Luke Aslesen, founder of INFRMD, joined me a few weeks ago for the podcast, and we also filmed this extended interview after, in which Luke asks me about my comedy background, upbringing, relationship with my wife, and more.  If you’re a long-time listener of the podcast and want to get to know me a bit better, or you just stumbled onto the podcast and want to know who I am, this is a great place to start!  Chapters: 00:00:00 Luke/Spencer Q+A 00:00:35 When/how did you think of bringing your entertainment background into insurance? 00:01:35 What’s the biggest thing you’ve taken from stand-up in the work you do today? 00:02:37 How did your upbringing affect the work that you do now? 00:03:36 How do you not burn out with all the work you do? 00:05:03 How do you balance doing both creative and logical work? 00:06:33 How do you keep yourself accountable? 00:08:57 Have you already seen the rewards of the work you’re putting in, or is that down the road? 00:10:57 What does “justice” mean in the work that you do? 00:12:31 How do you keep the hope alive? 00:13:54 What do you do to keep yourself motivated? 00:15:20 Where do you find the time to do all of those things? 00:16:41 Where did Tom Broker come from? 00:18:21 Favorite comic of all time? 00:19:57 What has the response been to using comedy? 00:22:03 Does using comedy open doors for you? 00:24:29 Why don’t more people build personal brands? 00:26:30 Where did your love for people come from? 00:27:42 If you could have a 4-hour dinner with anybody, who would it be and why? 00:28:46 How has your relationship with your wife shaped your success? 00:35:53 When you’re retired, how do you want to be remembered? 00:36:44 Tell us about your car. 00:39:08 Favorite comedy movie and series? 00:41:05 Favorite drama movie and series? 00:42:41 If you could have one message on a billboard that everyone could see, what would it be? Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  #QA #spencersmith #infrmd #insurance #entertainment #standup #creativity #justice #accountability #comedy #celsius #joerogan #mustangs #selffunded #selffunding #podcast QA, spencer smith, infrmd, insurance, entertainment, standup, creativity, justice, accountability, comedy, celsius joe rogan, mustangs self funded, self funding, podcast

“PBM is one of the most complicated concepts out there and it's incredibly difficult to understand. But it's not because the system itself is complicated. It's because pbms make it complicated.” - Justin Jasniewski Justin Jasniewski, CEO of Serve You Rx, joined me this week to discuss the state of the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) market in 2024.  We discussed the competitive landscape in the PBM industry, why that’s (slowly) leading to more actual transparency, and how Serve You Rx fits into that market.  Justin and I also discussed GLP-1s, how they’re going to continue to be a problem for the industry to solve for, and what they say about the effectiveness of wellness initiatives. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Justin Jasniewski 00:03:01 The PBM Market in 2024 00:06:28 Tailoring PBM Solutions 00:17:59 How Do GLP-1s Affect The PBM Industry? 00:26:37 Real Transparency In PBMs 00:32:39 The Importance Of Customer Service For PBMs Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  PBM Landscape, PBM Flexibility, Self Insurance Simplified, GLP1s, Future Of PBMs, Service Quality PBM, Client Satisfaction, Regulatory Changes, Transparent Pricing, Rebate Handling, Emerging Solutions, self funded, podcast #PBMLandscape #PBMFlexibility #SelfInsuranceSimplified #GLP1s #FutureOfPBMs #ServiceQualityPBM #ClientSatisfaction #RegulatoryChanges #TransparentPricing #RebateHandling #EmergingSolutions #selffunded #podcast

