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Introducing The EOB News Desk! 🚨 Healthcare costs are rising, insurers are facing major lawsuits, and federal regulators are pushing for greater transparency. But what do these headlines actually mean for employers and their health plans? In this new edition of The EOB Podcast, Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick break down the biggest stories shaping the healthcare benefits industry. The hosts discuss newly finalized healthcare transparency regulations following their trip to Washington, D.C., Michigan's antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield, ongoing payment disputes involving Anthem, and mounting concerns surrounding the No Surprises Act. They also examine projected 2027 employer healthcare cost increases, questionable cost-saving strategies, and how AI-assisted medical coding could be contributing to nearly $1 billion in additional healthcare spending. With their signature mix of industry expertise, candid commentary, and humor, Justin and Julie go beyond the headlines to explore the underlying problems driving healthcare costs and what employers should be paying attention to. Tune in for the headlines, stay for the insights, and discover why the future of healthcare benefits is anything but business as usual.

What if fixing healthcare starts with employers taking back control? In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick sit down with Dave Chase, co-founder of Health Rosetta and author of Relocating Health: Taking Back Health Care, Rebuilding Communities, for a conversation about the future of employer-sponsored healthcare. Fresh off RosettaFest 2026, Dave shares his perspective on how the Health Rosetta movement has evolved from a group of early adopters into a growing national movement challenging the healthcare status quo. The conversation explores why rising healthcare costs aren't simply a benefits problem—they're an economic and community problem. Dave explains how healthcare dollars flow out of local economies, why employers have more control than they may realize, and what it means to reclaim "health sovereignty." Justin, Julie, and Dave also dig into PBM contracts, transparency, fiduciary-grade health plans, employer accountability, the changing role of advisors, and whether today's healthcare transparency efforts are actually creating meaningful price discovery. Plus, Dave discusses the ideas behind Relocating Health and the "Health Rosetta dividend"—the idea that dollars no longer wasted on healthcare can instead support wages, jobs, schools, infrastructure, and local communities. If employers truly want to change healthcare, the question may no longer be whether alternatives exist. It's whether they're willing to choose them.   🎧 JOIN THE CONVERSATION If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The EOB Podcast and follow along as Justin and Julie continue breaking down the contracts, costs, and complexity behind employer-sponsored healthcare. Have a topic you want us to tackle—or want to join us for a future Friends with Benefits conversation? Connect with The EOB Podcast and let us know. Follow The EOB Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-eob/ Website: https://eobpodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theeobpodcast Connect with Dave Chase & Health Rosetta: Dave Chase: https://davechase.org/ Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasedave Health Rosetta: https://healthrosetta.org/ 📖 Learn More About Relocalizing Health Explore Dave's latest book and his work to help employers, advisors, and community leaders take back control of healthcare spending: https://davechase.org/ Buy On Amazon

First you feel ICK… and then you go RAA! View The Individual Coverage Model Notice Here: http://eobpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/individual-coverage-model-notice.pdf This episode was shot on August 14th, 2026. ICHRA—Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement—has gone from a niche benefits concept to one of the hottest conversations in employer-sponsored healthcare. After talking with Patrick Moore at RosettaFest, Justin and Julie realized something: they needed to learn a whole lot more about ICHRAs. So that’s exactly what they did. In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie break down what an ICHRA actually is, how it works for employers and employees, and why more benefits professionals and plan sponsors are starting to pay attention. They dig into everything from employer contributions and employee classes to affordability, ACA premium tax credits, ERISA obligations, adoption trends, broker compensation, individual-market limitations, portability, and the pros and cons for both employers and employees. And while ICHRA adoption is still small compared with traditional employer-sponsored coverage, the numbers discussed in the episode suggest interest is growing—and Justin argues it has reached the point where employers and advisors should at least understand it as another potential tool in the benefits toolbox. So, are ICHRAs the future of employer-sponsored healthcare? A useful option for certain employers? Or another complicated benefits acronym with a whole lot of fine print? Justin and Julie are figuring it out right along with you. 🎙️ Listen to the full episode of The EOB Podcast and tell us what you think: ICHRA—👍 or 👎?

