, Private Equity Deals, PE, Private Equity, Buyer Selection, Earn Out Period, Seller Representation, Consultant, Insurance Industry, Broker, Representative, Valuations, Growth Strategies, Transaction Goals, Employee Benefits, fixing healthcare, podcast, benefits, health, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding

#InsuranceMergers #MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessSales #Sales #BusinessAcquisition #MarketDynamics #Transactions #PrivateEquityDeals #PE #PrivateEquity #BuyerSelection #EarnOutPeriod #SellerRepresentation #Consultant #InsuranceIndustry #Broker #Representative #Valuations #GrowthStrategies #TransactionGoals #EmployeeBenefits #fixinghealthcare #podcast #benefits #health #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding

“Organ transplant is not something that the employer or even the TPAs are necessarily all experts in." - Guy Finley

“There are still going to be some situations and some events inside that episode of care that are going to be stop-loss related, so we want the two to work together.” - Robby Kerr

Guy Finley and Robby Kerr from HCC joined me in studio for this week’s episode of Self-Funded to discuss covering organ transplants. The costs associated with and frequency of these procedures have greatly increased in recent years, and Guy and Robby share HCC’s strategy to separately insure transplants.

Before jumping into the world of organ transplants, we talked about Guy and Robby’s backgrounds and how they made their way to HCC, as well as each of their roles currently. I was interested to learn why organ transplants became such a passion project for Guy, and how covering them is similar to other high-cost expenditures like specialty drugs. 

Join us this week to get an education on organ transplant policy and the best way to cover them in today’s market!

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Guy Finley and Robby Kerr
00:07:52 Organ Transplant Insurance
00:13:05 Rising Costs of Transplant Procedures
00:17:31 Comprehensive Coverage for Potential Transplants
00:21:56 Transplant Coverage Financial Assessment
00:27:11 Transplant Nurse Advisors
00:33:24 Transplant Policy Evaluation and Underwriting Process
00:37:26 Rising Liver Transplant Numbers
00:47:42 Innovative Risk Mitigation in Gene Therapy
00:50:17 Rising Rates of Organ Transplants Nationwide
00:59:41 Empowering Consumers Through Healthcare Price Transparency

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

insurance industry, organ transplant, transplants, transplant, transplant insurance, healthcare costs, risk mitigation, transplant coverage, care coordination, stop loss, price transparency, financial planning, Employee Benefits, fixing healthcare, podcast, benefits, health, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding

#insuranceindustry #organtransplant #transplants #transplant #transplantinsurance #healthcarecosts #riskmitigation #transplantcoverage #carecoordination #stoploss #pricetransparency #financialplanning #EmployeeBenefits #fixinghealthcare #podcast #benefits #health #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding

“It's everything. Exposure, knowledge, education, generating new business, solving clients, risk management objectives. It's all here." - John Capasso
“And the question comes up year over year, what is the ROI of SIIA? Did we have a legitimate hard dollar return on investment? And the answer is yes, we've always seen a return.” - Amy Gasbarro

Along the way, we also dive into the history of SIIA, what’s made it so relevant for so long, and what the real ROI is for both the attendees and the sponsors. At the end of the podcast, we have a Q&A with the audience. 

Thank you to SIIA for sponsoring this special edition of the podcast! 

Chapters:

00:00:00 Self-Funded At SIIA

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

SIIA, Insurance Conference, Advocacy, Networking, SIIA Conference, Self Insurance, Sponsorship, Event Planning, Industry Education, Legislation, ROI, Self Insurance Community, Employee Benefits, podcast, benefits, health, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding

#SIIA #InsuranceConference #Advocacy #Networking #SIIAConference #SelfInsurance #Sponsorship #EventPlanning #IndustryEducation #Legislation #ROI #SelfInsuranceCommunity #EmployeeBenefits #podcast #benefits #health #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding

"If we're not accessible to you, we can't help you." - David Kinzler

David Kinzler, CEO of One-to-One Health, joined me this week to talk about the importance of primary care, restoring the doctor-patient relationship, and TextCare, which provides text messaging access to a dedicated care team with response times under 5 minutes.

David is a former Marine, and spent a few years in US politics before joining the healthcare world, and eventually leading One-to-One. His key focus is simplifying healthcare, meeting patients where they’re at, and re-centering the healthcare experience around the primary care doctor. We’re failing patients in the current system, and David and I discuss the potential solutions.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet David Kinzler
00:08:12 Healthcare Cost Management
00:20:19 Enhancing Primary Care
00:27:09 Significance of Relationship-Based Primary Care
00:29:48 Primary Care Leads To Better Outcomes
00:32:34 The Power Of Texting With Patients
00:46:29 Making Healthcare More Accessible
00:59:32 Mental Healthcare Access
01:09:57 Employers Influencing The Future Of Healthcare 

