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Self-Funded

Spencer Smith
Employee Benefits
Self-Funding
Healthcare Costs
Health Insurance
Healthcare
Mental Health
AI In Healthcare
Healthcare System
Private Equity
Entrepreneurship
Self-Funded Health Plans
Direct Primary Care
Stop-Loss Insurance
Mergers and Acquisitions
Self-Insurance
Healthcare Innovation
Primary Care
Cost Management
Telemedicine
Affordable Care Act

Self-Funded, hosted by Spencer Smith, is the definitive resource for benefits consultants and employers who are ready to challenge the broken healthcare status quo. Each week, you'll get an insider's playbook of actionable strategies from industry leaders that help make healthcare better, together.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes286Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Latest Episodes

"Fee-for-service has led to transactional primary care where providers have 10 or 15 minutes to code as much as they can just to keep the doors open. We’ve moved away from the idea of primary care as the quarterback of the entire health ecosystem."

more

"The most unused cash in the country right now is the money you're wasting on healthcare... If you save a million dollars a year, that's $20 million in market cap."

Is your company treating its healthcare spend like a business strategy, or are you j... more

"There's no reason why I should be able to do an infusion for 50% of the cost of what it's currently being allowed at. We've seen allowed amounts between $57,000 and $80,000 for Keytruda. I typically can have that in the home at $29,000."

My guest t... more

"We did this survey with a third-party consulting group who talked to 2,000 brokers. Their perception was that 25% of bills are going to be balance bills; it's actually 3%."

Is Reference-Based Pricing (RBP) still something that just creates endless ... more

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Recent Guests

Jake Velie
CEO and co-founder of National Integrative Health
National Integrative Health (NIH)
Episode: Managing the Exploding Costs of Specialty Drugs | with Jake Velie
Jonathan López
Guest on the episode
Episode: Marty Makary Resigns from FDA + May's Biggest Healthcare News | with Jonathan Lopez
Jay Gepfert
Consultant/fiduciary expert referenced as guest
Culpepper organization
Episode: The ERISA Fiduciary Crackdown is Here | with Jay Gepfert
Chris Hamilton
Partner and Consulting Practice Leader for Hotchkiss Insurance
Hotchkiss Insurance
Episode: The 2026 Benefits Consulting State Of The Union | with Seth Denson, Chris Hamilton & Taylor Rogers
Taylor Rogers
Partner at CCIG
CCIG
Episode: The 2026 Benefits Consulting State Of The Union | with Seth Denson, Chris Hamilton & Taylor Rogers
Seth Denson
Head of Employee Benefits, Capital and Captives for Acrisure
Acrisure
Episode: The 2026 Benefits Consulting State Of The Union | with Seth Denson, Chris Hamilton & Taylor Rogers
Blake Allison
CEO of Employers Health Network (EHN)
Employers Health Network (EHN)
Episode: Why Self-Funded Employers Are Abandoning National Networks
Philip Eaves
Head of Ascension Seaton Health Alliance
Ascension Seaton Health Alliance
Episode: Why Self-Funded Employers Are Abandoning National Networks
Ben Miller
Chief Revenue Officer, Premise Health
Premise Health
Episode: Advanced Primary Care 101 (With Ben Miller)

Host

Spencer Smith
Host of Self-Funded with Spencer; leads conversations on self-funded health care, industry trends, and practical strategies.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 95 ratings
  • Self-Funded with Spencer” is one of the most insightful and real conversations in healthcare

    Spencer gets to the heart of what matters, transparency, accountability, and practical solutions for employers navigating the complexities of self-funding. His guests bring deep experience and honest perspectives, and Spencer has a gift for asking the questions and egaging the audience. Whether you’re a broker, TPA, employer, or advocate, this podcast is a must-listen. It’s not just talk. it’s pushing the industry forward!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    kcarle
    United Statesa year ago
  • The best in the biz

    I literally run an insurance podcast and am happy to call this one the best in the biz. If they let me do a one time 6 star review I would use it here

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    petriekennedy
    United Statesa year ago
  • Changed my career

    I can honestly say that the interviews and conversations that Spencer has had on this show have changed my career 👍

