Benefits Executive Roundtable Podcast
Audio Podcast Series
Industry experts break down the latest news and trends in employee benefits, healthcare reform, regulations and compliance, designed to empower executive decisions.
Dorothy Cociu will interview experts is a wide variety of fields and companies that affect your decisions. Dorothy will also share her knowledge and views on these topics. Each episode will be different and may feature a different mix of speakers.
Listen Now
Download or listen to each episode here or on your favorite streaming service. Now available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Radio Public, Listen Notes, and Whooshkaa. Coming soon to Pandora, Acast, Blubrry, Tunein, and others.
Season 6
Season 6 of the Benefits Executive Roundtable is here now and we encourage you to give past episodes another listen as well.
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Season 5
Our complete season 5 has been published for your learning and enjoyment. Stay tuned for news on Season 6 of the Benefits Executive Roundtable and we encourage you to give past episodes another listen as well.
S5E8 – California’s Latest Single Payer Threat: SB 770
California’s Governor recently signed into law SB 770, which is a bill aimed at obtaining federal financing from Medicare and MediCal funds to be directed into a state-run single payer healthcare system in California. If a single payer system were to pass into law, we would have no more private health plans, no more Medicare, MediCal, or Covered California. In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses SB 770 and Single Payer Healthcare, and what it could mean in California, with Faith Borges, Legislative Advocate for the California Agents & Health Insurance Professionals (CAHIP). Learn about what this would all mean, and the heavy tax burdens this would place on employers and individuals, if this type of legislation were put into place. Listen to this very informative podcast!
S5E7- Medicare Updates 2023-2024, Featuring Maggie Stedt
In this week’s episode, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Maggie Stedt, Medicare and Senior Care expert, who shares with us updates for Medicare enrollees and Medicare Open Enrollment Updates for 2023-2024. We discuss the new CMS Medicare Rules for agents, the highlights of the current Open Enrollment period, and important information that seniors need to know, including how they can get the help they need and sign up. Should employees over 65 continue on their group plans or enroll in Medicare? We discuss all of the latest information that can help seniors. Join us for this informative podcast!
S5E6 – US Department of Labor/EBSA Cybersecurity Guidance Panel Discussion, Part 2
In Part Two of our 2-Part Series in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses with our Panel of Marilyn Monahan, ESQ, Ted Flittner and Ted Mayeshiba of Aditi Group, processes for selecting service providers under the DOL/EBSA Cybersecurity Guidance, what they mean by a “Cybersecurity Program,” Best Practices for Plan Sponsors, and more. We discuss some of the policies and procedures Plan Sponsor Employers must have in place, the importance of regular Risk Assessments, more details about service provider contracts, and the importance of Plan Sponsors to educate their plan participants so that they can play a part in their own benefit account security. Join us for Part Two of this informative podcast series!
Show Notes
S5E5 – US Department of Labor EBSA Cybersecurity Guidance Panel Discussion, Part 1
In Part One of a 2-Part Series, in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Host Dorothy Cociu discusses the US Department of Labor/EBSA Cybersecurity Guidance with an expert panel, including Marilyn Monahan, ESQ of Monahan Law Office, Ted Flittner and Ted Mayeshiba, Principals of Aditi Group, ABC’s partner IT, Cybersecurity and Technology firm. In part one, we discuss the background of the cybersecurity guidance, what’s included in the Guidance, who has to comply, recent court cases setting precedents, Tips for Hiring a Service Provider with strong cybersecurity practices and the role of fiduciaries in this function, including selection and monitoring. We also discuss the importance of cyber liability insurance and what you need to do to get it, and the importance of contract terms with service providers. Join us for Part One of this important and informational podcast!
Show Notes
Advanced Benefit Consulting offers its Cybersecurity Program Guide for Plan Fiduciaries and Plan Sponsors on a retail basis (this is complementary for health benefits broker clients, along with assistance completing the Cybersecurity Program documentation). If you’d like to order our Cybersecurity Program Guide, including the ABC Cybersecurity Service Provider Questionnaire and Vendor Comparison Chart, click here. If you’d like to order just our ABC Cybersecurity Service Provider Questionnaire and Comparison Chart, click here.
S5E4 – Saving Money with an HRA Wrap
Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) have been around for years, but suddenly, they are being looked at as a way to save considerable dollars for fully insured plans being hit with high renewal increases, particularly if you offer high benefit-level plans. By increasing your deductible and using an employer-funded HRA, you can design your HRA to mirror your original plan benefits, offer a Debit Card for easy use by your plan participants, and lower your overall health plan costs! In this podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Sue Wakamoto-Lee, Claremont Insurance Services and David Franklin, EBA&M Corporation, on how to effectively design and use a cost-effective HRA Wrap! Join us for this informative podcast!
