Spark Health Advisors Presents: Spotlight Series

Many founders assume that selling to health plans is simply employer sales at a larger scale.In reality, it’s more complex, more layered, and requires a significantly higher bar for proof.In this episode of Spark Spotlight, we sit down with Craig Ginnan (Field Access Manager at Medexus Pharmaceuticals) to explore what it actually takes to succeed in payer sales—from building early traction with regional plans to navigating national organizations like UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and Aetna.In this conversation, we discuss:• Why regional plans can be a strategic starting point• The realities of pilots and client-specific networks (CSNs)• Why vendor hubs don’t necessarily translate to adoption• The operational complexity many companies underestimateA key takeaway:“Be patient. This space is complex. Start with regional plans so that when you engage national plans, you are fully prepared.”If you are building or refining a payer strategy, this episode offers a practical foundation.

We’re entering the 2026 RFP season — and most early- to mid-stage companies aren’t prepared for what that actually means.If enterprise employers are part of your 2026 growth plan, this is when seats at the table are decided.After participating in more RFPs than I can count over the years, one thing is clear:It’s not just about having a strong solution. It’s about navigating a competitive, multi-stakeholder process — aligning to CFO and HR priorities, positioning within the employer’s broader strategy, and proving value without overcommitting on pricing or performance guarantees.What we consistently see?Many growth-stage companies don’t actually have a defined RFP strategy. They respond to the document — but they’re not running a coordinated plan to win.In this episode, I sat down with Abinue Fortingo of Brown & Brown to unpack what the RFP process really looks like for jumbo and large employers.We cover:Why RFPs are heating upHow CFOs and HR leaders influence decisionsWhere vendors miss the mark by leading with featuresHow to position around the employer’s strategyMaking pricing and performance guarantees work for both sidesHow to nail finalist presentations and build credibilityFavorite moment:“Capabilities alone won’t make the decision. It’s the right team, the right strategy, and showing you can grow with the employer that ultimately wins.”If you want a seat at the table in 2026, this conversation is worth your time.

Founder-led sales can carry a company a long way, but it often becomes harder to sustain as the business grows. For many healthcare founders, the challenge becomes figuring out how to build a sales org that works beyond their own relationships and involvement.In this episode, we talk with Nikki Ahlgren of Hilo Talent Partners about what that transition looks like in practice for B2B healthcare companies. Nikki shares what she sees most often as teams move from founder-led selling to hiring sales leadership, building teams, and shaping culture along the way.We cover how to know when it’s time to make the shift, what to look for in early sales hires, and common missteps that slow growth.Key takeaways:The state of the B2B healthcare sales job marketMoving out of founder-led sales as you scaleHow to evaluate and hire first sales leaders or repsHow fractional sales leaders can fill gaps as you growMotivating and retaining top sales talentFavorite moment:"There does come a point where that superpower of the founder led sales starts to become a hindrance to scale. So what is that point? Maybe around $1 -3 million if sales start to slow down, that relationship ecosystem has started to dwindle, and it is time to bring in that next level support."

Employers are facing steep health plan cost increases. As we head into 2026, it's more important than ever to partner with a broker who brings strategic guidance, not just transactional support. In this episode, we sit down with Nick Bellanca, Vice President of Lockton Companies, to talk about how to navigate this increasingly challenging system and bend the cost curve. Nick is a health benefits leader with experience across the ecosystem, having worked on the carrier side, vendor side, and now as a broker and consultant for middle-market and large self-funded employers.Key takeaways:How to build a strategic employer-broker relationshipHow to bend the cost curve in 2026What employers and brokers should to keep in mind asQ4 planning wrapsMarket trends for 2026Favorite moment:"Where some employers have felt burned, is if they have a of a broker who's pushing product... I think many employers are becoming more aware of the misaligned incentives that their broker consultant may have.”

Addiction impacts every level of the workforce, with untreated Alcohol Use Disorder and Substance Use Disorder driving double, or even quadruple standard medical costs for employers.In this episode of Spark Spotlight, Lindsey Kratzer, CEO of Spark Health Advisors, sits down with Amanda Wilson, CEO & Co-Founder of Northstar Care, to talk about unrecognized problem of alcohol and substance use disorder with employers.Amanda is a board-certified addiction physician and nationally recognized leader in addiction medicine. She launched Northstar Care in 2021 to reimagine how alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD) are treated, and is passionate about breaking down stigma, modernizing treatment models, and supporting employers in building healthier workplaces.For employers who care about workplace well-being, this episode shares real ways to make a difference.Key takeaways:Why Alcohol Use Disorder and Substance Use Disorder often go unrecognized in employee populationsWhat's broken in traditional treatment modelsHow Northstar addresses treatment differently, reaching an 86% success rate How employers can proactively address Alcohol Use Disorder and Substance Use DisordersFavorite moment:“[Every employer] I’ve spoken to talks about absenteeism as a major issue... what I’ll say to them is that you have an alcohol use disorder problem. Because... 1 in 5 employees are affected by alcohol use disorder, the workforce is literally soaking in it.”

