EPISODE · Jan 23, 2026 · 27 MIN
Stop Selling "Health Insurance" - Sell Risk Management Instead
from Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast · host Andy Neary
Most agencies treat employee benefits as a secondary revenue stream - a product to be sold rather than a risk to be managed. They silo their commercial and benefits teams, leaving the client with a disjointed strategy that fails to address their second-largest line item after payroll.My guest, Kevin Handzlik, Director of Employee Benefits at Ellerbrock-Norris, joins me to flip the script. Coming from an actuarial background at Milliman, Kevin brings a data-driven perspective to the brokerage world. In this episode, we break down why pharmacy costs have skyrocketed to 40% of claims spend, how to apply commercial risk management principles to health plans, and why self-funding is a vehicle, not a product. This is the blueprint for breaking down agency silos and protecting your client's purpose.Chapters:(0:00) From Actuarial Consulting to Agency Leadership: Kevin Handzlik’s Story (5:16) Stop Selling Health Insurance, Start Solving Business Problems (9:09) The 40% Problem: Why Pharmacy Costs Are Skyrocketing (13:44) Applying Risk Management Principles to Employee Benefits (17:28) Overcoming the Fear of Self-Funding: Education vs. Sales (21:52) Breaking Down Silos: Why Commercial and Benefits Must Work Together (25:20) Stop Pitching Solutions: The Power of Asking Better Questions▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callhttp://completegameu.com/agaCONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY📲 Schedule a free discovery call:http://completegameu.com/agaSubscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg💬 Join the Complete Game text community:Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462Connect with Andy Neary on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_neary/
What this episode covers
Most agencies treat employee benefits as a secondary revenue stream - a product to be sold rather than a risk to be managed. They silo their commercial and benefits teams, leaving the client with a disjointed strategy that fails to address their second-largest line item after payroll.My guest, Kevin Handzlik, Director of Employee Benefits at Ellerbrock-Norris, joins me to flip the script. Coming from an actuarial background at Milliman, Kevin brings a data-driven perspective to the brokerage world. In this episode, we break down why pharmacy costs have skyrocketed to 40% of claims spend, how to apply commercial risk management principles to health plans, and why self-funding is a vehicle, not a product. This is the blueprint for breaking down agency silos and protecting your client's purpose.Chapters:(0:00) From Actuarial Consulting to Agency Leadership: Kevin Handzlik’s Story (5:16) Stop Selling Health Insurance, Start Solving Business Problems (9:09) The 40% Problem: Why Pharmacy Costs Are Skyrocketing (13:44) Applying Risk Management Principles to Employee Benefits (17:28) Overcoming the Fear of Self-Funding: Education vs. Sales (21:52) Breaking Down Silos: Why Commercial and Benefits Must Work Together (25:20) Stop Pitching Solutions: The Power of Asking Better Questions▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callhttp://completegameu.com/agaCONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY📲 Schedule a free discovery call:http://completegameu.com/agaSubscribe and listen to the Accelerate Your Insurance Sales Podcast 🎙 here:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andy-neary7 🎯 Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube 🎥:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqBg5tL_1G1tf7Wo98tMgg💬 Join the Complete Game text community:Text the word BROKER to 414-622-1462Connect with Andy Neary on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andy_neary/
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Stop Selling "Health Insurance" - Sell Risk Management Instead
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