Articles Tagged with: Health Benefits

IBNR: The Secret Healthcare Tax

Let’s talk about something that sounds like a surefire way to lose your audience at dinner—and yet, it’s draining more money from your business than overpriced coffee and bad consultants combined. It’s called IBNR.

Sounds like the name of an obscure band or a weird financial instrument, right? Nope. It’s insurance lingo. It stands for “Incurred But Not Reported.” Or, as your benefits advisor might’ve jokingly (but not really) referred to it:

Incurred But Not Really.

Now, before you mentally check out and assume this is just another alphabet soup acronym designed to make health insurance even more of a mystery than it already is—stick with me. Because this boring little acronym is probably quietly costing you more than you think. Especially if you’re in a fully insured health plan.

Odds are, if you’ve heard of IBNR, it was in passing—maybe during that fun annual renewal meeting where a 12% increase was dropped on your desk like a surprise party you didn’t want. And if you haven’t heard of it? Even better. Because we’re going to crack it wide open.

Imagine this: You walk into a restaurant, order a burger, and the server says, “Cool. We’re gonna go ahead and charge you for a second one in case you get hungry later.”

Ridiculous, right? Welcome to IBNR.

Here’s the real definition: IBNR is the cost of claims that have already happened, but haven’t been reported yet.

Maybe Josh from the warehouse tore his ACL playing pickup basketball two weeks ago, but HR still doesn’t know. Boom. IBNR.

Or, maybe the claim was reported—Josh had knee surgery—but then got a lovely infection post-op. That follow-up cost? Still part of the original claim. Still IBNR until it gets filed.

In other words, you’re paying for injuries that exist in limbo, floating around in insurance purgatory until someone decides to press “submit.”

And this is where the magic (read: margin) happens—for the carrier, not for you.

See, your insurance company uses their crystal ball—okay, it’s more like a spreadsheet with assumptions, multipliers, and some “trust us” math—to guess how much all these invisible claims might cost. Then they charge you for it now. If they overshoot the estimate? They pocket the difference as an underwriting gain. If they undershoot it? Don’t worry—they’ll just increase your rates next year.

Heads, they win. Tails…you lose again.

This is the problem with the traditional insurance game. You’re playing against a house that sets the odds, changes the rules, and still acts surprised when your premiums go up—even if your team barely used the plan.

But here’s the twist: it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re self-funded—or even better, in a captive, which is essentially a risk-sharing pool of smart, like-minded businesses—you flip the script. Suddenly, IBNR is your ally, not your enemy. If the actual costs come in lower than expected, you keep the savings. Imagine that: paying for what you actually use instead of funding an insurer’s yacht upgrade.

It’s like finding cash in your company’s metaphorical couch cushions—and this time, you get to keep it.

Even better? You get visibility. No more annual “surprise and deny” spreadsheets with fuzzy logic and buzzwords like “negotiated savings” or “blended rate relief.” With a custom, self-funded plan, you can see your claims data in real-time. You know what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how to course correct before renewal season feels like Groundhog Day again.

Look, IBNR might not be sexy. But it’s profitable.

It’s the difference between running your health plan like a black box and treating it like a business unit—with levers, visibility, and strategy. It’s the language of control, and CEOs and CFOs who get this start asking better questions. Like:

“What’s actually baked into this renewal?”

Or, “How do our projections compare to our actual utilization?”

And when your broker starts fumbling for answers like they’re doing karaoke without the lyrics—now you’ll know why.

So here’s the bottom line: if you’re still fully insured, nodding along while your costs go up for reasons you don’t understand, you’re not saving money. You’re subsidizing someone else’s bonus.

It’s time to flip the table. Take the wheel. Get in the game.

At Better Source Benefits, we do this all day, every day. We help companies find where the money’s hiding, pull back the curtain, and take control of their plan like it’s an actual line item—because it is.

IBNR isn’t just a weird acronym—it’s a wake-up call. And now, you can’t unsee it.

Let’s talk.

And listen – if you love overpaying for insurance, if you enjoy watching your profits disappear, then ignore everything I just said. 

But if you want to win, then it’s time to stop playing THEIR game.

