All Episodes

Episode 286: Empowering Plans: P247 – When an EOB Becomes Exhibit A: ERISA Preemption After Ahn v. Cigna

Episode 285: Empowering Plans: P246 – Recent 340B Litigation

Episode 284: Empowering Plans: P245 – Clear Eyes, Good Governance, Can't Lose

Episode 283: Empowering Plans: P244 – The Appeal and the Risks of Alternative Health Care Arrangements

Episode 282: Empowering Plans: P243 – Navigating Medicare Incentivization Rules

Episode 281: Empowering Plans: P242 – Surprises and The No Surprises Act

Episode 280: Empowering Plans: P241 – Headlines and Finish Lines – Phia’s Derby Preview

Episode 279: Empowering Plans: P240 – Tobacco Surcharge Litigation Is Hitting a New Level

Episode 278: Empowering Plans: P239 – The ACIP Case and What it Means for Health Plans

Episode 277: Empowering Plans: P238 – Hot Topics and Spitting Fire with Ron E. Peck

Episode 276: Empowering Plans: P237 – Where is the NSA at Today?

Episode 275: Empowering Plans: P236 – Dangers of Legacy Language

Episode 274: Empowering Plans: P235 – The Latest No Surprises Act Developments: A 2026 Reality Check for TPAs

Episode 273: Empowering Plans: P234 – Smoking Hot Litigation: When Tobacco Surcharges Go Up In Flames

Episode 272: Empowering Plans: P233 – The Butterfly Effect of Healthcare Costs

Episode 271: Empowering Plans: P232 – Get Psyched: Innovative Therapies on the Rise

Episode 270: Empowering Plans: P231 – Are EHBs Really That “Essential”?

Episode 269: Empowering Plans: P230 – What Happens When Subrogation and the NSA Collide?

Episode 268: Empowering Plans: P229 – From Free to Fee: The New Rules for COVID Vaccines and Testing"

Episode 267: Empowering Plans: P228 – Prior Authorization – The Promise and the Peril

Episode 266: Empowering Plans: P227 – Method to the Badness

Episode 265: Empowering Plans: P226 – RBP Meets NSA: Clearing Up the Confusion

Episode 264: Empowering Plans: P225 – Adverse Claims & Prior Authorizations: Big Changes Ahead

Episode 263: Empowering Plans: P224 – CMS Spotlight: Cleaning Up Provider Data and Fixing IDR Errors

Episode 262: Empowering Plans: P223 – Telemedicine, DPCs, and the Future of HSA-Compatible Plans under The One, Big, Beautiful Bill

Episode 261: Empowering Plans: P222 – SCOTUS Shockwaves: Analysis of June Decisions for Self-Funded Plans

Episode 260: Empowering Plans: P221 – Saying What You’re Thinking

Episode 259: Empowering Plans: P220 – Algorithms and Adjudication: How AI Is Affecting the Self-Funded Industry

Episode 258: Empowering Plans: P219 – Executive Orders, Tariffs, and a Crystal Ball

Episode 257: Empowering Plans: P218 – Unreasonable Plan Fees on Trial: Cunningham v. Cornell University

Episode 256: Empowering Plans: P217 – The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Cost Containment

Episode 255: Empowering Plans: P216 – Why 2025 is the Year to Go Self-Funded

Episode 254: Empowering Plans: P215 – Plan Sponsor Discretion Advised

Episode 253: Empowering Plans: P214 – Unpacking Weight Loss Drugs

Episode 252: Empowering Plans: P213 – Error 304: Good Faith Negotiation Not Found

Episode 251: Empowering Plans: P212 – Lewandowski v. Johnson & Johnson – Big win or warning?

Episode 250: Empowering Plans: P211 – Network Adequacy Under MHPAEA

Episode 249: Empowering Plans: P210 – Mental Health Parity: New Year, New Rules, New Lawsuits

Episode 248: Empowering Plans: P209 – 2025 Healthcare Hot Takes

Episode 247: Empowering Plans: P208 – The Evolution of the Birth Control Benefits Mandate

Episode 246: Empowering Plans: P207 – Denied Claims Beyond the Headlines

Episode 245: Empowering Plans: P206 – Non-Preferred Carrier Fees: Incentives or Control?

Episode 244: Empowering Plans: P205 – Lessons From a Florida IDR Case

Episode 243: Empowering Plans: P204 – Nightmares on Self-Funded Street

Episode 242: Empowering Plans: P203 – Gender-Affirming Care, Is it Covered?

Episode 241: Empowering Plans: P202 – Senator Sanders: “Stop ripping us off.”