“You know, Africa has no peanut allergies.” - Dr. Marty Makary I was honored to be joined this week by Dr. Marty Makary to promote his new book “Blind Spots”, which published this week and is currently a national bestseller.  To purchase “Blind Spots”, use this link: https://geni.us/blindspots Dr. Marty Makary is a surgeon, researcher, and author, as well as an advocate for better approaches to public health. He’s known for challenging medical dogma and asking the questions nobody else will. In our conversation, we talked about his new book, why these misguided public health recommendations get broadcast in the first place, and why it’s so important to have better health conversations in this country. One of the bigger topics that we covered was the peanut allergy epidemic, and why Marty Makary believes that recommendations based on opinion instead of data caused so many more kids to get peanut allergies than they would otherwise. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Marty Makary 00:08:13 Misguided Public Medical Recommendations 00:14:49 Challenging Established Health Norms 00:24:46 Why The Low-Fat Diet Was Misinformation 00:36:45 Why Are We Doing So Many C-Sections? 00:41:46 Unnecessary Medical Care 00:47:56 Questioning Medical Dogma 00:50:11 Influential Figures Shaping Health Conversations Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  Blind Spots, Medical Dogma, Evidence Based Medicine, Public Health, Nutrition Misinformation, C-Section Consequences, Healthcare Challenges, Health Awareness, Public Health Figures, Critical Thinking, Health Discourse, Quality Healthcare, self funded, podcast, peanut allergies, peanut allergy, peanut allergy epidemic, marty makary, dr marty makary, pediatricions, public health recommendations #BlindSpots #MedicalDogma #EvidenceBasedMedicine #PublicHealth #NutritionMisinformation #CSectionConsequences #HealthcareChallenges #HealthAwareness #PublicHealthFigures #CriticalThinking #HealthDiscourse #QualityHealthcare #selffunded #podcast

“So many times these employers are like, ‘dude, I spend so much money on this, and my employees don't care at all.’ Or what's even worse is they go, ‘our employees love it, we have a great, great plan.’ Did they tell you that?” - Luke Aslesen This is one of my favorite podcasts of the year: Luke Aslesen, Founder of INFRMD, joined me to talk about entrepreneurship, creativity in insurance, comedy, and how to stay authentic.  INFRMD is an insurance education platform, designed to make it as easy as possible for employees to understand and use their benefits. Luke and I discussed the importance of education, why this type of solution is so needed, and how he value it provides to employers.  This podcast is a bit longer than usual, but only because I think this conversation truly justified that. Join me and Luke this week on Self-Funded to learn how to stay creative and authentic in this industry!  Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Luke Aslesen 00:00:35 Timing and Persistence in Entrepreneurship 00:07:42 Embracing Imperfection 00:10:56 A Creative Approach to Insurance Education 00:21:29 How Do You Teach People To Navigate Healthcare? 00:32:09 The Importance Of Creativity 00:46:11 Humor In The Insurance Industry 00:49:12 Revolutionizing Insurance Literacy with INFRMD 01:05:06 Empowering Informed Decision-Making Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  #Entrepreneurship #StartingBeforePerfect #InsuranceEngagement #GenerationalShift #ConsumerEmpowerment #InformingConsumer #CareerCreativity #InsuranceCommunity #HumorInCommunity #HealthcareLiteracy #selffunded #selffunding #podcast Entrepreneurship, Starting Before Perfect, Insurance Engagement, Generational Shift, Consumer Empowerment, Informing Consumer, Career Creativity, Insurance Community, Humor In Community, Healthcare Literacy, self funded, self funding, podcast

“If we're facing a [mental health] crisis and we want radical change, we’ve got to think about radical solutions. If those radical solutions can show objectively with safety and efficacy data, that they're really helping people and really changing lives, then I think we ought to at least explore and get curious about offering those solutions to to people.” - Amil PatelWe have a mental health crisis in America, and we need new solutions to help those who are struggling.Amil Patel, from Meeko Health, joined the show this week to talk about offering ketamine therapies through the employee benefits channel.I would suspect that many of you who listen to the podcast would be immediately skeptical about the effectiveness, safety, and utility of psychedelic therapy; honestly, going into the podcast, I was too.But I would urge you to hear Amil’s testimony, look into the research and studies currently going on, and form your own opinion. And as Amil shares, hear the testimony of the many people who feel like they would still be in a mental health crisis without these therapies. Join us this week on Self-Funded as we discuss why employers should consider offering psychedelic therapy as an employee benefit! Check out their website - https://www.meekohealth.com/Chapters:00:00:00 Introducing Amil Patel00:03:30 Struggling With Parental Judgment00:12:58 The Mental Health Impact of Childhood Experiences00:18:16 Psychedelic Therapy Access Through Meeko 00:33:37 How Can We Prove That Psychedelic Therapy Works?00:43:37 Do Employers Want To Offer Ketamine Therapy To Employees?01:01:08 The Transformational Effect Of Ketamine Therapy01:03:58 Getting To The Root Of Mental Health IssuesKey Links for Social:@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFundedListen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/Key Words: #MentalHealth #PsychedelicTherapy #MentalHealthCare #KetamineTherapy #PsychologicalApproach #CulturalImpact #HealingJourney #PersonalGrowth #PsychedelicSupport #MeekoHealth #selffunded #selffunding #podcastMental Health, Psychedelic Therapy, Mental Health Care, Ketamine Therapy, Psychological Approach, Cultural Impact, Healing Journey, Personal Growth, Psychedelic Support, Meeko Health, self funded, self funding, podcast

