Episodes

Executive Medical Benefits with ArmadaCare - Rachel Rutherford This week's episode features Rachel Rutherford, Sales Director at ArmadCare, where she and host of @SelfFunded with Spencer - Spencer Smith, dive into the world of Executive Benefits. In today's competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for the success of any organization. Human Resources (HR) directors play a vital role in determining organizational benefits and tailoring them to individual needs. This...

Today, we're diving into the world of affordable and accessible healthcare benefits for hourly employees. Meet Hooray Health, a game-changer in the industry that aims to bridge the gap between basic healthcare needs and major medical insurance. With their innovative approach and data-driven insights, Hooray Health is revolutionizing the way we think about healthcare. So, let's jump right in and explore their journey! The Birth of a Vision: Shane Foss, the CEO and founder of Hooray Health. They...

Welcome to Episode 112 of Self-Funded with SPencer, featuring Landon Fielding of Brite! Navigating the world of employee benefits can often feel like an overwhelming and confusing task. From understanding different plans to making informed decisions, employees are often left feeling lost and uninformed. This is where Brite Benefits comes in. Co-Founded by Landon Fielding, a seasoned benefits consultant, Brite Benefits is a revolutionary benefits education platform designed to simplify the compl...

Generic Drugs at Cost with ZERO Markup - ScriptCo In this episode of our podcast, host Spencer Smith welcomes Zach Zeller, the founders of Scriptco. They are on a mission to disrupt the traditional healthcare system by offering transparent medication pricing and emphasizing the importance of affordable generics. Join us as we explore their journey, the benefits of Scriptco, and the potential for change in the healthcare industry. Unveiling the Dark Underbelly of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs...

From Tragedy to Triumph: The Journey of Writing 'Wounds' In this week's episode of the podcast "Self Funded" with Spencer, hosted by Spencer Smith, performance coach Ryan Miller shares his unique coaching approach that combines psychology, self-perception, and personal branding. Ryan's coaching journey began with a focus on sales, but it quickly evolved to encompass a deeper understanding of human behavior and the importance of self-perception in achieving success. Ryan believes that influenc...

In this week's episode, Spencer Smith and Sean Turner delve into Sean's inspiring journey of establishing his insurance agency, Buffer Insurance. We explore the key takeaways from their conversation, offering practical advice and data-driven insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. Key Highlights: 1. The Challenges of Hiring Employees and Empowering Your Team: Starting an agency often means taking on the responsibility of hiring employees before revenue catches up. Sean Turner initially faced thi...

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast, where we dive deep into the world of insurance and healthcare. Today, we have a fascinating conversation between Spencer Smith and Elizabeth Vire, Vice President of National Sales at HPI (Health Plans, Inc.). They discuss the importance of a long-term strategy when working with third-party administrators (TPAs) in the insurance industry, along with practical insights and data-driven advice. So, let's jump right in! The Power of Strategy and Except...

The History of Self-Funding - Larry Turell Have you ever wondered how self funding in the insurance industry evolved over the years? Wonder no more because that is the theme of this episode of the Self-Funded with Spencer podcast. In our latest episode, host Spencer Smith and Larry Turrell dive into the fascinating history of self funding, from its humble beginnings to the innovative strategies used today. Discover how Larry's father helped pioneer one of the very first self funded plan for s...

A Better Barber Shop - The Gents Place - Founder - Ben Davis 🎧 Discover the fascinating journey of Ben Davis, founder of Gents Place, in the latest episode of Self Funded with Spencer! 🎙️ From starting his business during the 2008 financial crisis to navigating the insurance world, Ben's story is a rollercoaster of entrepreneurship and resilience. Tune in to hear how he turned a men's hair salon into a country club meets Speakeasy meets barber shop experience. Ben describes the model of The G...

Independent Benefits Consulting with Chris Wolpert of GBS In this podcast episode, Spencer Smith and Chris Wolpert discuss their careers, entrepreneurship, healthcare consulting, marketing strategies, and personal connections. They delve into Chris Wolpert's transition from journalism to the insurance industry, highlighting his focus on work-life balance and employee well-being as an insurance consultant. Chris shares his motivations for starting Group Benefit Solutions and his passion for th...

PBM Consulting - Bringing Transparency to Pharmacy with Trevor Daer of Granite Peak Analytics Trevor Daer, the founder of Granite Peak Analytics, joins me on the orange couch to explore the world of pharmacy analytics and the importance of data in making informed PBM decisions. This episode of the Self-Funded with Spencer Podcast explores the world of pharmacy rebates and the importance of collaboration in making progress and saving money. Spencer Smith and Trevor Daer discuss the PBM space a...

Enhanced Benefits with VB - Eric Silverman - Voluntary Disruption Are you looking for a way to get better engagement among your workforce without employees feeling like they just talked to a used car salesperson? Then you need to listen to the episode of Self Funded With Spencer featuring Eric Silverman! In this episode, Spencer and Eric discuss the enhanced benefit industry, plan design and enrollment, and technology. Voluntary Benefits are employer-sponsored benefits that provide employees ...

