{"podcast":{"title":"The Business of Benefits Podcast","slug":"the-business-of-benefits-podcast-6744252","podcast_index_feed_id":6744252,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6053731/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-business-of-benefits-podcast--6053731","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3f4968159bb4676248d8c564cea163f6.jpg","author":"Hi Hello Labs Network","episode_count":84,"summary":"For decades, employers have been fed a lie: “There’s nothing you can do to control healthcare costs.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. The system is doing exactly what it was designed to do—profit off of HR, CFOs, and CEOs who believe that lie year after year.With 180 million Americans relying on employer-sponsored healthcare, it’s time to challenge the status quo. The Business of Benefits is your No BS, No Sales guide to the real solutions. No gimmicks—just the truth about how to take control, transform your benefits, and care for your most valuable asset: your people.Each episode dives deep into the data, exposing industry misalignments and inefficiencies that inflate costs while offering actionable strategies for designing financially sustainable, high-value benefits.Through eye-opening interviews with industry insiders, expert analysis, and real-world success stories, hosts Donovan and Chelsea pull back the curtain on the hidden flaws in the healthcare system. The result? An empowering roadmap for employers ready to break free from outdated models and unlock smarter, more sustainable benefits.If you’re tired of the same old sales pitch and ready to rethink benefits, re…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-30T22:18:04.175830+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-business-of-benefits-podcast-6744252"},"episode":{"title":"60. Benefits Red Flags Every Employer Needs to Catch","slug":"60-benefits-red-flags-every-employer-needs-to-catch","published_at":"2025-09-18T12:00:09+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-business-of-benefits-podcast-6744252/60-benefits-red-flags-every-employer-needs-to-catch","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-business-of-benefits-podcast-6744252","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/60-benefits-red-flags-every-employer-needs-to-catch--67799611","audio_url":"https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/67799611/episode_60_solo.mp3","summary":"If you have ever been told “you can’t access your own portal” or “don’t worry, we’ve got great PPO discounts,” this episode is for you. Today host Chelsea unpacks real stories employers have shared with me and the costly myths behind them. Names and details are changed, the situations are real. Use this as a checklist to protect your plan, your data, and your people. In this episode The red flag no one should ignore: being blocked from your own carrier portal No access to your ben-admin system and why that traps you from shopping the market Asking for compensation disclosures under CAA 2021 and getting a flat “no” Fear tactics about big carriers and how to verify before you trust Sticker shock: $125 PEPM broker fees and how to benchmark what is reasonable Perks over performance: NHL boxes, steak dinners, and fiduciary duty “Broker severance” and the myth of 250 years of benefits experience “Local” vs. “large” broker labels and what actually matters Being told you are a “small client” and why that is never an excuse Shiny value-adds vs. real cost and quality outcomes Key takeaways It is your plan and your data. Own the logins, the reports, the invoices. Verify before you trust. Ask for proof, not talking points. Benchmark compensation and services against outcomes, not perks. Hold every vendor accountable to frequency and severity of claims, not swag. If you are an employer, CFO, or CEO who is tired of trend increases and status quo advice, this conversation will give you a path to real savings and better outcomes. If this helped, like, subscribe, and share with a leader who needs to hear it. Tell us in the comments: What is the first change you will make to your benefits strategy? Whether you're an HR professional, CFO, CEO, or just tired of rising healthcare costs, th…","meta_description":"If you have ever been told “you can’t access your own portal” or “don’t worry, we’ve got great PPO discounts,” this episode is for you. Today host Chelsea…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1634,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-business-of-benefits-podcast-6744252/episodes/60-benefits-red-flags-every-employer-needs-to-catch/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-business-of-benefits-podcast-6744252/60-benefits-red-flags-every-employer-needs-to-catch.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}