Why “Good Discounts” Are Costing You a Fortune. Inside a Smarter Healthcare Model: Reference-Based Pricing with Adam Russo, Esq. (Ep. 09)

Is your PPO network actually saving you money—or just selling you a myth? In this eye-opening episode of The Benefit Whisperer, host Ralph Weber sits down with Adam Russo, co-founder and CEO of The Phia Group, to expose the broken economics of traditional healthcare pricing. They dive deep into the real story behind Reference-Based Pricing (RBP), why most brokers avoid it, and how smart employers are slashing costs without cutting care. ✅ The truth about PPO "discounts"✅ Why laziness—not logic—drives plan design✅ How RBP protects patients from surprise billing✅ What AI and price transparency mean for the future of healthcare 🎧 Whether you're a CEO, benefits advisor, or just tired of rising deductibles and shrinking benefits, this episode will change how you think about cost, quality, and control in healthcare. 🔗 Learn more about Adam Russo and The Phia Group: https://phiagroup.com📩 Contact Ralph: [e-mail]📞 Call: 832-924-3330 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Healthcare Challenges 02:36 Understanding Reference-Based Pricing 06:40 The Necessity of Reference-Based Pricing 12:47 Consumerism in Healthcare 18:41 Addressing Balance Billing Concerns 22:22 The Power of Representation in Healthcare Billing 24:18 Understanding Healthcare Pricing Variance 26:40 The Importance of Patient Education 28:15 Challenges in Educating Employers and Employees 32:24 Implementing Reference-Based Pricing 34:54 Analyzing Healthcare Data for Cost Reduction 36:33 The Role of AI in Healthcare Transparency 👇 Drop a comment, share with a friend, and hit subscribe to never miss an episode of The Benefit Whisperer. #healthcarecosts #RBP #benefitsstrategy #healthcaretransparency #thebenefitwhisperer #AdamRusso #employeebenefits #healthcarepodcast