On this episode of The EOB Podcast: Friends with Benefits, Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick welcome Karen Handorf, J.D., Professor of Practice at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms—and someone Julie proudly calls a friend and mentor. Karen brings decades of experience to the conversation, including 25 years at the U.S. Department of Labor and work in ERISA and healthcare litigation. The conversation centers around a Senate Finance Committee Request for Information examining the employer-sponsored healthcare market, and quickly opens the door to some much bigger questions. Why are employers expected to act as healthcare fiduciaries when they may not have meaningful visibility into where their money is going? Should TPAs and other service providers have greater fiduciary responsibilities? Are existing transparency laws enough if nobody effectively enforces them? And is the employer-sponsored health insurance system itself due for a rethink? Justin, Julie, and Karen dig into: Employer access to claims, pricing, and healthcare spending data TPA and PBM accountability Fiduciary responsibility under ERISA Why enforcement matters just as much as legislation Provider contracts and healthcare networks ERISA preemption and state-level reform Direct contracting The rising cost of employer-sponsored healthcare Whether health insurance should be tied to employment at all Why employers and industry professionals need to make their voices heard One of the central contradictions discussed in the episode: employers can have fiduciary obligations to manage healthcare spending while simultaneously struggling to obtain the information necessary to understand that spending. And with roughly 160 million Americans receiving health coverage through an employer, these aren't questions that only matter to benefits professionals. 🎙️ Friends with Benefits is a series from The EOB Podcast featuring the people challenging conventional thinking and working toward a better healthcare system. Follow for more conversations about healthcare, employee benefits, fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and the forces shaping what employers and employees pay for care.

🎭 We brought puppets to The EOB Podcast. Yes, seriously. Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick are back for a special duo episode, and this time they're finally tackling the question at the center of the entire podcast: What the heck is an EOB? An Explanation of Benefits is supposed to explain what happened after your health plan processes a claim. There's just one small problem... sometimes you need an explanation for the explanation. So naturally, Justin and Julie decided the best way to demonstrate that was with Puppet Show Theater. Meet Ella the Employee, Client-Facing Carl, and Dr. Big Bill as they attempt to make sense of billed charges, network discounts, allowed amounts, deductibles, coinsurance, patient responsibility, denial codes and, of course, the infamous phrase: “THIS IS NOT A BILL.” After the puppets put the absurdity into perspective, Justin and Julie get into what you actually need to know when an EOB lands in your mailbox or member portal. This episode covers: 🎭 The debut of Puppet Show Theater 📄 What an Explanation of Benefits actually is 🚫 Why an EOB is not a bill 💰 Billed charges vs. discounts vs. allowed amounts 🧐 What you should actually check on your EOB 🔢 Why healthcare loves confusing reason codes ⚠️ How errors can make their way onto medical bills and claims 🧾 When you should request an itemized bill 🔎 Why you shouldn't automatically assume everything was processed correctly 📣 What to do when a claim is denied and why appeal deadlines matter Justin even shares a real example of reviewing an EOB for someone who appeared to have been charged for services they didn't receive — a reminder that actually reading these documents can matter. And if you've ever looked at an EOB and thought, “I have absolutely no idea what any of this means,” you're in good company. Even Justin admits that despite reading them professionally, he still sometimes has trouble figuring them out. 🎙️ Welcome to The EOB Podcast, where we're finally explaining the EOB. And let us know what really matters: Should Puppet Show Theater become a recurring segment? 👀 Follow us for more fun and health insurance information breakdowns.

