The Benefits Playbook is a podcast covering all things employee healthcare, brought to you by Collective Health. Each episode features an in-depth conversation between Sasha Yamaguchi, Commercial Leader at Collective Health, and an expert in the health benefits industry.
Brian Olsen, Partner, Employee Benefits at Sterling Seacrest Pritchard, joins us on the latest episode of The Benefits Playbook. Brian is an experienced client advisor specializing in creative strategies to reduce risks for health plans. He works with self-funded clients ranging in size from 50 to 5,000 employees, and his work focuses on data management solutions, pharmacy cost containment, and complex contract negotiations.
In this episode, Sasha and Brian discuss the intricacies of working with third-party administrators (TPAs), the importance of clinical data in managing healthcare costs, and how to advise clients on network selection, pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), and stop-loss insurance strategies.
“The TPA is the quarterback for a client’s self-funded plan. Pulling together all the different players: the PBM, the stop-loss, the broker, the client. Making sure everybody is working as one to execute the plan for the self-funded health benefits.”
– Brian Olsen
Highlights from this episode include:
- Brian’s advice for working with third-party administrators
- A breakdown of how PBMs work
- Brian’s insights into non-ERISA business transition challenges
Listen to the full episode above, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