S5E3 – Open Enrollment Best Practices
As we enter into the 4th quarter and the busiest Benefits Open Enrollment season, this podcasts gives expert assistance to be sure your Open Enrollment goes off without a hitch! Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marilyn Monahan, ESQ, Anne Kelly and Anthony McCarren on Open Enrollment Best Practices. We discuss the legal and regulatory work that needs to be done, online enrollment and benefits administration, what’s best for heavy Hispanic-populated groups, a frank discussion on market concerns with the Ease sale to Employee Navigator, the need for employee education, and overall best practices for both fully insured and self-funded groups. Join us for this informative podcast!
S5E2 – Plan Fiduciaries Beware!
In this week’s episode, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marilyn Monahan, ESQ, of Monahan Law Office, on the dangers and pitfalls for plan fiduciaries that can cost you more than just money! We’ll talk about ERISA requirements for plan fiduciaries, the Prudent Person Rule, Parties in Interest, the DOL Guidance on plan fiduciary responsibilities for Cybersecurity, and the risks and penalties to fiduciaries if they don’t do the right things. Our discussion also includes CAA requirements, disclosure, and litigation, and more. Join us for this very informative podcast!
Show Notes
Marilyn Monahan can be reached at marilyn@monahanlawoffice.com. Dorothy Cociu can be reached at dmcociu@advancedbenefitconsulting.com.
If you would like to discuss your legal obligations as a Plan Fiduciary with Marilyn, please contact her directly. If you would like consulting help or information about broker services (which includes complimentary consulting in most cases, other than IT work), please contact Dorothy Cociu. For IT and Cybersecurity assistance, you can contact ABC’s Technology and IT/Cybersecurity partners, Aditi Group, at info@aditigroup.com.
Advanced Benefit Consulting offers its Cybersecurity Program Guide for Plan Fiduciaries and Plan Sponsors on a retail basis (this is complementary for health benefits broker clients, along with assistance completing the Cybersecurity Program documentation). If you’d like to order our Cybersecurity Program Guide, including the ABC Cybersecurity Service Provider Questionnaire and Vendor Comparison Chart, click here. If you’d like to order just our ABC Cybersecurity Service Provider Questionnaire and Comparison Chart, click here.
We encourage you to listen to Season 5, Episodes 5 and 6, for a continued, detailed discussion on the DOL/EBSA Cybersecurity Guidance with Dorothy Cociu, Marilyn Monahan, Ted Flitter and Ted Mayeshiba of Aditi Group. These episodes will air on October 10 and 17 (part 1 and 2), 2023.
A True Kind of Health Plan Cost Containment and Transparency
Dorothy Cociu interviews Dr. Keith Smith, Owner, Surgery Center of Oklahoma. Dr. Smith and his partners left the world of corporate profits in the hospital industry and started the Surgery Center of Oklahoma in 1997, and immediately started quoting actual prices over the phone. In 2009, they launched their website that posted all prices online, offering complete transparency in pricing, with drastically lower fees than nearly every other hospital or surgery center in the county! Although they began their practice marketing to self-funded health plans, they now offer these cost-effective strategies for everyone. Listen to this amazing story of true cost containment!
Show Notes
Season 4
S4E13 – Federal Legislative Updates, Part 1
In this episode, host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marcy Buckner, Senior VP of Government Affairs of NABIP. They discuss the current state of affairs in Congress after the November, 2022 elections, the end of the year Omnibus Package, the Inflation Reduction Act, the ACA Family Glitch resolution, Medicare Marketing Final Rule and Proposed Rule, and the proposed Notice of Benefit Payment Parameters. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Join us for this informative podcast!
S4E12 – Examining Reference Based Pricing in Self-Funded Plans, Featuring ClaimDOC
In this week’s episode, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Mike Sigal, VP of Sales Development and Omar Arif, Senior VO of Growth from ClaimDOC, a Reference Based Pricing vendor. As we continue to examine cost containment in self-funded health plans, we take a look into ClaimDOC and how they differ from other vendors, the effectiveness of single case agreements, ways to deal with Balance Billing, and how ClaimDOC takes on the role of a Co-Fiduciary in the self-funded health plan. Join us for this informative podcast!
S4E11 – Everything Employers Need to Know About Federal TiC and RX Reporting Requirements for 2022-2023
Host Dorothy Cociu discusses with Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office all of the Employer Requirements for the Transparency in Coverage Machine Readable Files Disclosures and CAA Pharmacy Benefits Reporting Requirements for employers and their vendors. Whether you are fully insured or self-funded, there are a myriad of new requirements that have employers, third party administrators, pharmacy benefits managers and others scrambling to understand and implement. What’s required and who needs to perform these tasks, and what are the due dates? Do you have the proper contracts in place? We will dive into the details!