As healthcare costs rise, more employers are getting serious about bold cost-containment strategies—and reference-based pricing (RBP) is quickly becoming a hot topic.In this episode of Spark Spotlight, I sit down with Rick Elliott, Executive Vice President and Partner at Lockton Companies, to talk about how some employers are breaking the mold.Rick has spent over 40 years in healthcare and employee benefits—and today, he advises employers who are ready to think differently. From reference-based pricing to transparent PBMs and cash-pay models, Rick shares what’s actually gaining traction among leadership teams who can no longer afford the status quo.If you’re working in benefits strategy or selling into the employer market, this episode offers a front-row seat to where buying behavior is headed.Key takeaways:Why employers are now welcoming reference-based pricing when traditional plans fall shortWhat most organizations get wrong about “disruption”—and how to reframe itHow transparent PBMs are building momentum with CFOs and CHROsWhy educating employees is the make-or-break moment for any new planWhat progressive CEOs are doing differently to make benefits a true business leverFavorite moment:“One client saved over $10 million by adopting reference-based pricing—and 80% of employees enrolled because the plan was explained clearly and made their lives easier.”If you’re selling value in this space, you need to understand what forward-thinking brokers and buyers are actually responding to. Rick makes it clear: it’s not just innovation that wins—it’s execution.

Want to understand what’s really driving benefit plan performance? Tony Garavaglia breaks it down with data most employers never see.Tony is a Senior VP at Alliant with over 30 years of experience in employee benefits—and he’s leading the charge on using geographic and social determinants of health to shape smarter, more equitable benefit strategies.Using the Johns Hopkins 4 trillion+ claims database, Tony and his team go zip code by zip code to uncover insights most employers are missing.If you’ve ever thought your benefits were “generous” on paper, only to see engagement or outcomes lag—this episode explains why.Key takeaways:Why provider directories lie—access ≠ availabilityHow a $120k salary doesn’t guarantee financial security in high-cost ZIP codesWhat employers get wrong about who’s struggling with care affordabilityWhy financial well-being is the linchpin of all other well-being pillarsHow zip code-level data reveals hidden drivers of chronic condition costsFavorite moment:“One client said, ‘our people aren’t financially stressed’—but the data showed 15% of their population couldn’t afford basic living expenses in the cities where they worked.”This is what real population health strategy looks like: using granular data to move from one-size-fits-all to truly targeted benefit design. If you work in benefits, consulting, or digital health, this is a conversation worth your time.

If you're building for the employer market, this conversation with Rob LaHayne is a must-listen.Rob is the CEO of Leap Health, where his team helps large employers rein in one of the fastest-growing cost drivers in healthcare: specialty infusion drugs.Infusion care is a category most benefits leaders weren’t even tracking 10 years ago. Today, it’s driving 40% of pharmacy spend and 10–15% of total medical costs—often without the employer even knowing how much they’re overpaying.Rob breaks it down clearly:Why the majority of infusion drugs are still administered in hospitals—at a 150%+ markupHow misaligned incentives between health plans, PBMs, and employers keep costs highWhy rebates on J-code drugs are rarely worth chasingWhat employers can do today to carve out infusion spend and shift care to the homeAnd how convenience and cost savings go hand-in-hand when you make infusion truly patient-centeredOne of our favorite takeaways:“You're still paying 75% too much for a really expensive drug… even a small markup on a $40,000 dose, given 10+ times per year, adds up quickly.”If you’re a vendor or advisor trying to help employers manage specialty costs, or a benefits leader staring down rising infusion spend, this episode is packed with practical insight.

In this episode, Lindsey Kratzer sits down with Cory Salmela, founder of Salmela Talent, a firm that helps venture- and PE-backed healthcare companies scale through a combination of executive recruiting and strategic advisory. Cory’s worked closely with founders who are navigating the messy middle—from founder-led sales to building out real, scalable commercial teams. In this episode, Cory shares what it really takes to make the right early sales hires:When (and why) it’s time to move beyond founder-led salesHow to find sales leaders with true market credibility—not just a shiny résuméWhy culture fit still trumps raw experience for critical first hiresWhat “efficacy” means not just for your product, but your sales storyHow great recruiting and go-to-market planning go hand in handWhether you’re recruiting your first VP of Sales or figuring out how to tell your story in a way that attracts top talent, Cory’s advice is founder-first and grounded in real-world experience.