🎙️ The EOB Podcast is Officially On The Road at RosettaFest 2026! Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick take the show to Nashville for a special live edition of The EOB Podcast, recorded from RosettaFest at the Gaylord Opryland. Throughout the event, Justin and Julie sit down with four Friends with Benefits who aren't just talking about changing employer-sponsored healthcare—they're actively doing the work. 🎤 Dawn Cornelis — Director of Financial Integrity at Health Rosetta 🎤 Patrick Moore — Master Sergeant Marine Corps Veteran, Co-Founder of Pretekt, and Founder of Moore Benefits Resources 🎤 Cristin Dickerson, MD, Certified Health Value Advisor — Founder of Green Imaging 🎤 Kristine Scheer, SHRM-SCP — Founder of K2 Strategic and Employee Benefits Expert 📊 Dawn Cornelis kicks things off with a deep conversation around payment and data integrity. Dawn shares the personal motivation behind more than three decades of work auditing healthcare claims and discusses how better technology and data analysis can help employers identify overpayments, problematic contract terms, fiduciary risks, and other issues hiding inside their health plans. 💡 Patrick Moore breaks down ICHRA and why employers and benefits advisors should start paying attention. From defined contribution healthcare to the individual insurance market, Patrick explains where ICHRA fits alongside fully insured and self-funded plans—and why Justin says BenefitsDNA now evaluates it during every renewal. 🏥 Dr. Cristin Dickerson shares the story behind Green Imaging and how a simple question about the outrageous cost of an MRI grew into a nationwide imaging solution. The conversation covers direct contracting, healthcare affordability, member incentives, imaging quality, and challenging the industry's assumptions about what can and can't be done. 🤝 Kristine Scheer joins Justin and Julie for a conversation about fiduciary responsibility, collaboration, community, and the importance of setting ego aside. They discuss why meaningful change requires people who are willing to share knowledge, pick up the phone, make connections, and help each other move forward. Her takeaway says it best: “The only way out is through.” Across four very different conversations, one theme keeps showing up: meaningful healthcare change requires more than ideas. It requires people willing to take action. In this RosettaFest special: 🔹 Payment integrity & healthcare data 🔹 ICHRA and defined contribution healthcare 🔹 Fiduciary responsibility 🔹 Direct contracting 🔹 Affordable medical imaging 🔹 Employer health plan strategy 🔹 Healthcare transparency & accountability 🔹 Collaboration, community & action leadership Plus, it's EOB On The Road, so expect plenty of the usual Justin and Julie humor, conference chaos, Nashville adventures, and Friends with Benefits energy along the way. 📍 Recorded live from RosettaFest 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. ▶️ Follow The EOB Podcast for more conversations challenging conventional thinking in employee benefits and employer-sponsored healthcare.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses operate. Hospital networks are battling over reimbursement rates. Healthcare policy continues to evolve. So what does all of this mean for employers sponsoring health plans? In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick break down some of the biggest headlines impacting employer-sponsored healthcare today. They discuss why hospitals and insurance carriers end up in network disputes, how employers can turn those disruptions into opportunities through direct contracting, and why rural hospitals face unique financial challenges. They also dive into the rapid rise of AI, sharing practical advice for employers, consultants, and healthcare professionals on using artificial intelligence responsibly while protecting sensitive data. Whether you're an employer, HR leader, broker, consultant, or simply interested in the future of healthcare, this episode offers practical insights and actionable strategies you can apply today. In this episode: • Hospital network disputes and what they mean for employers • Direct contracting opportunities during network disruptions • Challenges facing rural hospitals • AI best practices for healthcare and employee benefits • HIPAA, data privacy, and AI security • Why AI should be your assistant—not your replacement • Current healthcare policy updates • Action leadership vs. thought leadership 👍 Like this video if you found it helpful. 💬 Leave us a comment with your thoughts. 🔔 Follow us for more conversations on employer-sponsored healthcare, benefits, compliance, and healthcare policy.

What does it take to make employer-sponsored healthcare actually work? In this Friends with Benefits episode, Justin Leader and Julie Selesnick welcome Darren Fogarty, Associate Director of Purchaser Value and Policy at Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH). The conversation covers fiduciary responsibility, ERISA, healthcare transparency, compensation disclosures, access to claims data, and why meaningful reform requires more than just new legislation—it requires employers to become informed purchasers. Whether you're an employer, consultant, attorney, or healthcare professional, this episode provides valuable insights into where employer-sponsored healthcare is headed and what organizations can do today to better serve their employees.