“Utilization is key for virtual urgent care. Let us be your first line of defense, rather than like, ‘oh, I do have a telemedicine on the back of my insurance card, I’m not sure what it does.’” - Jon O’Toole Especially in the last few years (for obvious reasons), telehealth and virtual care have proved that they’re here to stay. But how do we best determine when a patient should use virtual or in-person care, and how do we actually get them to utilize it?  Jon O’Toole, from Recuro Health, joined me this week to share his take.  The benefits of virtual care are pretty clear: quicker access to appointments for patients at a much lower cost. As Jon shares, it’s extremely important to educate patients on their virtual benefits and to make the experience easy and tailored for them. Jon also speaks about virtual urgent care, which can add a ton of value and help alleviate some of the panic that sets in when a health emergency occurs.  Join us this week for a deep dive into virtual care and its future.  Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Jon O’Toole 00:14:37 Customizing Telehealth 00:17:09 Why We Need To Monitor Utilization 00:25:50 What Is “Virtual Urgent Care”? 00:31:00 Virtual Talk Therapy and Psychiatry 00:40:59 Using Data To Improve Benefits 00:42:04 AI-Enhanced Virtual Primary Care Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  #TelehealthUtilization #ValueCreation #RemoteHealthcareMonitoring #VirtualUrgentCare #BehavioralHealth #UtilizationMonitoring #HealthcareEvolution #VirtualCare #InnovationInHealthcare #AIinHealthcare #Wearables #HealthTech #selffunded #podcast Telehealth Utilization, Value Creation, Remote Healthcare Monitoring, Virtual Urgent Care, Behavioral Health, Utilization Monitoring, Healthcare Evolution, Virtual Care, Innovation In Healthcare, AI in Healthcare, Wearables, Health Tech, self funded, podcast

“Life is short. In the meantime, your health is, at the end of the day, your health is all you have." - Heather Bowers Differentiating yourself through customer service is a tricky thing: it’s talked about so frequently that it can almost feel outdated focusing so much on the customer experience.  But, as my guest Heather Bowers from Lone Star Benefits shared with me this week, it’s still the best way to truly serve your clients in 2024. Heather joined me from literally across the street, and we discussed what it’s like to be a business in Frisco, Texas, a rapidly growing city. Heather and I also discussed what it was like to take over the family business, as Lone Star was actually started by her father.  We also discussed how the industry has changed since she took over the business, dealing with compliance, and what future regulation may mean for healthcare. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Heather Bowers 00:12:09 Preserving The Family Business 00:16:18 Differentiating Through ACTUAL Customer Service 00:29:14 Taking Care Of Your Work, Family, and Personal Health 00:34:48 How Do We Get Members To Care About Health? 00:37:47 $10,000 Wellness Prize 00:40:13 Balancing GLP-1 Drugs with Lifestyle Changes 00:46:19 Navigating Compliance 00:53:39 Balancing Health and Passion in Business Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  #InsuranceIndustry #ClientRelationships #FriscoTexas #WorkLifeBalance #WellnessPrograms #EmployeeIncentives #WeightLoss #ComplianceRegulations #IndustrySolutions #PassionForWork #LongTermClients #SelfFunded #podcast Insurance Industry, Client Relationships, Frisco Texas, Work Life Balance, Wellness Programs, Employee Incentives, Weight Loss, Compliance Regulations, Industry Solutions. Passion For Work, Long Term Clients, Self Funded, podcast

