The Benefits Playbook

This episode features an interview with Christian Moreno, Executive Vice President of Lockton. With more than 20 years of experience, Christian specializes in designing health plans that are fully integrated with wellness solutions, helping employers manage the demand side of healthcare. In this episode, Kirk and Christian discuss strategies to manage healthcare cost volatility, the efficacy of wellness programs versus high-cost medications, and the potential shift towards narrower networks to contain costs while maintaining quality care.

This episode features an interview with Siobhan Nolan Mangini and Bob Kocher from Venrock. Siobhan is a Partner at Venrock, where she focuses on investments in healthcare technology and services. Prior to joining Venrock, Siobhan was an operator passionate about transforming healthcare through building and scaling innovative companies at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Also a Partner at Venrock, Bob focuses on health tech and services investments. Before joining the company, Bob served in the Obama Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Healthcare and Economic Policy on the National Economic Council and was a Partner at McKinsey & Company. In this episode, Kirk, Siobhan, and Bob explore Venrock's philosophy and approach to investing in transformative healthcare companies, the importance of aligning incentives, and the potential impact of AI and technology on healthcare delivery.

This episode features an interview with Scott Burton, Commercial Market President at Providence Health Plan. Since joining the organization in 2022, Scott has been influential in the growth of central PHP business and engagement with channel partners. In his current role, Scott is responsible for state and regional commercial sales and growth strategies. In this episode, Kirk and Scott explore the impact of rising healthcare costs on employers, the shifting role of benefits administrators, and the evolving relationships between health systems and employers.

This episode features an interview with Suzanne Usaj, Senior Director of Total Rewards at The Wonderful Company. Suzanne leads strategy and execution for the company’s compensation, benefits and wellness suite of programs, delivering value to over 10,000 employees globally. In this episode, Kirk and Suzanne discuss The Wonderful Company’s unique approach to health benefits, including their focus on preventive care, direct contracting for specialty care, and the important role of their onsite wellness centers.

This episode features an interview with Sara Richards, Director of Benefits at Red Bull. With experience spanning the consulting, TPA, and in-house side of benefits, Sara’s experience gives her a unique perspective around what’s possible when it comes to developing and administering customized health and welfare solutions. In this episode, Kirk and Sara explore strategies for simplifying and effectively communicating benefits, the practical implementation of point solutions, and utilizing AI to improve employee engagement and fraud prevention.