Transforming Healthcare Through HR: Culture-Driven Benefits, Self-Funding & Employee Impact with Sepa Sete

What if your healthcare benefits did more than check a box—what if they changed lives?

In this episode of the Impact Healthcare Podcast, host Lester Morales is joined by Sepa Sete, VP of People + Learning at Mocean, for a candid and practical conversation about how HR can take the lead in creating people-first organizations through intentional benefit design.

Sepa shares the journey that led Mocean to move from a traditional fully-insured model to a self-funded healthcare plan that not only reduced costs but dramatically improved the employee experience. She breaks down how her team:

• Mapped the entire employee lifecycle to align every stage with meaningful support

• Reimagined healthcare benefits to match their company culture and evolving talent needs

• Added family planning coverage after losing key candidates due to outdated benefits

• Introduced virtual healthcare with Galileo to improve access and reduce unnecessary costs

• Expanded paid parental leave and began building support for employees caring for aging parents

• Used listening and data to guide strategy and improve employee satisfaction

This episode includes powerful real-life stories, including how one benefit decision helped a couple become parents, and how a personalized approach to healthcare made all the difference for a team member battling cancer.

If you're an HR professional, benefits advisor, or business leader looking to:

• Improve talent retention and recruitment

• Offer better healthcare without raising costs

• Create alignment between company culture and benefits

• Explore whether self-funding is right for your organization

This conversation will challenge the status quo and offer a roadmap to meaningful change.

Listen now and subscribe to the Impact Healthcare Podcast for more stories and strategies from leaders redefining the future of employee benefits.