Escape the system, or just continue feeding it… Your gateway is here >>

APRIL FOOLS: You actually believed your broker “saved” you money?

t’s April 1st, which means you’re legally allowed to play dumb jokes on your coworkers, post fake job changes on LinkedIn, and maybe even tape a “kick me” sign on your CFO’s back. But you know what’s not a joke? The giant insurance renewal you just got hit with. Oh wait — no, sorry. That is a joke. You’re just the punchline.

Let’s talk about this game they’ve got you playing.

You walk into the annual group health insurance renewal meeting. Everyone’s there — your HR director, your broker, a guy in a suit who nobody remembers inviting, and of course, the Holy Spreadsheet. You know the one. More rows than the IRS, more columns than a Roman ruin, and if you squint hard enough, you can see where your budget goes to die.

And then they hit you with it:


“Good news! The carrier came in at a 22% increase. But we negotiated it down to 17%! High fives, anyone?”

Bro. That’s not a win. That’s a mugging where the robber hands you your wallet back with five bucks still in it and says, “See? Could’ve been worse.”

The real kicker? You probably had a good year. Your team was healthy. Maybe someone even started a wellness program. Your claims were low. Your costs were stable. And still… they tell you that you’re the problem.

“We had losses on your group.”

Right. Because Chad from Accounting pulled a hamstring playing lunchtime pickleball, and now you’re apparently insurable Ebola.

Look — the insurance company doesn’t actually lose money on you. You’re not the loser in their book. You’re the prize. The golden goose. They just can’t tell you that, because then you’d stop paying the participation fee in their casino.

They keep you confused for a reason. They need you confused. Because confused people don’t change. They nod along. They sign the renewal. They thank the broker for “fighting hard.” And then they go back to trying to figure out how to shave costs somewhere else, like reducing snacks in the break room.

Let’s get something straight: that spreadsheet is not holy. It’s not truth. It’s not neutral. It’s a complex invoice for a system that’s been carefully engineered to make you feel like the lucky one — even as you lose money.

Ever look at the fine print in that thing?

No? Of course not. No one has. That’s the point.

Let me give you the TL;DR of what’s hiding in there:

✔️ Pooling charges.
✔️ Industry load factors.
✔️ Pharmacy trends.
✔️ Capitation fees for services you don’t even use.
✔️ And the fan favorite: IBNR – Incurred But Not Reported. Or as I like to call it: “Imaginary But Neatly Rationalized.”

They’re just guessing at stuff. Guessing how old your employees are, how sick they might get, how expensive their prescriptions will be, and then charging you for it in advance — just in case. And when none of it happens? Do you get a refund?

Nope. The insurance company says,

“Thanks for playing. Try again next year.”

Now, the moment you say the words self-funding, someone in the room clutches their pearls and says, “But what if someone needs a liver transplant??” Oh no. Not a liver transplant. Heaven forbid someone actually uses the insurance you’re already paying for.

They’ve got you afraid of ghosts. Scared of what might happen, while ignoring what’s already happening — which is that you’re overpaying every single month, and no one’s showing you where the money goes.

Self-funding isn’t scary. Not when you know what you’re doing. Not when you’ve got someone in your corner who opens the books, explains the numbers, and shows you how to actually benefit when your team stays healthy.

What’s scary is continuing to trust a spreadsheet made by people who profit whether you win or lose.

It’s like playing poker with a dealer who owns the casino. Spoiler alert: you’re not leaving with the chips, baby.

At Better Source Benefits, we don’t play that game.

We don’t feed you magic spreadsheets or pat you on the head when your rate only goes up 17% instead of 22%. We help you understand where every dollar goes. We reward you when your employees stay healthy. We stop punishing you for doing the right things.

We treat your benefits like a business. Because it is.

So on this fine April Fool’s Day — while everyone else is taping notes to chairs and posting fake resignations — take a minute to realize the biggest joke of all: your insurance plan.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time to stop playing the fool.

There is something you can do. You can stop setting yourself up to get ripped off. 

Here’s what you need to do right now if you want to stop this cycle: 

  1. Change the chain of command – when it comes to reviewing healthcare plans, your CFO and Controller should be involved from the start. They have the financial expertise. They know how to negotiate. They have the decision-making power.