Episode 240: Empowering Plans: P201 – Diving Into the Parity Pool: MHPAEA’s Latest Updates

Episode 239: Empowering Plans: P200 – Recognizing Our Blind Spots

Episode 238: Empowering Plans: P199 – Summer Regulation Rundown

Episode 237: Empowering Plans: P198 – Healthcare on the Ballot

Episode 236: Empowering Plans: P197 – The Concerns About PBMs and the Demand for Reform

Episode 235: Empowering Plans: P196 – Exploring Claims Processing Models

Episode 234: Empowering Plans: P195 – SCOTUS Decisions: Harrington and Loper's Impact on Healthcare

Episode 233: Empowering Plans: P194 – The Rapid Evolution of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Episode 232: Empowering Plans: P193 – Stopping Esophageal Cancer In Its Tracks

Episode 231: Empowering Plans: P192 – Places, Promises, and Plan Documents

Episode 230: Empowering Plans: P191 – Derby Reflections and Gambles on Healthcare Strategies (Part 2)

Episode 229: Empowering Plans: P190 – Derby Insights and Gambles on Healthcare Strategies (Part 1)

Episode 228: Empowering Plans: P189 – SCOTUS Showdowns and Derby Delights

Episode 227: Empowering Plans: P188 – Fiduciary Duties in the Spotlight – Lewandowski v. Johnson and Johnson

Episode 226: Empowering Plans: P187 – Decoding ACA FAQ #66: Essential Health Benefits Unpacked

Episode 225: Empowering Plans: P186 – Xenotransplantation: A Potential Game Changer for Self-Funded Plans

Episode 224: Empowering Plans: P185 – Weighing the Options

Episode 223: Empowering Plans: P184 – State of the Union, 2024

Episode 222: Empowering Plans: P183 – The Therapeutic Equivalence Approach: A New “Pill”ar of Contraceptive Coverage

Episode 221: Empowering Plans: P182 – Navigating Post-Settlement Fund Pursuits

Episode 220: Empowering Plans: P181 – Chevron Deference in Peril – What It Could Mean for Healthcare Regulations

Episode 219: Empowering Plans: P180 – The Continuing Evolution of MHPAEA

Episode 218: Empowering Plans: P179 – Higher Healthcare Prices (Made From Concentrate)

Episode 217: Empowering Plans: P178 – Back to December (Phia’s Version)

Episode 216: Empowering Plans: P177 – Entering the Danger Zone: Cross-Plan Offsetting

Episode 215: Empowering Plans: P176 – Copay Accumulator Programs Take a Hit: What’s Next?

Episode 214: Empowering Plans: P175 – No Surprises Act Brings More Surprises & Other Surprises for 2024

Episode 213: Empowering Plans: P174 – PCORI and Parity and Lawsuits, Oh My!

Episode 212: Empowering Plans: P173 – Gene-y in a Bottle: A Magical Overview of Cell and Gene Therapy

Episode 211: Empowering Plans: P172 – Navigating the Gag Clause Prohibition

Episode 210: Empowering Plans: P171 – Mass Torts 101

Episode 209: Empowering Plans: P170 – PSA on the NSA

Episode 208: Empowering Plans: P169 – Let’s Keep Learning - Back to (Law) School

Episode 207: Empowering Plans: P168 – “Drafting” Plan Exclusions

Episode 206: Empowering Plans: P167 – Who is a Fiduciary and Does it Even Matter? Lawsuits Abound!

Episode 205: Empowering Plans: P166 – Delving Into Dobbs, One Year In

Episode 204: Empowering Plans: P165 – Artificial Intelligence Meets Subrogation

Episode 203: Empowering Plans: P164 – The Key to a Successful Self-funding Experience: Knowledge!

Episode 202: Empowering Plans: P163 – ChatGPT: Disrupting the Healthcare Industry

Episode 201: Empowering Plans: P162 – Mind the Gap 2.0: Don’t be Afraid to Ask for a Handbook

Episode 200: Empowering Plans: P161 – New Challenges to Old Favorites - NSA, ACA, and more (Acronyms)!

Episode 199: Empowering Plans: P160 – How the Ending of COVID-era National Emergency Impacts Your Health Plan

Episode 198: Empowering Plans: P159 – Putting the Patient First: Challenges to Common TPA Operations

Episode 197: Empowering Plans: P158 – Seek and Ye Shall Find

Episode 196: Empowering Plans: P157 – New TPA Liabilities – Section 1557

Episode 195: Empowering Plans: P156 – Accommodating Reasonably: Navigating the ADA and PWFA in 2023

Episode 194: Empowering Plans: P155 – The State of the Union 2023: Phia’s Take

Episode 193: Empowering Plans: P154 – No Ordinary Time in Healthcare

Episode 192: Empowering Plans: P153 – Living Up To Expectations

Episode 191: Empowering Plans: P152 – The Contemporary Fiduciary: Emerging Law on an Old Topic

Episode 190: Empowering Plans: P151 – The Who, What, and When of Offsetting Benefits

Episode 189: Empowering Plans: P150 – Manufacturer Assistance Programs

Episode 188: Empowering Plans: P149 – Another Ping-Ponging of IC/EE Rules?

Episode 187: Empowering Plans: P148 – The Ever Changing Times of Healthcare

Episode 186: Empowering Plans: P147 – Transparency & More: Burning CAA/NSA FAQs

Episode 185: Book of Russo: Chapter 5

Episode 184: Empowering Plans: P146 - A Possible Threat to a Plan’s Discretionary Authority

Episode 183: Empowering Plans: P145 - Conflicting Views on COVID: Is the Pandemic “Over”

Episode 182: Book of Russo: Chapter 4

Episode 181: Empowering Plans: P144 - The Latest Developments Involving Patient Assistance Programs