Benefits Breakdown

Vanessa and Adam are joined by compensation specialists Sam Thomeier and Chelsea Hamilton to explore the evolution of pay transparency and its growing impact on workplace culture and business strategy. Together, they unpack how regulations across 20+ states reflect a broader cultural shift toward openness and fairness in compensation. The conversation highlights key strategies such as the importance of defining your market, the role of compensation in employee retention and the need to "prepare before you share." From compliance pitfalls to leadership preparation, this episode is packed with insights for HR leaders and business owners navigating today’s competitive talent landscape. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Adam & the team are joined by Tricia Laursen, President & Executive Director, and Sandy Danault, Senior Director of Programs & Partnerships at DetectTogether, for a powerful conversation on the critical role of early cancer detection and the evolving healthcare landscape.  The discussion explores how employers can play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of health literacy and early detection. Through ongoing education, storytelling and accessible tools, DetectTogether helps organizations reduce healthcare costs while improving outcomes. Real-world examples illustrate how employer partnerships help save lives and curb rising premiums.  The episode also touches on the promise and limitations of emerging screening technologies, the emotional and financial impact of cancer in the workplace and how consistent, year-round engagement can drive meaningful change.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Tammy Miller, Executive VP of Auditing at Brown & Brown. Tammy breaks down the essentials of healthcare and pharmacy audits—why they matter, how they’re conducted and what employers often overlook. The team explores audit triggers, common findings like duplicate claims and misapplied copays and the growing importance of fiduciary responsibility. They also dive into fraud, waste and abuse detection, and how audits can benefit both plan sponsors and administrators. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

The team welcomes Melanie Payton, National Practice Leader for the Brown & Brown Absence team. In this insightful podcast episode, we delve into the current state of the market, highlighting the significant impact of absence costs, which now surpass medical expenses, and the evolving regulatory climate driven by generational shifts in employee expectations. We explore the complexities of Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) legislation, with new mandates on the horizon and the decision-making process between state-run and private plans. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of enhancing the employee experience through technology and centralized resources, and the critical role of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) in providing necessary accommodations and training for supervisors. Tune in to gain a comprehensive understanding of these pivotal topics and their implications for employers and employees alike.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Julie Turpin, Chief People Officer of Brown & Brown to discuss the latest trends in People Analytics and how they are shaping the future of HR. Julie highlights the importance of collecting, analyzing and applying data related to employees to improve business outcomes. This enables HR departments to gain data-driven insights for decision-making on various people processes, such as recruitment, retention, performance management and diversity initiatives.  The team delves into the concept of Thriving in '25, exploring how to foster a culture of open communication and holistic development among employees. They discuss key questions to help individuals and organizations thrive, such as evaluating daily habits, addressing tolerations and focusing on internal growth. Check out our 2025 Employee Benefits Market Trends  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Katy Wong, National Pharmacy Leader for Brown & Brown, to discuss the latest trends in transformative therapies and pharmacy benefit management (PBM). Katy highlights how GLP-1s, specialty drugs and gene therapies will continue to drive up costs and how biosimilars are expected to help offset these expenses to health plans. The team dives into the challenging landscape facing the traditional PBM model in 2025. Transparency and accountability remain critical for plan sponsors, opening the door for disruptor PBMs and non-traditional PBM delivery models. The team also addresses high-cost drugs in the pipeline, transparency concerns and the current regulatory and legislative dynamics impacting plan sponsors.  Check out our 2025 Employee Benefits Market Trends  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared & Adam highlight the latest trends impacting employers, such as rising healthcare expenses and the importance of personalized benefits. The team delves into the primary elements driving employer costs, including increased utilization of services. They further explore the significant role of large claimants—individuals with high-cost medical claims—and the importance of stop-loss contracts in mitigating financial risks for employers. The discussion shifts to the 'real risk' to benefit plans, encompassing financial, operational and compliance risks. Effective risk management strategies are essential to mitigate these risks and ensure the sustainability of benefit programs.   Check out our 2025 Employee Benefits Market Trends  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Josh Halperin from the Brown & Brown National Pharmacy Practice. Josh highlights the latest trends impacting employers, such as rising drug prices and the importance of transparency in PBM contracts. The team dives further into GLP-1 medications, their uses and employee demands, while also discussing the challenges and opportunities of incorporating biosimilars in health plans.   Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared and Adam are joined by Julie Fernandez, Global HR Advisory Lead at herronpalmer, to examine current trends in the HR technology landscape. The team dives into what artificial intelligence can mean for HR and how intelligent automation can help organizations. Julie provides insight into how organizations can refocus their onboarding strategies to help employees feel engaged throughout their journey.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared, and Adam are joined by Kelly Polinski and Zach Papalia to discuss key topics, focusing on Centers of Excellence, explaining what they are and why employers are increasingly considering them. The conversation covers how common they are becoming, and typically supported treatments. Kelly and Zach provide insight into how these issues are likely to evolve and the potential impacts on employers and employees. The team dives deeper into access, contracting, outcome metrics and employer considerations when reviewing these opportunities. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by James Slotnick, Head of Government Relations at Sun Life, to discuss key topics ahead of the upcoming election. The conversation covers crucial areas such as paid family leave, pharmacy benefits and stop-loss insurance. James provides insights into how these issues are likely to evolve and impact employers and employees alike. The team dives deeper into these topics, offering strategies for organizations to consider when navigating the changing landscape of employee benefits.  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Adam and Jared are joined by Dr. Louise Short and Uthona Mikrut from the Brown & Brown Population Health team. They will share their insights on how best to understand and evaluate on-site clinics for employers. The team dives deeper into services, like physical therapy, mental health and more that are available through these clinics and offers a checklist of ideas to consider when reviewing the opportunity for your organization. Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Jared, Adam and Vanessa are joined by Managing Consultant and Population Health specialist, Gina Julian. Gina, a registered dietician, dives into a recent article titled ‘Food as Medicine.’ She focuses on how organizations can increase access, improve quality and remove cost barriers to nutritious foods. Using the acronym ‘EAT,’ Gina’s discusses how to Establish the right programs, Adjust your work environment and Tailor your plan design.  Read ‘Food as Medicine:’ https://www.bbrown.com/us/insight/food-as-medicine/  Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Adam and Vanessa are joined by Colin Bradly, CEO of Winston Benefits, part of the Brown & Brown team. Colin dives into key strategies that employers can consider when reviewing their Benefits Administration technology for their organization. The team investigates employee engagement campaigns and what employers can do to streamline customized and digital benefit solutions in a competitive market space.  https://winstonbenefits.com/   Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton

Adam, Jared and Vanessa are joined by Robyn Piper, Managing Partner at Piper Jordan— part of the Brown & Brown team. Robyn dives into the strategies discussed in our recently released Brown & Brown Employee Benefits Market Trends Report: Redefining Care Through Innovation. The team looks into healthcare trends, key cost drivers and considerations for employers, including a focus on chronic conditions, weight-loss drugs and innovative care delivery models.  Download the Market Trends Report Connect with the hosts: Jared Bowcutt Vanessa Longnecker Adam Compton