     

  2. Stop forcing brokers to “talk to HR first” – let HR be part of the conversation, sure. But do not let them be the gatekeepers. If they’re the first line of defense, you’re playing to lose.

     

  3. Work with experts who can actually get you a better deal – At Better Source Benefits, we do just that. We cut through the red tape, go straight to the C-Suite, and show you how to stop bleeding money on healthcare. 

And listen – if you love overpaying for insurance, if you enjoy watching your profits disappear, then ignore everything I just said. 

But if you want to win, then it’s time to stop playing THEIR game.

Escape the system, or just continue feeding it… Your gateway is here >>

The Hidden “HR Tax” That’s Costing You Hundreds of Thousands 💰

Right now, in your company, if a broker wants to show you a better healthcare plan – one that could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars – they can’t even get to you. 

Why? 

Because you’ve set up a system where every broker has to first go through HR. 

By the way, if you love overpaying for insurance, if you enjoy watching your profits disappear, then ignore everything I will say. 

Allright, business owners! Let’s talk about the biggest scam that happens in corporate America every single year. And no, I’m not talking about your employees stealing office pens – I’m talking about your healthcare costs. 

Because every single year, your premiums go up.. Your deductibles go up… and everyone just shrugs like “Eh, that’s just how it is.”

No. That’s not “just how it is.” That’s exactly how they set you up to lose. 

Let me explain. 

Right now, in your company, if a broker wants to show you a better health plan – one that could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars – they can’t even get to you. 

Why? Because you’ve set up a system where every broker has to first go through HR.

And listen, I LOVE HR. HR does great things! HR makes sure Steve doesn’t wear sweatpants to work. HR ensures yu have the best possible 

HR is important. But HR is NOT your CFO.

  • HR doesn’t manage your P&L.
  • HR doesn’t decide where your investment dollars go.
  • HR is not responsible for cutting operational costs or boosting company profits. 

But right now, you’ve set it up so that the person who doesn’t have any skin in the financial game is the first and last line of defense on one of your biggest expenses. 

You think insurance companies don’t know this? Of course they do. 

They love that brokers have to go through HR because they know HR is more likely to do… nothing. 

HR isn’t rewarded for making a change. 

HR isn’t punished for keeping things the same. 

HR doesn’t get a bonus if the company saves money on healthcare. 

So guess what happens? 

They kick the can down the road. And then BOOM – your insurance renewal arrives, and surprise surprise, it’s more expensive. 

And you go: “Well, there’s nothing we can do.” 

There is something you can do. You can stop setting yourself up to get ripped off. 

Here’s what you need to do right now if you want to stop this cycle: 

  1. Change the chain of command – when it comes to reviewing healthcare plans, your CFO and Controller should be involved from the start. They have the financial expertise. They know how to negotiate. They have the decision-making power.

  2. Stop forcing brokers to “talk to HR first” – let HR be part of the conversation, sure. But do not let them be the gatekeepers. If they’re the first line of defense, you’re playing to lose.

  3. Work with experts who can actually get you a better deal – At Better Source Benefits, we do just that. We cut through the red tape, go straight to the C-Suite, and show you how to stop bleeding money on healthcare. 

And listen – if you love overpaying for insurance, if you enjoy watching your profits disappear, then ignore everything I just said. 

But if you want to win, then it’s time to stop playing THEIR game.

Escape the system, or just continue feeding it… Your gateway is here >>

The Bad & Ugly Of the Self-Funding

Here’s the deal. Brokers will sell the dream –

“You’ll save money! You’ll get more control!”

…but they leave out the real talk. Self-funding is a financial cheat code, but only if you do it right. And that means understanding both the upside and the risks. 

And trust me – everything cool is on the other side of fear. 

Self-funding cuts out the middlemen, so you stop paying extra just to keep insurance companies fat and happy. Instead of getting slammed with rate hikes, you actually control where your money goes. 

And when it’s done right… Picture this. You roll out a self-funded plan, and suddenly your employees get free imaging, maintenance meds for two bucks, and bundled surgeries at real-world prices. 

A total knee replacement? Shouldn’t cost $50K. It should cost $17K – and that’s exactly what it costs at one of our partner facilities. 