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Na_than_iel
    United Statesa year ago
  • Best Pod in the Industry

    Spencer Smith’s Self-Funded podcast is smart, sharp, and actually fun to listen to. He knows his stuff and brings on guests who do too. If you’re in benefits, this one should already be in your rotation… it’s really good.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    tessmccoy
    United Statesa year ago
  • Continuing Marshall Allen’s Legacy | with Sonja Allen

    Self-Funded with Spencer – A Must-Listen Episode: 💙

    I'm a huge fan of the Self-Funded with Spencer podcast because of its wide-ranging topics and Spencer’s incredible ability to bring clarity to a marketplace that often feels confusing and opaque. His insights consistently help listeners navigate the complex world of healthcare and benefits with more understanding and confidence.

    This most recent episode especially resonated with me. Having had the privilege of spending time with Marshall Allen... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jason From Harlowe Health
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Consistently thoughtful episodes that are valuable for sponsorship and guest opportunities.
Strong leadership with a focus on transparency and tangible outcomes.
Clear, data-driven discussions that cut through industry noise.
Credible deep-dives across the self-funded benefits space.
High-caliber guests and practical takeaways for brokers and employers.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Managing the Exploding Costs of Specialty Drugs | with Jake Velie
Q: What savings can a plan expect when NIH gets involved, net of rebates?
Net-to-net savings are typically in the 30% to 40% range, once rebates, member spend, and plan design are all accounted for; the savings are a subset of a portion of the total spend and are not fantasy numbers.
Managing the Exploding Costs of Specialty Drugs | with Jake Velie
Q: Do you ever work with plans mid-plan year, and how does the transition to NIH work in practice?
Yes, NIH can start mid-plan year as a voluntary option and, at renewal, become embedded as the primary in-network provider for infusion when clinically appropriate, with prior authorization handled to ensure seamless integration.
Managing the Exploding Costs of Specialty Drugs | with Jake Velie
Q: What is a J code and what is a Q code, and why do they matter?
A J code is a bundled medical infusion code that represents the drug and administration together, while a Q code is a precursor or stand-in for a J code when no J code exists yet. Both encapsulate a package of services with the drug, and uncover the true drivers of cost in high-cost infusions.
Will PBM Reform Actually Happen? | Last Month In Healthcare
Q: What is the absolute minimum employee headcount for a fully self-funded plan in 2026?
Without captives, typically 150 to 250 lives on plan is the recommended range, with smaller sizes sometimes possible but riskier; captives can enable smaller groups to self-fund, though practicality and risk tolerance remain critical.
Recapping January's Biggest Healthcare Stories | with John Kountz
Q: What does a successful Q1 look like for brokers?
A successful Q1 includes having new business sold for a one-one effective date and ensuring that you're not playing catch-up for the rest of the year.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Funded

What is Self-Funded about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on self-funded health benefits, cost containment, and transforming traditional employer-healthcare models through data, direct-to-employer networks, and innovative funding/delivery approaches. Episodes frequently feature industry leaders discussing fiduciary shifts, transparency, and practical tools for brokers, consultants, and employers aiming to reshape benefits programs with outcomes in mind. A standout trait is the mix of hands-on practitioner expertise, market-ready strategies, and bold, sometimes controversial, reforms that challenge conventional networks and pricing. Listeners are likely looking for actionable insights to reduce costs, improve care delivery, and navigate a rapidly evolving benefits landscape.

Where can I find podcast stats for Self-Funded?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Self-Funded. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Self-Funded and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Self-Funded get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Self-Funded, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Self-Funded?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Self-Funded, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Self-Funded have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Self-Funded has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Self-Funded?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Self-Funded:

1. The Business of Benefits Podcast
2. BigDeal
3. The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
4. Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais
5. Broken Benefits

How many episodes of Self-Funded are there?

Self-Funded launched 5 years ago and published 286 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Self-Funded?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Self-Funded?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Self-Funded from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Self-Funded?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Self-Funded. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Self-Funded?

Recent guests on Self-Funded include:

1. Jake Velie
2. Jonathan López
3. Jay Gepfert
4. Chris Hamilton
5. Taylor Rogers
6. Seth Denson
7. Blake Allison
8. Philip Eaves

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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