Graham & Company’s Post

👋 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗽𝗲𝘀? He is more than just our Assistant VP of Strategy & Special Projects. Will is an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur who loves family and football, and boldly invests his precious time for payouts far down the line. These days, you’ll find Will in his home office 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 that simplifies the enrollment, maintenance, compliance, and re-enrollment processes for dental care providers. He’s enthusiastic about 𝗗𝗖𝗦 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 because this hands-free service has long been needed in the dental industry to allow office teams to put their focus back on patient care, and to finally provide transparency for the credentialing process. We knew Will would be a star in his strategic role because he can 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗿 — a sky-high view with a future outlook plus an in-the-weeds perspective that values today’s details. When we asked Will what’s next for him at DCS, he said: “𝘿𝘾𝙎 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙡, 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘶𝘯. 𝘈𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘋𝘊𝘚. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯-𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘋𝘊𝘚 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺.” We’re proud to have Will leading our strategy, and we’re looking forward to watching him tackle his 2024 goals. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀? Schedule your free 30-minute call with an RCM expert >> https://lnkd.in/eAC_EEwQ P.S. If you have Army/Navy football tickets, please get them to Will, so he can cross that off the top of his bucket list.

Congrats to Bryson DeChambeau for taking home his second U.S. Open title! His win is a testament to his dedication and unique approach to the game. Just like his famous experiment of floating golf balls in Epsom salts to find the perfect balance, Bryson isn't afraid to be a "mad scientist" in his pursuit of excellence. This unconventional approach brings to mind the world of employee benefits, where companies are also exploring alternative funding solutions. Similar to how Bryson looked beyond traditional methods to improve his game, companies are considering options like level-funded plans or captive insurance to manage healthcare costs. These approaches might seem unconventional at first, but for some companies, they can lead to significant savings and greater control over their benefits programs. There's definitely a parallel between Bryson's innovative spirit and the willingness to explore new ideas in the world of employee benefits. So, next time you're considering how to approach a challenge, remember – a little "mad scientist" thinking can go a long way!

Well, we DO Know … Aaron Janssen IS Awesome. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve received a note like the one in the picture below over the past 10 years, I’d be retired. Today, I am saluting One of HUB International’s finest in the middle of his busy season. Aaron has a job similar to mine, but in addition, he hosts individual, one-on-one meetings and helps hundreds … You read that right … HUNDREDS of people make the right decisions about Medicare every year. These are not easy conversations. They require high levels patience, expertise, compassion & trust. Those 4 qualities describe Aaron to a tee. Medicare can be incredibly complex and diverse. It is NOT one size fits all. Nobody has a better command of it than Aaron. He’s the one to whom I trust my mom. And, I LOVE my mom! If you’re an employer who’s considering a change in how you receive advice related to your group benefits planning, I suggest connecting with Aaron here on LinkedIn. He’s one of the really, really good ones. I’m honored to be his colleague. #hubinternational #colleagues #shoutout #groupbenefits #medicare #patience #expertise #compassion #trust #respect

The adventure continues! The last two plus years have been full of learning, hustling, learning (yes, repeated that twice on purpose), testing, and wins as I’ve worked to help scale Bart’s with my partners (shout out to Scott, Nathan, and Jonathan). We’ve seen a lot of growth and success that has allowed me to step out of the day-to-day at Bart's Heating & Air and into more of an advisory role. I’m excited for the future of what we are building together in the home services industry but something else has grabbed my attention that I am stoked to jump into a full-time role with. I started working with Planstin Administration about a month ago and am having a blast leading the marketing team and creating strategy with my team to help educate and share the benefits of Planstin. The mission of the company is to disrupt the health benefits industry through technology and simplifying a broken industry - giving real options to companies of all sizes to have effective health care tailored to their needs. The TLDR is benefits made simple, benefits done right. When I first started talking with Planstin it immediately connected to a lot of my personal experiences - through my son and my wife’s health battles where we experienced first hand how broken the system was to navigate getting the right care for them, to my time with Bart’s having to switch health benefit providers and brokers multiple times because they didn’t actually deliver what we were told they would for our employees. I’ve realized how passionate I am about helping others not have to go through all the negatives of a broken system during an already trying time dealing with health issues. So, if you want to learn more about how Planstin can simplify benefits for you and your company let me know - be it a solo startup, SMB, or a Fortune 500 - we got you!

