Category: Financial Planning
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)

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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 drowning in surprise bills, and employers finally get transparency and control.

You’ll hear how a $240 prescription became $46 in seconds…why hospitals secretly love cash… and what happens when the patient, not the insurer, becomes the payer. This isn’t theory. It’s happening. And it could change everything.

What you’ll discover in this episode:

  • Why traditional insurance payment rails waste billions, and how Noverasys eliminates that inefficiency
  • Real-world examples of instant-pay models saving employers and employees thousands of dollars
  • How QR-code payment systems make healthcare transactions faster, cheaper, and cyber-secure
  • The hidden opportunity for employers to give employees lower costs and more choice while protecting their bottom line
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Ralph Weber:

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)

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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” claims may still be wildly overpaid

  • How common gag clauses block your access to vital claims data

  • What fiduciary duty actually requires — and how most plans are falling short

  • A real-life example where $678K was billed… and $2.1M was paid

  • Red flags in benefit contracts that should stop any employer cold

Whether you’re preparing for open enrollment or just trying to regain control of your health plan, this episode is your roadmap to asking smarter questions, and avoiding a costly healthcare heist.

🎧 Listen now
📘 Buy the book: The Great American Healthcare Heist
📨 Learn more at fixmybenefitsnow.com

Schedule a free consultation with Ralph: https://calendly.com/ralph-weber-routethree?utm_source=emails&utm_medium=blubrry&utm_campaign=ep28&utm_id=podcast

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)

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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 really in your health plan (30–40%)
  • Reverse auctions and pass-through PBMs explained
  • Why discount guarantees are often a scam
  • Contract terms every plan sponsor should demand

🎧 Listen now to understand how to stop paying for other people’s profits.

📘 Buy the book: The Great American Healthcare Heist

 🔗 Connect with Chris:https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdeaconc/

📬 Questions? ralph@thebenefitwhisperer.com · fixmybenefitsnow.com
How Critical Illness Insurance Saves Families and Businesses (Ep. 26)

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

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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 business succession headaches, critical illness insurance fills the dangerous gap between life, health, and disability coverage.

What to expect from this episode:

  • The origin story behind critical illness insurance
  • Why traditional policies (health, life, disability) fall short
  • How business owners use it for continuity and succession
  • What to ask before buying or recommending this coverage
  • And more!

Connect with Ralph Weber:

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)

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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 are turning to AIMM to close the gap. If you’re tired of feeding a broken system, this one’s for you.

💡 Guest Info:
 🔗 https://www.aim-m.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Deb Ault

🎙 Hosted by Ralph Weber
 📩 ralph@thebenefitwhisperer.com
 📞 (832) 924-3330
 🌐 fixmybenefitsnow.com

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)

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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, and specialty care

  • Why Canada, Cuba, and North Korea are the only countries in the world with true single-tier healthcare

  • How patients fall through the cracks without advocacy and second opinions

  • The psychological toll of delayed care on patients and families

  • What U.S. employers can learn before chasing the illusion of “free” healthcare

Dr. Rupert shares powerful real-world stories of patients who were saved by proactive navigation, global networks, and second opinions. Ralph connects the dots to U.S. employer-sponsored plans and explains why transparency, accountability, and competition are the real keys to reform.

If you’ve ever wondered what “zero cost, zero access” really looks like, this episode is a must-listen.

Connect: 📧 ralph@thebenefitwhisperer.com | ☎ (832) 924-3330 | 🌐 fixmybenefitsnow.com

Guest: https://rcmhealthcare.ca/ | Dr. Raymond Rupert
Insurance FAQs: Your Employees’ Most Asked Questions (Ep. 23)

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

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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 $5.9 million over three years, how a hospital stopped enriching its competitors, and how self-insured strategies gave a service company total control of its spend. He also walks through the tools that made it possible: reference-based pricing, domestic tier plans, drug advocacy, MediPay, and more.

What to expect:

  • Why “one-size-fits-all” plans are failing your people
  • How reference-based pricing drives transparency and savings
  • What a hernia repair should actually cost
  • Real numbers. Real results. No fluff.
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect with Ralph Weber:

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

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

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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 to help faith-based organizations control costs and align benefits with their mission. Ericka explains how employers can exclude services that conflict with their beliefs, maintain flexibility in plan design, and even share in cost savings.

Whether you lead a church, ministry, or Christian-owned business, this conversation shows how to protect both your values and your bottom line without settling for the “one-size-fits-all” insurance model.

Connect:
📧 ralph@thebenefitwhisperer.com | ☎ (832) 924-3330 | 🌐 fixmybenefitsnow.com
Guest: covenantchoice.org | Ericka McPherson
Related Resource: Christian Employers Alliance | christianemployersalliance.org

Are Captives Too Complex? Phil Holowka Says You’re Asking the WRONG Question

Are Captives Too Complex? Phil Holowka Says You’re Asking the WRONG Question

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Are captives really too complex, or are brokers just afraid you’ll start asking the right questions?

In this new episode of The Benefit Whisperer, host Ralph Weber sits down with Phil Holowka, COO of Complete Captive Management Services, to unpack the truth about group vs. single parent captives, and why most advisors aren’t telling their clients the full story.

From hidden expense loads to the illusion of control in traditional insurance arrangements, this conversation reveals how smart employers are reclaiming their healthcare spend, building their own insurance companies, and finally breaking free of the PPO hamster wheel.

🎯 Ideal for CFOs, CEOs, and benefits advisors who:

  • Want to cut waste without compromising care

  • Are tired of fully insured traps and half-baked “self-funded” solutions

  • Are ready to explore how single parent captives work, even with just 20 lives

💡 What you’ll learn:

  • The difference between governance and true control

  • Why most group captives offer limited transparency

  • How expense loads quietly drain 30–45% of your premium

  • What questions you must ask when evaluating a captive strategy

🔗 Learn more at FixMyBenefitsNow.com
📧 Ralph Weber: Ralph@thebenefitwhisperer.com | 📞 832-924-3330
🎙️ Guest: Phil Holowka | CompleteCaptive.com

Credits
Hosted by: Ralph Weber
Special Guest: Phil Holowka
Produced & Edited by: Kathrine Mowrey | GSD Consultants, LLC
Marketing & Distribution: GSD Consultants, LLC
The Truth About PBMs and Rising Costs + What You Can Do About It (Ep. 19)

The Truth About PBMs and Rising Costs + What You Can Do About It (Ep. 19)

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Healthcare costs are spiraling out of control, but most employers don’t realize they have the power to change the game.

In this episode of The Benefit Whisperer, Ralph Weber explains why CFOs and CEOs must step into the role of health plan architects because fiduciary responsibility doesn’t stop at payroll.

Ralph and co-host Bill Tucker dig into the truth about PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and how these companies profit from a system that drives up premiums and hides real costs. 

Ralph breaks down the critical differences between fully insured and self-insured plans, why transparency is key, and how tools like MediPay.ai give companies leverage to save money while improving care for employees.

Here’s what discussions you can expect in the episode:

  • Why fiduciary lawsuits are changing employer responsibilities
  • How self-insured plans offer control and cost savings
  • Why PBM pricing remains a hidden threat
  • Practical steps to start designing smarter benefits
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Ralph Weber: