Posts by Frank Stichter
Are You Shuffling The Chairs On The Deck?
I’ve been in this business for 40 years and I continue to see the same thing that employers are doing every few years, and that is shuffling the chairs on the deck with insurance companies. It’s like Einstein‘s Definition Of Insanity. Employer‘s seem to think that BUCA (Blue Cross, United, Cigna, Aetna) has all the…
Read MoreWhy employers in close knit communities like Burke County don’t need big health insurance carriers to pay for healthcare.
“Last week’s news story about how Change Healthcare’s cyber attack affected us here in Burke County, thousands of miles away, was an eye opener for some. However, I’ll venture to say most Burke County citizens don’t know what Change Healthcare is and why it’s part of our healthcare system. Excellent question! Let’s explore. “Last week’s news…
Read MoreWhy Your Company Shouldn’t Automatically Renew Health Insurance Brokers Every Year
Choosing the right health insurance broker is a critical decision for any company. With the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare and insurance, it’s essential to regularly evaluate whether your current broker is still the best fit for your company’s needs. While it may seem convenient to stick with the same broker year after year, there are…
Read MoreBlueprint For A Better Health Plan
Want a better health plan? Then break away from BUCA (Blues, United, Cigna, Aetna) and create a plan for your employees and your business. Here’s how to do it. We recently conducted a Webinar “How An Ohio School District Saved $9.1M in 3 Years” with the former Superintendent of Ashtabula Schools presenting his Blueprint for…
Read MoreHow We Select Health Care Providers Is Ridiculous
Have you given any real thought to how we select certain health care providers such as physicians or hospitals? We do so out of complete ignorance of any quality measures. Today, it would be common to ask a friend or neighbor who’s had a particular procedure “where did you go and who is your doctor?…
Read MoreBecause Who You Work With Matters
Like any other professionals you work with, who you work with matters. It’s not necessarily the firm, organization, or company, it’s who you work with within the company and their experience and expertise that they provide. This is especially true in my profession – employee benefits. Many agents, brokers or consultants try to be experts…
Read MoreDetached
It’s the only word that I can think of to explain the lack of financial understanding and the relationship between employers/management, and employees. Consider the statistics: Consider this: An employee who makes $55,000 per year nets out $11,150* per year after mortgage/rent, clothing, food, and transportation or $929 per month. *Mortgage/rent (~$12,000/yr), clothing ($1,925/yr), food (~$8,695),…
Read MoreDo Higher Prices Mean Higher Quality?
Usually that’s what we think. If it costs more, it’s got to be better, right? A more expensive car or truck has to be better than a standard one. Sometimes it’s the features that we choose that drive up the price, but does it perform better? When was the last time you bought an expensive…
Read MoreThe Hardest Part Is To Admit You Have A Problem
Denial is easy when you’re on the inside looking out – the proverbial “no I don’t.” Finally admitting and acknowledging a problem means something needs to change if you want to improve upon it. The status quo doesn’t work if you have a problem. When others seem to think or know you have a problem,…
Read MoreHave You Heard Of Health Rosetta?
I attended the Annual Health Rosetta Conference in Chicago last week. There were a few hundred like-minded brokers, consultants, employers, unions, and vendors at the largest Health Rosetta Conference yet. The group has grown exponentially in the last few years, as we all want to fix the broken system that still has us purchasing health…
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