A hernia repair? Try $3,800.

Meanwhile, insurance companies are making these up like they’re running a luxury fashion brand – except instead of a designer bag, you’re overpaying for a CT scan. 

And prescriptions? Those high-cost drugs you see advertised every five minutes? Most manufacturers will give them away for free. 

That’s not a loophole. That’s just knowing how the game works. 

And when you do – or at least you choose someone who does to be your partner – when you start using actual strategy instead of blindly trusting an overpriced, outdated system – you win. 

“But What About The Risk?”

Good question. A lot of employers hear “self-funded” and immediately picture themselves drowning in unexpected claims. 

That’s where protection comes in. 

We build two layers of stop-loss coverage – one for individuals, one for the whole group – so even if claims spike, you’re covered.

And because we actually manage risk, we don’t get blindsided. We track claims, optimize prescriptions, negotiate medical costs, and use data-driven forecasting to keep things predictable. 

Which means when renewal time comes around, you’re not sitting there, waiting for some mystery number to drop. You already know what to expect. 

It’s fun because all of a sudden you’ve got accountability, you’ve got predictability, and you’ve got repeatability. That’s a lot of “ability!” And it’s found right here at Better Source Benefits, John Clay, moi, who can deliver those to you.


Escape the system, or just continue feeding it… Your gateway is here >>

Why You Haven’t Transitioned From Fully Insured to Self-Funded Healthcare Plan YET…

Why Haven’t You Done This Sooner? (No, Seriously…)

Let’s talk about healthcare. Specifically, let’s talk about why so many business owners—smart, capable, number-driven people—are still stuck in a bad deal they don’t even know they’re in.

I hear it all the time. The moment a company transitions from fully insured to self-funded, the CEO or HR director comes back and says:

“Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

Well, my friend, let’s break that down.

The Invisible Problem (A.K.A. “Why You Haven’t Noticed You’re Getting Screwed”)

You don’t notice a problem until it slaps you in the face—or, in this case, until your renewal rate hikes up 20% like it’s on steroids.

Most big companies don’t even blink at their health plan until they see double-digit inflation on a spreadsheet. And that’s exactly how the insurance companies want it.

Because here’s the secret:

Your insurer just raised your premiums by 10%, but behind the scenes? They’re making 20%–70% on underwriting gains inside the health plan.

That’s profit they keep. Money that never even touches your employees’ healthcare.

And you? You never see it. You never hear about it. You just keep cutting the check, thinking, “Well, that’s just how healthcare works.”

Spoiler alert: It doesn’t have to.

The Jedi Mind Tricks Of Big Insurance

You ever notice how big insurance loves using vague terms, three-letter acronyms, and enough legal jargon to make your head spin?

That’s not by accident. It’s a tactic—one designed to make you and your employees give up before you even start fighting.

Here’s how it goes down:

  • Employee submits a claim.
  • Insurance denies it. Sorry, that’s not covered under your plan.
  • Employee calls for help. Let me transfer you to another department that will do absolutely nothing.
  • HR shrugs. Well, that’s just how it is.

And BOOM! The game is over.

The employee is left with a $20,000 medical bill for something they thought was covered, and the insurance company? They pocket the difference.

Worse, HR doesn’t push back because—let’s be honest—they don’t want to ruin their buddy-buddy relationship with the rep who takes them out for golf once a year.

And Karen from accounting? She’s too busy arguing with IT about why her emails aren’t sending to go to war with an insurance giant.

So your employees suffer in silence while big insurance laughs all the way to the bank.

Here’s What We Do Instead

You reach out to me, and we run a three-step process that flips the script on this nonsense:

Investigate – We dig in. Where’s the waste? Where’s the bloat? Who’s making money off your plan while your employees get shafted?

Evaluate – We show you the real numbers (the ones insurers don’t want you to see).

Execute – We put a strategy in place that saves you money permanently and gives you full transparency into your costs.

And here’s the fun part:

When renewal time rolls around in 2025, you’re not walking in blind anymore.

You’ll have predictable, measurable, repeatable results. You’ll see where every single penny of your healthcare dollars is going. And best of all?

You’ll finally understand how this game is played—and you’ll be playing to win.