In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie break down one of the biggest developments in the employee benefits industry: the growing wave of litigation surrounding voluntary benefits, excessive compensation, and fiduciary responsibility. With a fifth lawsuit now filed against a major employer and consulting firm, the conversation explores what these cases mean for brokers, employers, and anyone responsible for managing employee benefit plans. The discussion dives into ERISA safe harbors, prohibited transactions, compensation disclosures, and why transparency is quickly becoming one of the most important responsibilities in healthcare benefits. Topics include: 🔹 The latest voluntary benefits lawsuits and what they allege 🔹 Why ERISA safe harbor protection is harder to achieve than many believe 🔹 Prohibited transactions and hidden compensation risks 🔹 What employers should expect from their advisors and vendors 🔹 The future of compensation disclosures under CAA 2026 🔹 The growing importance of fiduciary liability insurance 🔹 The Northwestern "financial domination" case and its potential impact on health plan design 🔹 Best practices for transparency, prudence, and fiduciary governance Justin and Julie also share real-world stories from the industry, explain how hidden commissions continue to surface, and discuss why employers should treat healthcare purchasing like every other major business decision: ask questions, demand transparency, and know exactly what you're paying for. If you're an employer, broker, benefits consultant, HR leader, or healthcare fiduciary, this episode is packed with practical guidance on navigating an increasingly complex regulatory and litigation landscape. 🎙️ Subscribe to The EOB Podcast for honest conversations about healthcare benefits, ERISA, fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and the future of employee-sponsored healthcare.

In this special Friends with Benefits episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie sit down with Jessica Brooks Woods, healthcare leader, executive, and Founder of the newly launched Health Intelligence Network (HIN). This episode was filmed April 16, 2026. Jessica has spent her career bringing together employers, policymakers, consultants, innovators, and healthcare leaders to tackle some of the industry's biggest challenges. In this conversation, she shares the personal experiences that shaped her mission, why collaboration is the key to meaningful healthcare transformation, and how AI may fundamentally change the way we solve healthcare's most complex problems. The discussion covers: 🔹 The story behind launching Health Intelligence Network (HIN) 🔹 Why healthcare doesn't have an information problem—it has a cohesion problem 🔹 Trust as healthcare's biggest challenge 🔹 AI's role in the future of healthcare and benefits consulting 🔹 Why collaboration beats competition when solving healthcare problems 🔹 The power of employer coalitions and collective action 🔹 Healthcare innovation, transparency, and leadership 🔹 Building businesses that create impact while remaining profitable One of the most memorable takeaways: "We're not lacking information. We're lacking cohesion." Whether you're an employer, benefits professional, consultant, healthcare executive, entrepreneur, or simply interested in the future of healthcare, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, innovation, and creating meaningful change. 🎙️ Subscribe to The EOB Podcast for conversations that pull back the curtain on healthcare benefits, costs, transparency, and the future of healthcare.

This episode was filmed on March 19, 2026. The healthcare benefits industry is changing faster than it has in years... In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie break down the growing pressure facing Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), including the FTC settlement involving Express Scripts, new Department of Labor transparency proposals, the impact of CAA 2026, and emerging fiduciary litigation that could reshape the healthcare benefits landscape. Topics include: • FTC action against PBMs and what it means for employers • Spread pricing, rebate retention, and hidden compensation • The proposed DOL PBM transparency rule • Why fiduciary responsibility is becoming impossible to ignore • Direct contracting and the future of employer-sponsored healthcare • The role of transparency in reducing healthcare costs • What employers should be doing right now to protect their plans Justin and Julie also discuss why healthcare affordability has become a bipartisan issue, how employers can gain leverage during contract negotiations, and why simply accepting the status quo is no longer a viable strategy. If you're an employer, HR leader, CFO, advisor, benefits professional, or healthcare industry stakeholder, this episode is packed with practical insights on where the market is heading next. Because one thing is becoming increasingly clear: The healthcare industry is changing, and employers need to be ready.

