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Artwork for The Benefits Playbook

The Benefits Playbook

Collective Health
Collective Health
Healthcare
Health Transformation Alliance
Lockton
Glp-1
Artificial Intelligence
Employers
Affordable Care Act
Red Bull
The Wonderful Company
Preventive Care
Providence Health Plan
Venrock
Navigation
Doctor-Patient Relationship
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Pharmacy Benefit Manager
Smithrx
Wonderful Wellness Centers
Direct Contracting

Employee healthcare represents the second-largest investment for most U.S. businesses, behind payroll. It's a highly complex system with excessive costs, frustrating member experiences, and administrative burdens. So, how can employers take control? On The Benefits Playbook: Strategies for Self-Funded Health Plans, you'll hear expert guidance from some of the best minds in the business. Learn how ... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes33Founded3 years ago
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Artwork for The Benefits Playbook

Latest Episodes

Pharmacy costs now represent 35 to 50% of total healthcare spend for many employers. Yet, most plan sponsors are still operating inside a black box they can't see into, let alone control.

In this episode, Jake Frenz, Founder and CEO of SmithRx, brea... more

YouTube

Many employers treat high-cost healthcare claims as bad luck — something to absorb and move on from. But ignoring the details buried in those claims is costing companies millions, and the data to fight back already exists.

In this episode, Dr. Chris... more

Doctors aren't "resistant to AI" because they're technophobes. They're navigating a fundamental shift in what it means to practice medicine when patients arrive having already diagnosed themselves via ChatGPT. The path forward isn't "adopt more AI to... more

Employers are not “stuck” with a broken healthcare system because it’s too complicated. They are choosing to hand over control of something that hurts their workers and wastes money. The answer isn’t more wellness programs or better deals with insura... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Jake Frenz
Founder & CEO of SmithRx
SmithRx
Episode: Breaking Open the Black Box: How Transparent PBMs Are Reshaping Pharmacy Benefits with Jake Frenz, Founder & CEO of SmithRx
Christine Hale
Chief Medical Officer at US Benefits at Gallagher
Gallagher
Episode: Navigating High-Cost Claims: Employer Strategies for Managing Complex Healthcare Cases with Dr. Christine Hale, Chief Medical Officer, US Benefits at Gallagher
Dr. Spencer Dorn
Vice Chair and Professor of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina (UNC) Health Care / UNC School of Medicine
Episode: How AI is Transforming Doctor-Patient Dynamics with Dr. Spencer Dorn, Vice Chair & Professor of Medicine at University of North Carolina
Eric Bricker
Chief Medical Officer at AHealthcareZ
AHealthcareZ
Episode: Breaking the Chains: Creative Destruction and Employer Influence in Healthcare with Dr. Eric Bricker, Chief Medical Officer at AHealthcareZ
Christian Moreno
Executive Vice President at Lockton
Lockton
Episode: Navigating Volatility: Innovative Strategies for Cost-Effective Health Benefits with Christian Moreno, Executive Vice President at Lockton
Siobhan Nolan Mangini
Partner at Venrock
Venrock
Episode: Employers as Agents of Change: Empowering Healthcare Transformation with Siobhan Nolan Mangini & Bob Kocher, Venrock
Dr. Bob Kocher
Partner at Venrock, physician
Venrock
Episode: Employers as Agents of Change: Empowering Healthcare Transformation with Siobhan Nolan Mangini & Bob Kocher, Venrock
Scott Burton
Commercial Market President, Providence Health Plan
Providence Health Plan
Episode: Employers & Health Systems: Navigating New Healthcare Frontiers with Scott Burton, Commercial Market President, Providence Health Plan
Suzanne Usaj
Director of Total Rewards at The Wonderful Company
The Wonderful Company
Episode: Thinking Outside the System: Redefining Employee Benefits with Suzanne Usaj, Senior Director of Total Rewards at The Wonderful Company

Host

Kirk McConnell
Host of The Benefits Playbook, known for guiding discussions on self-funded health benefits, cost management, and employer strategies.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 20 ratings
  • Informative

    Demystifying TPAs in an informative and easy to follow manner.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tiara3787
    United States3 years ago
  • Great Content

    Terrific content and excited to see more, thanks for producing this.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LWL1981
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Clear emphasis on data-driven decision-making and collaboration across stakeholders.
Polished, practical insights on employer benefits and cost strategies.
Guests bring firsthand experience with real-world cost management and benefit design.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Breaking Open the Black Box: How Transparent PBMs Are Reshaping Pharmacy Benefits with Jake Frenz, Founder & CEO of SmithRx
Q: What are the top two or three pharmacy-related priorities you would say plan sponsors should focus on?
Start from first principles with a strategy: determine the current baseline total cost of ownership per member per month, identify high-cost areas like immunologics and GLP-1s, and build a simple, executable plan. Then prioritize transparency by demanding access to contracts, data, and revenue shares of PBMs, and implement targeted, measurable changes rather than trying to fix everything at once.
From Capitol Hill to the C-Suite: Insights on Healthcare Transformation with Robert E. Andrews, CEO of Health Transformation Alliance
Q: What's exciting on the horizon for employer health plans?
Programs like Access Hope for specialized cancer care, expanded behavioral health access, and a move toward value-based arrangements, including gene-therapy considerations and AI-assisted decision making, could reshape both costs and outcomes.
From Capitol Hill to the C-Suite: Insights on Healthcare Transformation with Robert E. Andrews, CEO of Health Transformation Alliance
Q: What exactly does HTA do for employers, and why does it matter to benefit leaders?
HTA pools employer buying power to identify high-value care, reduce friction in administration, and push providers toward better outcomes, while giving members options (carriers, TPAs, or carve-outs) that suit their strategy.
From Capitol Hill to the C-Suite: Insights on Healthcare Transformation with Robert E. Andrews, CEO of Health Transformation Alliance
Q: 15 years after the ACA, how has it aged and what's changed for the average person?
It expanded coverage to millions, curbed pre-existing condition denials, and allows young people to stay on their parents' plans; the system still has work to do, especially around how care is paid for and how to encourage prevention and better outcomes.
Employers & Health Systems: Navigating New Healthcare Frontiers with Scott Burton, Commercial Market President, Providence Health Plan
Q: What makes payviders advantageous compared with traditional arrangements?
Payviders can offer more favorable reimbursement terms, enable value-based care discussions, and improve the member experience by reducing the number of intermediaries and enabling closer coordination between delivery systems and health plans.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Benefits Playbook

What is The Benefits Playbook about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, policy- and data-driven show focused on self-funded health benefits for employers. Episodes frequently explore cost containment, transparency, and patient access, with guests ranging from clinicians and health-system leaders to investors and benefit決s strategists. The conversation often centers on practical strategies for employers to manage high-cost claims, design better benefit programs, and navigate the evolving healthcare landscape through data, partnerships, and innovative care models. Notably, the host ecosystem emphasizes collaboration among employers, brokers, providers, and technology platforms to deliver clearer, more affordable benefits and improved member experiences.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Benefits Playbook?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Benefits Playbook. 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 The Benefits Playbook and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Benefits Playbook get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Benefits Playbook?

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How many subscribers and views does The Benefits Playbook have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Benefits Playbook 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 The Benefits Playbook?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Benefits Playbook:

1. Self-Funded
2. The Joe Rogan Experience

How many episodes of The Benefits Playbook are there?

The Benefits Playbook launched 3 years ago and published 33 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 The Benefits Playbook?

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 The Benefits Playbook?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Benefits Playbook from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Benefits Playbook?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Benefits Playbook. 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 The Benefits Playbook?

Recent guests on The Benefits Playbook include:

1. Jake Frenz
2. Christine Hale
3. Dr. Spencer Dorn
4. Eric Bricker
5. Christian Moreno
6. Siobhan Nolan Mangini
7. Dr. Bob Kocher
8. Scott Burton

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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