Unlocking Cost Savings with Reference Based Pricing (RBP) - ClaimDOC - Omar Arif This week I sit down with Omar Arif, SVP of Growth with ClaimDoc to answer the question, "What is Reference Based Pricing, aka "RBP"?" Omar Arif, the SVP of Growth for Claim Doc, a cost containment vendor, was sold on RBP when he discovered it. Claim Doc provides a balanced approach to RBP, combining both "pay and defend" and "negotiate and settle strategies". Omar states that their network replacement is the mos...

Pro Soccer, Super Bow Bids, and Formula One? - Neal Carter of Cvent Neal Carter joins me on the orange couch to discuss the logistics of planning Large Conferences, the process of putting together a Super Bowl bid, the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, and the 2023 Formula One race season. We also discussed the technical aspects of Formula One, the impact of Lewis Hamilton on the sport, and Neal's new Instagram channel - "American Gearbox". Like me, soccer has been a huge part o...

Episode 100! - The Benefits Roundtable with Seth Denson, Dennis Fowler & Chris Hamilton Self-Funded with Spencer is excited to release the 100th episode of the podcast! For this episode, we set out to deliver a truly unique experience, with 3 guests, 5 cameras, and 90 minutes of insights from the brightest minds in employee benefits! With a wide variety of opinions from their extensive experience in insurance and benefits companies, Spencer, Dennis, Scott and Chris explore major trends in the...

How AI Could Repair our Healthcare System - Meet Healthee Join Spencer Smith in his latest episode of Self-Funded with Spencer as he delves into the world of artificial intelligence with Healthee and their co-founder/co-CEO - Guy Benjamin. Guy shares the story behind "Zoe", Healthee's AI-based personal health assistant. The podcast also discusses biases and inefficiencies in the healthcare industry and how Healthee's platform uses AI to improve the health coverage services and experience for e...

he Connective Tissue of a Health Plan - Planned Administrators Inc In the latest episode of "Self-Funded with Spencer," host Spencer Smith invites George Stiles, the President and COO of Planned Administrators Inc (PAI), to discuss the transformation of the TPA industry and what makes a good TPA partner. George shares his journey from claims processor at Blue Cross Blue Shield to his current role at PAI. The conversation covers topics from data analytics, and direct primary care, to how to na...

How to Create Better Wealth with The AND Asset - Caleb Guilliams Welcome to the Self-Funded with Spencer podcast! In this episode, we are thrilled to have Caleb Guilliams, founder of Better Wealth and author of "The And Asset." Spencer and Caleb discuss the power of life insurance as an investment tool, and how it can help people achieve their dreams while building wealth. Caleb shares his inspiring story of overcoming his insecurities and using his fear of failure to become a successful busi...

Health Payment Accounts (HPA) with Paytient CEO - Brian Whorley Welcome to Self-Funded with Spencer, where we dive into the world of healthcare and explore ways to make healthcare coverage more accessible and effortless for everyone. In this episode, Spencer Smith welcomes Brian Whorley, CEO and founder of Paytient. Brian is creating a new category for health payment accounts that helps remove the impediment of out-of-pocket costs for patients. Together they discuss the importance of creating ...

Revolutionizing Healthcare Coordination and Advocacy with Curus Get ready to dive into the world of healthcare benefits and savings with Spencer Smith's Self-Funded podcast, sponsored by Pareto Health. In this episode, COO Jared Mort from Curus Health shares his expertise on clinical care coordination, or as he refers to it "Care Orchestration", and how to help mid-sized employers reduce their healthcare costs. Jared also discusses Curus Health's approach to total life concierge services, whi...

Data Analytics for the Modern Benefits Broker - Mike Pattengale - Springbuk Looking to learn about the future of data analytics in healthcare? Look no further than Self-Funded with Spencer! Host Spencer Smith welcomes guest Mike Pattengale from Springbuk to discuss their innovative approach to data analytics and how it helps drive informed decisions. The two discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare industry and how data analytics can help employers make better decisions regarding the ...

Join podcast host Spencer Smith as he sits down with guest Scott Smith from TRUE Network Advisors to discuss topics ranging from leadership to personal growth in the latest episode of Self-Funded with Spencer. Scott and Spencer delve into the concept of authentic leadership, exploring what it means to be "authentic" (a buzzword that makes them cringe) and striving to be the best version of oneself. The discussion also touches on the challenges of providing mentorship and guidance to others and ...

Join host Spencer Smith on another episode of Self-Funded with Spencer, as he welcomes the PBM Princess, Rachel Strauss from EHIM. In this engaging and informative podcast episode, Rachel shares valuable insights about the Pharmacy Benefits Management industry and EHIM's merger with ProCare Rx. Rachel and Spencer also take a deep dive into the importance of transparency in PBMs and how it affects the relationship between PBM and clients. Rachel shares her journey of becoming a PBM consultant a...

How to Find Money in Medical Bill Errors - Zoe Holderness - Co-Founder of Slingshot Zoe Holderness, the CTO and co-founder of Slingshot, recently appeared on the podcast, Self-Funded with Spencer featuring host Spencer Smith. Slingshot is a software company that specializes in auditing medical bills. They automatically monitor every claim that comes through for an employer, finding savings and overcharges both for the plan and member. Zoe grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and later attend...