The ShiftShapers Podcast

We revisit how PPOs got built on discounts and show why total value beats sticker price. Scott Smith joins us to explain nationally curated high-performance networks that rank providers on effectiveness, appropriateness, and cost, and how that changes renewals, member experience, and fiduciary risk.

• why traditional PPO discounts miss total cost of care
• how consolidation and narrow networks increase abrasion
• c...

We explore how reducing variation in cost, outcomes, and experience creates real value, and why deep provider metrics and real-time member support outperform box-checking credentialing. Kate Grohal shares a playbook for aligning incentives without repeating the mistakes that soured HMOs.

• defining quality as reducing variation across cost, outcomes, experience
• Kate’s path from patient escort to quality leader
• ...

We revisit the rising problem of the “functionally uninsured” and ask how to restore real access for employees who delay care because of confusion and cost. Paymedix CEO Tom Policelli shares how a super EOB, upfront provider payment, and 0% financing change behavior and bend trend.

• confusion outranking cost as the top barrier to care
• hospitals pushing prepayment and the access wall it creates
• income-tier patt...

Pharmacy benefits shouldn’t feel like a black box. We sit down with Susan Thomas, Chief Commercial Officer at Lucy Rx, to unpack why drug costs keep rising and what it takes to build a benefit that serves patients and plans—not middlemen. Susan started as an oncology nurse and moved into PBM leadership, and that dual lens shows up in everything we cover: from the real-world stress of waiting days for an oral chemo to the hidden eco...

What if benefits work leaped from horse‑and‑buggy speed to highway pace? We sit down with Julian Lago, co‑founder and CEO of BenePower, to explore how AI is already compressing days of quoting, enrollment, and service into minutes—and what that means for brokers, HR leaders, and members who need clear answers right now.

We dig into the practical side of agentic AI and retrieval‑augmented generation: how specialized models ...

Change can energize or paralyze—so we chose energize. We sat down with Eric Silverman, founder of Voluntary Disruption and a four-time guest, to unpack what’s actually moving the needle in enhanced benefits today. The surprise? Products haven’t radically shifted, but execution has. Simple, high-interest options like pet insurance, ID protection, legal plans, and life paired with long-term care continue to win attention. The real br...

What if the clinic your team actually uses is the one parked outside the office? We sit down with Chris Yarn, CEO of Walk On Clinic, to unpack why on-site and mobile primary care crush near-site options on utilization, trust, and measurable savings—often with fewer clinic days. The story begins with a simple truth: convenience wins. When clinicians are visible and familiar, employees engage more, follow through on care, and keep th...

We explore what executive coaching really is, how it helps leaders make better decisions and show up with presence, and why advisors can use it to grow their practice and help clients cut costs and claims. We share signals that coaching is needed, how to introduce it without awkwardness, and how to build strong referral partnerships.

• Clear definition of executive coaching and who benefits
• Common leadership traps an...

Healthcare costs keep climbing while employees want plans that actually fit their doctors, budgets, and lives. We tackle that tension head-on with Chad Schneider, head of broker channel at Thatch, and unpack how ICHRAs—individual coverage HRAs—let employers lock in predictable budgets while giving every employee real choice on the individual market.

We start by demystifying ICHRAs and why 2024 became the breakout year: bro...

Costs are spiking, access is shrinking, and members are stuck on hold while scans get delayed—yet the fix might be hiding in plain sight. We sit down with Dr. Cristin Dickerson, CEO of Green Imaging, to unpack how independent imaging, transparent bundles, and human-led AI can lower trend, reduce friction, and actually make benefits plans feel usable. From private equity acquisitions that quietly triple rates to the national radiolo...

Leadership bottlenecks can silently strangle even the most promising companies. When decisions, initiatives, and progress all funnel through one person—typically the founder or CEO—growth becomes impossible. Charlie Rhea knows this pattern all too well.

As an implementer of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Charlie has witnessed the remarkable transformation that occurs when leadership teams embrace a different w...

High-deductible health plans have created "functionally uninsured" people who have insurance cards but can't access care due to high out-of-pocket costs, creating barriers to necessary healthcare and driving up long-term expenses. We discuss a solution with Tom Policelli of Paymedix.

• Consumer confusion about benefits is the #1 issue, with affordability a close second
• 45% of insured people avoided nec...

A 75-year legacy built on survival, relationships and faith continues to drive innovation at Conner Insurance, where CEO Ben Conner and his team focus on providing sound counsel during life's most significant moments.

• Founded in 1949 by WWII veteran Henry Clay Conner Jr., whose 30 months surviving in Philippine jungles shaped core values of seriousness, relationships, and entrepreneurial spirit
• Second-generati...

Jessica DeAngelo, Chief Hiking Officer at Hike to Become, shares how unplugging in nature revolutionizes business thinking and helps executives rediscover clarity and creativity away from digital distractions.

• Former global sales director who transformed her life by committing to daily hiking after feeling overwhelmed by corporate demands and new motherhood
• Created the Hike 31 Challenge based on four principles: Hi...

Paid leave has transformed from a nice-to-have into a powerful retention and engagement tool for employers seeking to attract and keep top talent. Seth Turner of AbsintheSoft shares insights on how properly structured leave programs can create positive employee experiences that drive loyalty and productivity.

• 86% of employees look for paid leave when job hunting, and 42% won't apply without it
• Well-designed le...

We explore the concept of time as our most precious resource with Andrew Hartman, founder of TimeBoss, who shares a framework for achieving results without overwhelm and burnout.

• Andrew's journey began when work stress caused him to lose his sense of smell for six months
• 77% of knowledge workers experienced burnout in the past year, up from 75% pre-COVID
• The "always on" work culture has elimina...

Recorded live at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, David A. Saltzman sits down with Hans Kullberg, CEO and Founder of Avocado Health. Together, they explore how Avocado Health is solving one of the biggest challenges facing employers and employees alike: helping working parents get the right answers, right when they need them.

Hans shares how his own journey as a father of five inspired him to build a text-first platform that...

Recorded at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, David A. Saltzman talks with Lorenzo Amaya, Vice President of Business Development at Integrated Source One. They explore the nationwide physician shortage, the challenges of quality care and timely access, and how innovative solutions like on-site, near-site, and mobile clinics are changing healthcare delivery for employers and employees alike.

Lorenzo shares his journey from ban...

Recorded live at the Ascend Conference in Salt Lake City, this episode of ShiftShapers features John Troutman, Vice President of Business Development at Mind Club America. Host David A. Saltzman and John discuss the “mutual mystification” surrounding mental health solutions—and how employers and advisors can start cutting through the noise with real access, real engagement, and real outcomes.

From personal burnout to a professional ...