Category: Healthcare

ERISA’s Next Battlefield: Voluntary Benefits Lawsuits, Broker Commissions, and Fiduciary Exposure (Ep. 42)

ERISA’s Next Battlefield: Voluntary Benefits Lawsuits, Broker Commissions, and Fiduciary Exposure (Ep. 42)

Voluntary benefits. ERISA exposure. Data transparency.

In this episode of The Benefit Whisperer, Ralph Weber welcomes back ERISA attorney Julie Selesnick to discuss three legal developments reshaping employer-sponsored health plans:

  1. The rise of voluntary benefit lawsuits targeting employers and brokers

  2. Why the Mayo Clinic case survived dismissal—and what it signals for plan sponsors

  3. How carriers and TPAs restrict access to claims data employers are legally entitled to

Julie explains why fiduciary responsibility doesn’t disappear when benefits are “voluntary,” how plan documents and vendor contracts create real liability, and what employers must do now to reduce risk.

A must-listen for CFOs, HR leaders, brokers, and anyone responsible for plan governance.

The Benefit Whisperer

FREE CONSULTATION: bit.ly/4qMqLbz

www.thebenefitwhisperer.com

ralph@thebenefitwhisperer.com

(832) 924-3330

Chris Deacon Unpacks the Benefits System; It’s not Broken, It’s Rigged. (Ep. 41)

Chris Deacon Unpacks the Benefits System; It’s not Broken, It’s Rigged. (Ep. 41)

Chris Deacon isn’t here to make friends, she’s here to fix benefits. As New Jersey’s former Director of Health Benefits, she knows where the bodies are buried. Ralph Weber interviews Chris on the broken systems, misaligned incentives, and real steps employers can take to regain control of their plans.

00:00 The Staggering Cost of Healthcare

01:10 Understanding Healthcare as a System

04:14 Urgent Issues in Healthcare

07:39 The Role of Technology in Healthcare Costs

11:37 Risk Management in Healthcare Spending

15:12 The Impact of Vertical Integration on Costs

18:52 The Future of Healthcare Financing

20:14 The Technology of Real-Time Transactions

21:00 Historical Context: The Baylor Plan and Modern Costs

24:50 The Waste in Healthcare Spending

26:59 Disincentives in the Healthcare Industry

29:57 The Role of Employers in Healthcare Decisions

34:54 Hope for the Future: Technology and Transparency

Contact: ralph@thebenefitwhisperer.com · fixmybenefitsnow.com · (832) 924-3330