In this first installment of a two-part conversation, Captivating Health Insights host Maddison Bezdicek sits down with Adam Russo, Co-Founder and CEO of The Phia Group, to unpack one of the most misunderstood—and increasingly risky—compliance issues for self-funded employers: mental health parity. Russo explains that while parity laws aim to ensure equal access to care, the reality is far more complex. He likens today’s boom in out-of-network mental health facilities to the 1990s prison expansion—driven by profit rather than patient outcomes—leaving employers exposed to excessive claims, DOL audits, and rising costs. Russo urges employers to take a proactive approach by reviewing plan documents, analyzing data, and enhancing communication, so that parity in practice aligns with parity on paper. He also calls for a shift from “innovation” to affordability, noting that “access doesn’t matter if employees can’t afford to use it.”
Chapters
- (00:00:42) - Welcome & Introduction to Adam Russo
- (00:01:00) - How The Phia Group Began
- (00:03:19) - Rewriting the Rules of Cost Containment
- (00:06:34) - Mental Health Parity: The Title IX Analogy
- (00:09:07) - From Prisons to Parity: A New Industry Boom
- (00:13:52) - Employers in the Crosshairs
- (00:14:09) - Root Causes vs. Band-Aid Solutions
- (00:15:14) - Data Doesn’t Lie: Start With Your Claims
- (00:18:55) - Why Plan Language Alone Isn’t Enough
- (00:21:08) - The Engagement Gap
- (00:23:44) - Access and Affordability: Two Sides of the Same Coin
- (00:25:36) - Compliance Reality Check
- (00:29:39) - Affordability Is the New Innovation
- (00:32:20) - The Pandemic’s Lingering Impact
- (00:33:39) - A Personal Story: When Mental Health Hits Home
- (00:35:56) - Proactive Compliance Over Costly Audits
- (00:38:35) - Appeals, Lawsuits, and Doing the Right Thing
- (00:42:16) - Final Thoughts: Empowerment Through Education
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com