This episode got a little… theatrical. 🎭 In the first-ever LIVE episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie are joined by Shawn Gremminger, President & CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, for a deep dive into one of the biggest issues in healthcare today: 👉 Why employers still struggle to access their own data 👉 How PBMs and carriers use opaque contracts 👉 And why healthcare pricing still feels intentionally confusing Through a mix of live skits, audience interaction, sarcasm, and real policy discussion, the episode breaks down: • Shared savings programs • Contract transparency • PBM reform and data access • Employer fiduciary responsibility • Hospital pricing and pharmacy spend • ERISA preemption • Why employers are finally pushing back Shawn shares insights from working with employer coalitions representing more than 90 million Americans and explains why this moment feels different than years past. One major takeaway: 👉 Employers are no longer willing to blindly trust the system. And yes… there’s also a fake Kohl’s rebate program skit.

What if the biggest risk in your healthcare plan… is something you can’t even see? In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie are joined by Jamie Greenleaf, Co-Founder of Fiduciary in a Box, to break down one of the most important (and overlooked) issues in healthcare benefits today: 👉 Fiduciary responsibility — and why most employers aren’t prepared for it Drawing from decades of experience in the retirement space, Jaime connects the dots between what happened with 401(k) plans… and what’s now unfolding in healthcare. Because the pattern looks familiar: • Hidden compensation • Lack of transparency • Vague or missing contracts • And employers being held responsible anyway The conversation dives into: Why healthcare is following the same path as retirement plans What “reasonable compensation” actually means under ERISA How lack of disclosures creates real legal risk Why litigation may drive change faster than regulation The dangers of indirect compensation and conflicted advice And how employers can start building a defensible fiduciary process One of the biggest takeaways? 👉 If you can’t explain what you’re paying… you probably can’t defend it. This episode is a must-watch for employers, HR leaders, CFOs, and benefits advisors trying to navigate an increasingly complex and high-risk environment.

This one couldn’t wait. In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Justin and Julie break down the proposed Department of Labor rule on PBM transparency — and the flood of industry responses submitted before the comment deadline. With over 500+ submissions from carriers, PBMs, employers, and other stakeholders, the conversation reveals a clear divide: 👉 Those pushing for more transparency 👉 And those… pushing back hard For the first time, the proposed rule would require PBMs to disclose all compensation — including rebates, spread pricing, administrative fees, and more — before a contract is signed. So why the resistance? Justin and Julie dig into real comment letters from major players in the industry, breaking down: Common arguments against the rule (and what they really mean) Why “this is too complex” keeps coming up What employers are being told vs. what they actually need How transparency impacts fiduciary responsibility And where this could go next Along the way, they call out contradictions, questionable logic, and a few moments that are… unintentionally hilarious. Because when it comes to healthcare benefits: understanding how money flows isn’t optional — it’s the whole game.

What if the solution to rising healthcare costs isn’t more complexity… but more structure? In this episode of The EOB Podcast, Friends with Benefits Episode 2, Justin and Julie sit down with David Balinski, Founder & CEO of Wire Health, to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in healthcare: 👉 Should hospitals be treated like utilities? From unpredictable pricing to lack of transparency and inefficient administrative systems, this conversation breaks down why the current healthcare model isn’t working — and what it might take to fix it. David shares a bold perspective on how regulating hospital pricing could: Reduce extreme cost variation Improve access to care Shift competition toward quality and outcomes Eliminate billions in administrative waste Create a more sustainable system for employers and patients The episode also dives into: Why healthcare lacks a true free market The illusion of price transparency How networks impact pricing and access The inefficiencies in claims processing and repricing Why employers and employees are both feeling the financial strain If you’re an employer, HR leader, CFO, benefits advisor, or simply someone trying to understand why healthcare feels so broken… this episode connects the dots. Because when pricing doesn’t make sense… the system doesn’t either.