S4E10 – Human Resources & California Legislative Updates for 2022-2023
Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Kathy Ruffino, Vice President, Train Me Today, on Human Resources and California Legislative Updates for 2022-2023. We discuss AB 152 (COVID Supplemental Paid Sick Leave), AB 257 (The Fast Act), AB 1041, SB 1044, AB 1601, AB 1751, AB 1949 and more. We also discuss what employers are dealing with post-Dobbs, the Great Resignation current trends, and ways employers can best attract and retain employees. Join us for this informative podcast!
S4E9 – Voluntary Benefits & How They Can Enhance Your New Hire Offerings and Open Enrollment
Post-COVID-19, employers are struggling to attract and retain employees, and employee benefits are one of the leading ways to sway prospective employees to your companies. In this week’s podcast, Host Dorothy Cociu interviews John Evangelista and Sarah Knapp from Colonial Life on the ways that Voluntary Benefits can enhance your new hire benefits package to help you attract the best candidates, and provide your employees more options during open enrollment. Join us for this informative and timely podcast!
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Season 3
S3E13 – The Importance of a Business Electronic Risk Assessment in Today’s Cyber World
Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Ted Flittner and Ted Mayeshiba, principals of Aditi Group, an IT services and consulting firm, on the importance of a Business Electronic Risk Assessment in today’s cyber world. We examine the applications of HIPAA and other privacy laws, plus the day-to-day business needs across all industries, in protecting business data against breaches, cyber-attacks, and ransomware, and the importance of business continuity amidst all of these risks. This podcast is a must for COOs, CEOs, Risk Managers, IT Professionals and many others invested in protecting their organization’s data. Learn the importance of conducting regular risk assessments and how to start the process.
Show Notes
Security Risk Assessment Tool (SRA Tool)
Aditi Group mentioned this onine resource from the Federal goverment This Risk Assessment Tool is small software program that is offered for free and is intended to help guide groups that want to conduct their own risk assessment. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) created this to help guide small and medium sized organizations through required risk assessment, per HIPAA.
http://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/security-risk-assessment-tool
S3E12 – ACA Compliance Updates for 2022- Employer Reporting and Responsibilities, Part 2
Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office on the changes to the ACA Reporting forms and requirements for 2022 in a 2-Part Series. In Part 2, they discuss recent increasing activities with IRS 226-J letters and Marketplace Appeals, and how to best handle them, the penalties for 2022 (2021 forms), and state filing requirements for those states with similar reporting requirements, including California, and more.
S3 E11 – ACA Compliance Updates for 2022 – Employer Reporting and Responsibilities, Part 1
Host Dorothy Cociu interviews Marilyn Monahan of Monahan Law Office on the changes to the ACA Reporting forms and requirements for 2022 in a 2-Part Series. In Part 1, they will discuss the latest changes to ACA Reporting Forms 1094 and 1095; who needs to file, ALEs and full-time employment clarifications, affordability safe harbors, and all of the latest developments with reporting, including changes to the actual reporting forms.
S3E10 – OSHA Vaccine Mandate Status and HR Legislative Updates for California
Early November saw the new OSHA guidance released on the federal Vaccine Mandate for employers with 100 or more employees, followed immediately by a rush of lawsuits, resulting in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issuing a temporary stop on the guidance going into effect. Where do we stand now? Should employers be preparing for this mandate? Hear the latest from HR Consultant and Trainer Kathy Ruffino, Vice President of Train Me Today. Kathy will also update us on the new California employment-HR-related legislation going into effect January 2022, including Warehouse Distribution AB 701, CFRA expansion AB 1033, COVID-reporting AB 654, Silenced No More Act SB 331, Criminalization Wage Theft Act AB 1003, Electronic Workplace Notices SB 657, and CA Supreme Court ruling on meal period rounding. Join us for this informative podcast. A MUST for Human Resources Management!
S3E9 – Medicare Open Enrollment; Updates and Helpful Information for Consumers, Medicare Enrollees, Employers & Agents
Host Dorothy Cociu discusses what’s new and what listeners should know about Medicare during the current Open Enrollment Period between October 15th and December 7th with Medicare experts Maggie Stedt, Immediate Past President of the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU) and Medicare Agent, and David Garcia, Medicare Specialist and CAHU Medicare Chair. We discuss what’s new for 2022, answer the most common questions from seniors, how to sign up, and the pros and cons of dropping off of an employer sponsored group plan and enrolling in Medicare. Join us for this informative and timely podcast!
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Special Edition Podcasts
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Season 2
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Season 1
2019-2020
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Summary of Seasons 1-5
Quickly read summaries of each of our podcast episodes from seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. We’ve covered many critical topics for busy executives and company leaders, to help you make the best decisions in today’s hectic world of changing laws, people and financial challenges. And it’s easy to download and share with others in your circle.