In the latest issues of International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) Benefits Magazine, Capital Rx's Kristin Begley, PharmD (Chief Commercial Officer) and Mike Miele, FSA, MAAA (SVP, Insured Services), penned an article discussing the #PBM procurement process, pharmacy #cost drivers, and how #plansponsors can achieve more predictable total costs (net of all #discounts and #rebates). 🎯 Kristin and Mike address one of the primary cost drivers for most plans, #drugmix, writing, "Most large rebates come from the most expensive brand and specialty drugs, incentivizing the PBM to dispense those drugs, yielding a more expensive drug mix, to meet the guarantees instead of trying lower cost alternatives. Plan sponsors must understand that larger rebates don’t necessarily help the plan’s economics in the long run." Thank you to the IFEBP for all you do! 🙌 #knowledgeshare #PBMprocurement Link to the latest issue of Benefits Magazine (sub $): https://okt.to/tGPAET

🏈 As Corewell Health’s Katie Richards said, open enrollment IS the Super Bowl of the benefits world, and you're the MVP. Time to huddle up and make sure your team’s playbook is ready. Let’s score a win with clear, inclusive benefits communication! Check out this quick interview for Katie’s perspective on extending your benefits strategy. ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4ewf2Yo

At an upcoming Member Engagement and Experience Symposium, industry leaders Tina Dueringer and Dr. Darren Wethers will share insights on how to develop a successful member engagement strategy. Here are some key takeaways: ATRIO Health Plans' Recipe for Success: - Low Turnover Rate: Atrio boasts an impressive member retention rate, with less than 6% leaving annually. - Secret Weapon: Active member listening and acting on their feedback. Avoiding Engagement Pitfalls: - Don't treat member engagement as a one-time effort, it's ongoing. - Prioritize member needs and support over administrative tasks. Flex Cards: - Atrio's popular flex card incentivizes healthy behaviors. - Members earn rewards for preventive care activities. - Rewards are redeemable for various health-related goods. Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q02F66_20

Can’t wait for tomorrow’s Strategic Planning Workshop! 🌟 It’s going to be an incredible day filled with insights, collaboration, and opportunities for growth. So grateful to be part of this event and connect with fellow industry leaders! 💼💡 #StrategicPlanning #HealthcareLeadership #GrowthMindset #AscensionBusinessSolutions

Talking Health & Benefits at the lake... As a member of ACG (Association for Corporate Growth) Cleveland, I had the opportunity earlier this week to meet some new colleagues and get reacquainted with old friends. In addition to beautiful scenery at The Shoreby Club and Newport Harbor, I learned some interesting tidbits about how the "dealmaker community" views our business and what they are worried about moving forward. For their portfolio companies, topics like high-cost claimants (Rx impact especially), physician/hospital consolidation, GLP-1 drugs and cost shifting from government programs to employer plans kept coming up. Naturally, the next question is "what are you doing about it?" Some of the answers included: 📌 Add Centers of Excellence with benefit plan differential 📌 Assess Reference Based Pricing 📌 Review PBO's (pharmacy benefit optimizers) 📌 Consider an EB captive arrangement 📌 Implement a care navigation solution Funny...you don't have to be a broker/consultant or a plan sponsor to know the system is broken and it's time to take a deep look at alternatives. Hope your summer allows you to take some time at your favorite lake and think about implementing changes in your health plan that actually move the needle. Enjoy the upcoming weekend! #ACGCleveland #ClevelandSHRM #CHRO #CFO #humanresources #HRleadershipgroup #employeebenefits

In the latest issues of International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) Benefits Magazine, Capital Rx's Kristin Begley, PharmD (Chief Commercial Officer) and Mike Miele, FSA, MAAA (SVP, Insured Services), penned an article discussing the #PBM procurement process, pharmacy #cost drivers, and how #plansponsors can achieve more predictable total costs (net of all #discounts and #rebates). 🎯 Kristin and Mike address one of the primary cost drivers for most plans, #drugmix, writing, "Most large rebates come from the most expensive brand and specialty drugs, incentivizing the PBM to dispense those drugs, yielding a more expensive drug mix, to meet the guarantees instead of trying lower cost alternatives. Plan sponsors must understand that larger rebates don’t necessarily help the plan’s economics in the long run." Thank you to the IFEBP for all you do! 🙌 #knowledgeshare #PBMprocurement Link to the latest issue of Benefits Magazine (sub $): https://okt.to/6237TQ