So yeah… why haven’t you done this sooner?

Let’s fix that.



Escape the system, or just continue feeding it… Your gateway is here >>

Small Clients Pay For The Big Box Claims

Offering healthcare benefits is not only essential to attracting and retaining top talent, but it’s also a fundamental aspect of caring for the people who keep your business running. But what if the system you’re paying into is rigged against you?

You may not realize it, but small companies like yours are often footing the bill for the healthcare of massive corporations.

The irony is that you might believe you’re protected when you sign up for a plan that’s used by big-name, country-wide corporations, thinking, “If this plan works for them, surely it’s good enough for us.”

Unfortunately, that’s where the story takes a turn.

There’s a harsh reality that few small business owners understand: you are not the favored client. For insurance companies, it’s the giants—the marquee clients with tens of thousands of employees—who get preferential treatment.

The system is designed in such a way that insurance companies are terrified of losing these massive accounts.

And to keep these top-tier clients happy, they’ll bend over backwards to retain them—even if that means shifting the costs of their healthcare down the line to smaller businesses like yours.

It’s a system that feels inherently unfair, yet it continues to persist. What happens is a cost shift from the big guys to the small guys. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that insurers in Fully Insured plans guarantee a profit margin of 15%-20% on claims. That’s been the case since 2010. This means the more money that’s spent on healthcare claims, the more profit the insurance companies rake in. There’s no real incentive to control costs because their margin is locked in.

Imagine running a business where you’re guaranteed 15%-20% profit on every dollar spent—who wouldn’t want to see more dollars flow through the system?

Large companies, like those employing 20,000 or more people, are marquee accounts for insurers. These are their crown jewels—the clients they’ll do anything to keep. From a business perspective, insurers want to flaunt these clients.

They want their logo on the insurance cards of federal employees, state employees, and the employees of Fortune 500 companies. It’s free marketing, and it reinforces their image as “the best in the business.”

What small employers don’t realize is that while these marquee accounts enjoy tailored deals that reduce their healthcare costs, smaller employers are left picking up the tab. This dynamic has been in place for decades, and unfortunately, it shows no signs of stopping. It’s a cycle where the insurance companies make more money, the big companies save on costs, and smaller businesses are left to absorb the difference.

Under the ACA, the guarantee of a 15%-20% profit on healthcare claims creates a perverse incentive for insurers. The more expensive the medical bills, the bigger the paycheck for the insurance companies.

And while the insurance giants make more money, small businesses see their premiums rise year after year. It’s a system where there’s no motivation to lower healthcare costs—because why would the insurance companies want to reduce their profits?

Small businesses, therefore, are not just paying for their own employees’ healthcare. They are, in essence, subsidizing the savings that insurance companies provide to their biggest clients. The more those marquee clients save, the more smaller employers end up paying.

Now you know… The current system is stacked against small employers, but with the right tools and insights, there’s a way to break free from being the donor in this unfair system.

The decision to move away from fully insured plans is not just a financial one—it’s emotional. It’s about breaking away from the frustration of feeling like a small player in a big game. It’s about knowing that, by choosing self-funding, you’re creating a healthier, more secure environment for your business and your employees, while securing your financial future.

As a small or medium-sized business owner, you already wear many hats, and the weight of rising healthcare costs can feel overwhelming. 

Imagine the relief of knowing that every dollar spent is going directly toward the healthcare of your team—your people—not funneled into some opaque pool that prioritizes others. The transparency of self-funded plans gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly where your hard-earned money is going. 

It also allows you to tailor your plan to meet the specific needs of your workforce, fostering a sense of personal investment in their physical and mental well-being.

No longer are you at the mercy of a large insurer making decisions about what’s best for your employees—you hold the reins, and that creates a deeper connection between you and the people you care about.


Escape the system, or just continue feeding it… Your gateway is here >> 

How To Win The Battle Against High Deductibles

We’ve been sold a story. A story spun by big insurance companies and the healthcare industry, promising us a path to smarter, more cost-effective healthcare. They told us that high deductibles would make us better consumers, more careful with our healthcare dollars.

The idea sounded appealing on the surface: a little more responsibility, a little more “skin in the game,” and we’d all be savvy healthcare shoppers.

