The PBM Princess: From Rebate Myths to Deception, How PBMs Hide True Rx Costs (Ep. 30)

The PBM Princess: From Rebate Myths to Deception, How PBMs Hide True Rx Costs (Ep. 30)

On this episode of The Benefit Whisperer, Ralph Weber interviews Rachel Strauss, the “PBM Princess,” to expose how pharmacy benefit managers manipulate contracts, rebates, and definitions to extract margin from employers. They break down contract landmines, phony transparency language, weak audit clauses, and the real story behind “100% pass-through.” If you’re an employer, broker, or …

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What If You Could Pay the Hospital with a QR Code? (Ep. 29)

What If You Could Pay the Hospital with a QR Code? (Ep. 29)

A trillion dollars. That’s how much the U.S. loses every single year, not on doctors or medicine, but on the billing chaos of healthcare. In this episode, Ralph Weber unveils something quietly revolutionary: Noverasys. It’s not just a payment system, it’s a reset button for healthcare costs. One where hospitals get paid instantly, patients stop …

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Fiduciary Failures & The Great American Healthcare Heist: How Employers Are Being Played (Ep. 28)

Fiduciary Failures & The Great American Healthcare Heist: How Employers Are Being Played (Ep. 28)

Employers are footing the bill, but locked out of the details. In this episode of The Benefit Whisperer, Ralph Weber pulls back the curtain on how PPO contracts, TPAs, and PBMs are rigged to benefit everyone except the plan sponsor. Featuring insights from public-sector reformer and author Chris Deacon, this conversation breaks down: Why “discounted” …

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Chris Deacon: $2B Scam Broker Kickbacks & PBM Profits Fiduciary Duties Exposed (Ep. 27)

Chris Deacon: $2B Scam Broker Kickbacks & PBM Profits Fiduciary Duties Exposed (Ep. 27)

Guest: Chris Deacon, author of The Great American Healthcare Heist and former Director of Health Benefits, State of New Jersey. Chris joins Ralph Weber to reveal how her team saved $2 billion, including $400M annually on pharmacy spend, by exposing PBM shell games, fixing contracts, and enforcing fiduciary duty. 📌 Topics: How much waste is …

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How Critical Illness Insurance Saves Families and Businesses (Ep. 26)

How Critical Illness Insurance Saves Families and Businesses (Ep. 26)

What happens when the surgery saves your life, but destroys your finances? This episode spotlights critical illness insurance, an overlooked tool most Americans don’t understand and few advisors offer. Host Ralph Weber unpacks its history, why a world-renowned surgeon created it, and how it protects real financial lives. From replacing income during recovery to solving …

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From ICU to Insider: Nurse Deb’s fight for Patient-Centric Care (Ep. 25)

From ICU to Insider: Nurse Deb’s fight for Patient-Centric Care (Ep. 25)

Ralph Weber sits down with Nurse Deb Ault, a former ICU nurse who walked away from the bedside after a patient died due to profit-driven care. She now runs AIMM, a patient-centered care management firm with a 3% denial rate and Validation Institute–verified results. They talk PPO discount myths, P3CM, proactive navigation, and why DPCs …

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Zero Cost, Zero Access: Canada, Cuba, North Korea and the Reality of Single-Tier Healthcare with Dr. Raymond Rupert (Ep. 24)

Zero Cost, Zero Access: Canada, Cuba, North Korea and the Reality of Single-Tier Healthcare with Dr. Raymond Rupert (Ep. 24)

What happens when healthcare is free, but access is dangerously limited? In this episode of The Benefit Whisperer, host Ralph Weber is joined by Dr. Raymond Rupert, Canadian physician and founder of RCM Health, to pull back the curtain on Canada’s single-tier system. They discuss: The long and often life-threatening wait times for diagnosis, surgery, …

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Insurance FAQs: Your Employees’ Most Asked Questions (Ep. 23)

Insurance FAQs: Your Employees’ Most Asked Questions (Ep. 23)

What if your company could save millions on healthcare without cutting employee benefits?  Ralph Weber pulls back the curtain and shares real-life case studies from companies that did exactly that. From nonprofits to manufacturers to hospitals, Ralph reveals how they cut costs by up to 50% without sacrificing care. You’ll hear how one nonprofit saved …

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Why Collateral Sucks (and Other Truths About Captives) with Phil Holowka, COO of Complete Captive (Ep. 22)

Why Collateral Sucks (and Other Truths About Captives) with Phil Holowka, COO of Complete Captive (Ep. 22)

Captives are often pitched as the silver bullet for rising healthcare costs, but as Ralph Weber and Phil Holowka reveal, the truth is a lot messier. In this no-fluff episode, Phil, COO of Complete Captive, breaks down the real story behind collateral, risk pooling, and why most brokers are doing their clients zero favors. We …

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Biblical Values in Benefits: Faith-Aligned Solutions for Christian Employers (Ep. 21)

Biblical Values in Benefits: Faith-Aligned Solutions for Christian Employers (Ep. 21)

In this episode of The Benefit Whisperer, Ralph Weber talks with Ericka McPherson, Executive Director of Covenant Choice, a benefits organization designed for Christian employers who want to provide high-quality healthcare while staying true to biblical values. They unpack how Covenant Choice blends self-funded strategies, captive insurance, and legal protections through the Christian Employers Alliance …

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