In this episode, Lindsey Kratzer, CEO of Spark Health Advisors, sits down with John Zutter, CEO of Lantern. John led a turnaround that took the company from 100,000 members to over 6 million, driving more than $1B in savings for employers on specialty care.John started his career in investment banking, not healthcare. But that outside perspective gave him a clear view of what works and what doesn’t when trying to grow in this space.For companies looking to grow in the employer market, his lessons are especially relevant:What makes or breaks adoption with jumbo employersWhy engagement isn’t an afterthought for employers, it’s core to ROIHow to show hard-dollar impact that earns trust and budgetHow to stay focused instead of chasing a bigger TAMWhy success depends not just on what you sell, but who you’re selling toOne of our favorite takeaways:“Healthcare is typically the second largest P&L line item after salaries for an employer - but the decision-making often sits several layers below the CEO or CFO.”If you’ve ever wondered why a high-cost problem doesn’t always get executive attention, or why your employer sales cycle drags despite clear ROI, this is a must-listen.

In this episode, Lindsey Kratzer, CEO of Spark Health Advisors, sits down with Grant Zarzour, orthopedic surgeon and CEO of Sperity Health, to discuss the opportunity for longevity care with employers.Key Takeaways from the Conversation:1. This approach goes way beyond primary care with the explicit goal of extending healthspan. With tools like VO₂ max testing, telomere analysis, CT angiograms, and expert input across nutrition, fitness, and cognition, this model delivers a level of comprehensiveness and precision that primary care simply isn’t designed to provide.2. Employers are starting to recognize that helping executives live longer, healthier lives isn’t a “perk.” It’s a strategy to protect performance, reduce churn, and extend leadership continuity.3. While many longevity solutions gaining traction are digital-first, Sperity Health is taking a decidedly personal, concierge and in person approach.4. As Grant put it, “zone 2 cardio, good sleep, strength training, sauna, nutrition - these things move the needle.”

In this episode, Spark Health Advisors CEO, Lindsey Kratzer, sat down with Steve Ditto—healthcare executive, patient advocate, and author of the Health Plan Compliance Advantage—to unpack what fiduciary duty actually requires from employers, and what that means for the vendors, brokers, and advisors trying to serve them.Key Insights from Our Conversation: 1. Fiduciary pressure is rising fast. Employers are legally obligated to act solely in the best interest of their employees—not the plan, not their company, and certainly not their vendor relationships.2. Legal precedent is shifting. Class action lawsuits against J&J, Wells Fargo, and JPMorgan are spotlighting failures to use disciplined, transparent decision-making—especially around pharmacy benefit contracts. Expect more scrutiny going forward.3. Opaque vendor models create exposure. Most PBM contracts are filled with hidden fees, rebate games, and pricing tactics that employers can’t easily audit. Vendors who rely on complexity instead of clarity are becoming a liability.4. Point solution fatigue is real—but so is the appetite for innovation. Employers want fewer vendors, not less innovation. They’re seeking solutions that simplify—not fragment—their benefit strategy, while still improving outcomes and cost control.5. Bundling with carriers introduces risk. Buying everything from a single insurance partner may feel efficient, but it often introduces fiduciary conflicts that are harder to defend. 6. Compliance-savvy vendors will win. The most successful companies in this space will be the ones that make it easy for employers to justify the decision—clear pricing, measurable outcomes, documented value, and support for a rigorous procurement process.

In this episode, Spark Health Advisors CEO, Lindsey Kratzer, sat down with Jeff Bahrenburg, who leads the employee benefits practice at USI in San Francisco.  We discussed how vendors can better partner with brokers and how employer purchasing decisions actually get made.Key insights from our conversation:1: This is still a relationship business. The best ideas don’t always win—founders need to be in the room, not just sales reps.2: Getting traction requires a top-down and bottom-up strategy. Know the national decision-makers and the local consultants who influence client decisions.3: Brokers are inundated. The vendors who stand out lead with education - trends, ROI, market context - not just another pitch.4. Innovation is moving down market. Solutions once reserved for large employers are making their way into the mid-market - but mid-market employers need a trusted partner to help inform decision making.