But here’s the thing: how can you be smart when you’re shopping blindfolded?

Imagine walking into a store. There are no price tags, no labels, just a shelf full of mystery boxes. “Don’t worry,” they tell you, “you’re covered after the first $5,000!” Would you feel empowered? Or trapped? That’s exactly what healthcare with high deductibles and no transparency looks like. And that’s what we’ve been sold—by both the healthcare system and the big insurance companies.

We wouldn’t accept this anywhere else. Not for buying a car, a house, or even a sandwich. But somehow, when it comes to our healthcare—the most important decisions affecting our well-being—we’re expected to navigate in the dark.

High deductibles were supposed to be the silver bullet to fix skyrocketing healthcare costs. They were supposed to make us all better, smarter consumers. Instead, they’ve just added another layer of confusion to an already baffling system.

Here’s the reality: they tell us to have “skin in the game,” but it’s a game where we don’t know the rules. We don’t know the score. We don’t even know which field we’re playing on. How can you be expected to make informed decisions when you have no idea what anything costs until after the fact?

The promise was that consumer-driven healthcare was the solution, but in practice, it’s turned into consumer confusion.

And here’s the kicker—real empowerment doesn’t come from high deductibles. It comes from transparency. It comes from knowing what you’re paying for before you buy it. We don’t need bigger deductibles; we need bigger flashlights to shine a light on the system. We need to see clearly what we’re paying for, what we’re getting, and whether it’s even worth it.

That’s the change we need to demand. That’s what we should be fighting for —a healthcare system that actually works for us, not against us. A system that doesn’t hide behind layers of bureaucracy and complexity but instead gives us real visibility, real options, and real choice.

And that’s exactly what I’ve ensured with Better Source Benefits plans—no more smoke and mirrors, no more guessing games. Just clear, transparent, and fair healthcare coverage.

The choice is ours, but only if we can see it. It’s time to break through the status quo and demand a system that actually serves us—not the insurance companies. We deserve better. And it’s time we got it.


Escape the system, or just continue feeding it… Your gateway is here >> 

Hidden Costs: How Insurance Giants Overcharge Corporate Clients for Surgical Procedures

If you’ve ever turned on the TV, scrolled through social media, or flipped through a magazine, you’ve likely seen a steady stream of advertisements for medications like Restasis, Ozempic, Vraylar, Eliquis, Farxiga, Linzess, Jardiance, and Taltz. These medications promise relief from chronic conditions, improved quality of life, and better health outcomes. But they come with a hefty price tag, and for many companies providing healthcare benefits, these high-cost medications are wreaking havoc on their bottom lines.

The problem is simple: corporate healthcare plans—often fully insured, cookie-cutter packages—are struggling to absorb the escalating costs of prescription drugs. Employers are shouldering more of the financial burden, passing rising premiums down to employees, while employees face increasingly steep out-of-pocket costs just to maintain their prescribed treatments. 

The result? Less access, lower adherence, and worse outcomes. It’s a vicious cycle.

And if you’re a member of a corporate sector – whether an employer or an employee – there’s only one way of escaping it. 

You make your own plan, with your own rules.

That’s what Better Source Benefits designs for the clients. These solutions don’t just shift the cost of healthcare—they change how it’s managed, creating opportunities for both employers and employees to save significantly, especially when it comes to high-cost medications.

Through carefully structured, deeply discounted arrangements, our custom self-funded healthcare plans allow employers to secure medications like the ones you see advertised for far less. And when we say “far less,” we don’t just mean a small percentage difference—we mean significant cost reductions that can take a meaningful chunk out of an employer’s healthcare expenses.

Let me give you just a couple of examples from our list: 

  • Glatopa: $0 instead of $750
  • Relistor: $0.00 instead of $2,314.97
  • Traltz: $0.00 instead of $6,482.52
  • Trulance: $0.00 instead of $549.31
  • Envarsus: $0.00 instead of $374.04
  • Restasis: $854 instead of $1,956.90
  • Ozempi: $1,485.00 instead of $2,719.62
  • Tradjenta: $314 instead of $1,550.70
  • Vraylar: $1,309.99 instead of $4,413.60
  • Flowent: $226.98 instead of $1,253.25

…. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  

I know that every employer reading this, is impressed already. But what’s truly revolutionary is how these plans can benefit employees.