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

Primary Care, family doctor, Primary Care Access, Healthcare Innovation, Employer Sponsored Plans, Patient Engagement, Text Care, Healthcare Transformation, Mental Health, Primary Care Relationships, employer healthcare, Accessible Healthcare,  Fiduciary Services, Employer Driven Change, healthcare access, employer healthcare, Employee Benefits, fixing healthcare, podcast, benefits, health, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding

#PrimaryCare #familydoctor #PrimaryCareAccess #HealthcareInnovation #EmployerSponsoredPlans #PatientEngagement #TextCare #HealthcareTransformation #MentalHealth #PrimaryCareRelationships #employerhealthcare #AccessibleHealthcare #FiduciaryServices #EmployerDrivenChange #healthcareaccess #EmployeeBenefits #fixinghealthcare #podcast #benefits #health #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding

 "The problem with a lot of healthcare is everybody is coming in, making their own solution. So you have thousands of point solution vendors and all we're doing is confusing the end user and the people that we really want to be educated." - Chelsea Ryckis

One of the most influential duos in healthcare, Chelsea and Donovan Ryckis, joined me this week to discuss their company Ethos Benefits, running a benefits agency based on values, and producing the documentary “It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Healthcare.”

Along the way, we get into each of their origins in insurance, how they met each other, and what it’s like to run an insurance agency with your spouse. Chelsea and Donovan also share why they’re so passionate about promoting transparency and accountability in this space. 

Chapters:

00:00:00 Meet Chelsea & Donovan Ryckis
00:11:20 Getting Started In Health Insurance Consulting
00:18:08 Client-First Financial Advising
00:29:47 Building A Business Based On Values
00:35:32 Enhancing Client Value Through Self-Funding
00:37:33 Performance-Based Compensation
00:41:06 Value-Based Employee Retention
00:53:15 Compensation Transparency
00:59:08 Producing A Healthcare Documentary
01:07:49 Promoting Accountability in Healthcare

Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words: 

Insurance Consulting, Fiduciary, Ethos, documentary, producing, filmmaking, movie, film, Client Retention, Employee Retention, Compensation Structure, Compensation, Transparency, Employee Benefits, fixing healthcare, podcast benefits, health, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding

#InsuranceConsulting #Fiduciary #Ethos #documentary #producing #filmmaking #movie #film #ClientRetention #CompensationStructure #EmployeeRetention #Compensation #Transparency #EmployeeBenefits #fixinghealthcare #podcast #benefits #health #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding

"I think I'd say our patients deserve better. Our Americans who are encountering the healthcare system deserve better." - Binu SamuelBinu Samuel, Director of Commercial Partnerships at Carrum Health, joined me for the first podcast of 2025 to discuss how we lower healthcare costs for self-funded employers. Binu, and Carrum’s, mission is to make healthcare easier for the employers, employees, and physicians, which includes focusing on making healthcare cost nothing out of pocket to employees. That also typically increases the amount of proactive care that members engage with, which is key to catching huge health problems before they happen.Join us this week to learn how to save money for employers and employees! Chapters:00:00:00 Meet Binu Samuel

00:04:42 Outcome-Driven Healthcare

00:05:12 Value-Based Care

00:10:55 Cost-saving Strategies For Employers

00:20:01 Enhanced Healthcare Cost Savings

00:25:51 Carrum's Mission

00:29:51 Predictive Member Care Outreach for Procedures

00:34:20 The Benefits Of Proactive Healthcare

Key Links for Social:@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFundedListen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/Key Words: Value Based Care, Patient Experience, network, Employers, Cancer Treatment, Cost Savings, Proactive Care, Warranty System, Healthcare Innovation, Quality Care, Transparent Healthcare, fixing healthcare, podcast, benefits, health, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding#ValueBasedCare #PatientExperience #network #Employers #CancerTreatment #CostSavings #ProactiveCare #WarrantySystem #HealthcareInnovation #QualityCare #TransparentHealthcare #fixinghealthcare #podcast #benefits #health #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding

"Everybody makes an excuse at the end as to why they didn't post or why they didn't start the thing they really wanted to start." - Me


Happy New Year! As a bonus episode this week, I’m sharing a talk I gave at a recent ParetoHealth event about getting started with social media content, and how it can be used effectively for sales.

Whether you’re new to the industry or you’ve been in it for decades, it’s never too late to start a social media presence, and I share some practical tips on how to get started.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Social Media Presence

00:01:43 Utilizing Social Media To Boost Sales


00:04:01 How To Build Your LinkedIn Network


00:07:32 How To Get Started With Video Content


00:14:00 How The Podcast Impacts My Industry Presence


Key Links for Social:

@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded

Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02

Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286

Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/

Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Key Words:

Social Media Sales, social media, linkedin, brandbuilding, Engagement, Podcasting, content, networking Content Creation, Authenticity, Consistency, Virtual Networking, podcast, benefits, health, healthcare, health insurance, self funded, self funding

#SocialMediaSales #socialmedia #linkedin #brandbuilding #Engagement #Podcasting #content #networking #ContentCreation #Authenticity #Consistency #VirtualNetworking #podcast #benefits #health #healthcare #healthinsurance #selffunded #selffunding