“We're simplifying the complexities of healthcare. We gotta declutter it, we've gotta demystify it, we've gotta make it more transparent and understandable in bite sized ways where members know and understand what's happening for and to them." - Rob Gelb It sounds like a simple question, but as an industry, we’re still working towards figuring it out: how do we engage members?  Rob Gelb joined me this week to discuss what role Valenz has in solving that seemingly unsolvable equation. Along the way, Rob and I also discuss his perspective on sales, why “yes, and,” is so important in Valenz’s culture, and where the healthcare industry is moving towards, big picture. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Rob Gelb 00:06:23 Sales Is Just Solving Problems 00:13:07 Creating Cohesive Health Plans 00:22:32 How Do We Engage Members? 00:30:52 'Yes, and' 00:42:00 Valenz’s Role In The Marketplace 01:03:31 The Role Of Private Equity In This Industry Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  #SalesSuccess #HealthPlanInnovation #HealthcareLiteracy #BrandPromise #CulturalTransformation #ValenzHealthcare #HealthcareTransparency #ReferenceBasedPricing #PrivateEquityHealthcare #BusinessGrowth #CompetitionInHealthcare #StimulatingThoughts #SelfFunded #podcast Sales Success, Health Plan Innovation, Healthcare Literacy, Brand Promise, Cultural Transformation, Valenz Healthcare, Healthcare Transparency, Reference Based Pricing, Private Equity Healthcare, Business Growth, Competition In Healthcare, Stimulating Thoughts, Self Funded, podcast

“If you talk to almost anyone in this industry over a beer or something like that, I think they will all agree that we are operating in a pretty antiquated industry that needs some serious modernization, innovation, reimagination." - Brandon Weber This week’s episode of Self-Funded is coming to you from the (unfinished) San Francisco ParetoHealth office. Brandon Weber, founder of Nava Benefits, joined the healthcare industry as an outsider: he’s spent most of his career as a tech entrepreneur, and after exiting his previous company, he found himself with a lot of free time and a lot of unfocused energy.  Brandon actually chose healthcare as the next industry he wanted to take on while he was spending a year long sabbatical with his wife, traveling the world, and realized that healthcare was such a huge societal problem that needed to be solved. So, he founded Nava Benefits.  On this week’s episode, we discussed what his unique perspective has led him to believe about the healthcare industry, how healthcare operates throughout the world, the importance of brokers, the necessity of competition in any industry, and why Nava is a great step towards fixing healthcare in this country. Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Brandon Weber 00:11:50 Why Brokers Are So Important 00:19:55 Why Are Benefits Plans So Complex? 00:22:42 Rising Costs in Healthcare 00:26:12 Simplifying Healthcare Access 00:40:10 Nava’s Focus On Efficiency 00:53:28 Fixing Healthcare Now Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  #BenefitsManagement #HealthcareChallenges #TechnologyInBenefits #CareNavigation #ClientService #OperationalEfficiency #ServiceAutomation #AmericanHealthcare #ModernizingHealthcare #BenefitsConsultants #HealthcareInnovation #EmployeeBenefits #selffunded #podcast Benefits Management, Healthcare Challenges, Technology In Benefits, Care Navigation, Client Service, Operational Efficiency, Service Automation, American Healthcare, Modernizing Healthcare, Benefits Consultants, Healthcare Innovation, Employee Benefits, self funded, podcast

"I think, not just in terms of the type of AI Verikai does, but AI in healthcare in general, I'm so optimistic about it, just because we are in such early stages of this." - Justen Nestico Did you know that what type of car you drive determines how healthy you're likely to be? Justen Nestico, Director of Actuarial Solutions at Verikai, joined me this week to discuss a really important thing when it comes to risk assessment: data.  We talked about how Verikai integrating AI in interpreting, organizing, and learning from data, as well as what that data says about a populace and how to insure them. Justen and I also covered GLP-1s, like Ozempic, and what they potentially mean for reducing health risks related to obesity.   Justen shared with me the five social determinants of health he sees most often, and some of them were pretty surprising, like what type of car you drive. Join us this week to learn all about AI, risk, and what determines health!  Chapters: (00:00:00) Introducing Justen Nestico (00:08:08) Risk Assessment In Self-Funding (00:10:27) Utilizing AI In Risk Assessment (00:14:47) Consumer Insights from Credit Card Transactions (00:21:18) GLP-1s (00:31:17) The Social Determinants Of Health (00:40:03) Impact of Lifestyle Choices on Health  Key Links for Social: @SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFunded Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02 Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286 Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/ Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/ Key Words:  #AIHealthcare #RiskAssessment #DataAnalysis #HealthcareInnovation #BehavioralHealth #LifestyleModification #FinancialIncentives #MachineLearning #HealthcareInequalities #FutureHealthcare #RiskScoring #SelfFunding #selffunded #podcast AI Healthcare, Risk Assessment, Data Analysis, Healthcare Innovation, Behavioral Health, Lifestyle Modification, Financial Incentives, Machine Learning, Healthcare Inequalities, Future Healthcare, Risk Scoring, Self Funding, self funded, podcast