We’re not just talking about lower co-pays or reduced premiums. With our solution, employees can often access these expensive medications at no cost to them. That’s right—free

Imagine getting a 90-day supply of your prescribed medication without having to worry about how much it’s going to cut into your paycheck or impact your monthly budget. Our plans make that a reality by eliminating the cost to employees while still maintaining high-quality coverage.

Access to medications for chronic conditions without financial barriers can improve patient adherence, which is crucial in managing long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, mental health disorders, and autoimmune diseases. When employees can stick to their treatments without interruptions, they see better results.

That means fewer hospital visits, fewer complications, and less time spent navigating the healthcare system.

A Smart Way To Get 40% Off The High-Cost Medications

If you’ve ever turned on the TV, scrolled through social media, or flipped through a magazine, you’ve likely seen a steady stream of advertisements for medications like Restasis, Ozempic, Vraylar, Eliquis, Farxiga, Linzess, Jardiance, and Taltz. These medications promise relief from chronic conditions, improved quality of life, and better health outcomes. But they come with a hefty price tag, and for many companies providing healthcare benefits, these high-cost medications are wreaking havoc on their bottom lines.

The problem is simple: corporate healthcare plans—often fully insured, cookie-cutter packages—are struggling to absorb the escalating costs of prescription drugs. Employers are shouldering more of the financial burden, passing rising premiums down to employees, while employees face increasingly steep out-of-pocket costs just to maintain their prescribed treatments. 

The result? Less access, lower adherence, and worse outcomes. It’s a vicious cycle.

And if you’re a member of a corporate sector – whether an employer or an employee – there’s only one way of escaping it. 

You make your own plan, with your own rules.

That’s what Better Source Benefits designs for the clients. These solutions don’t just shift the cost of healthcare—they change how it’s managed, creating opportunities for both employers and employees to save significantly, especially when it comes to high-cost medications.

Through carefully structured, deeply discounted arrangements, our custom self-funded healthcare plans allow employers to secure medications like the ones you see advertised for far less. And when we say “far less,” we don’t just mean a small percentage difference—we mean significant cost reductions that can take a meaningful chunk out of an employer’s healthcare expenses.

Let me give you just a couple of examples from our list: 

  • Glatopa: $0 instead of $750
  • Relistor: $0.00 instead of $2,314.97
  • Traltz: $0.00 instead of $6,482.52
  • Trulance: $0.00 instead of $549.31
  • Envarsus: $0.00 instead of $374.04
  • Restasis: $854 instead of $1,956.90
  • Ozempi: $1,485.00 instead of $2,719.62
  • Tradjenta: $314 instead of $1,550.70
  • Vraylar: $1,309.99 instead of $4,413.60
  • Flowent: $226.98 instead of $1,253.25

…. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  

I know that every employer reading this, is impressed already. But what’s truly revolutionary is how these plans can benefit employees.

We’re not just talking about lower co-pays or reduced premiums. With our solution, employees can often access these expensive medications at no cost to them. That’s right—free

Imagine getting a 90-day supply of your prescribed medication without having to worry about how much it’s going to cut into your paycheck or impact your monthly budget. Our plans make that a reality by eliminating the cost to employees while still maintaining high-quality coverage.

Access to medications for chronic conditions without financial barriers can improve patient adherence, which is crucial in managing long-term health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, mental health disorders, and autoimmune diseases. When employees can stick to their treatments without interruptions, they see better results.

That means fewer hospital visits, fewer complications, and less time spent navigating the healthcare system.

Affordable Care Act Explained

So let’s talk about the Trump health plan, which they say doesn’t exist right now. And the reason for that is very simple.

The Affordable Care Act was in the can for years and it was torturously written so as not to look like a tax, which is exactly what it was ruled to be from the US Supreme Court. So the wordsmiths that are in the Swamp as we have been known to hear it called, had already cooked up the Affordable Care Act long before it was ever launched under President Obama.

So the Affordable Care Act was a carefully crafted policy that was setting our country on the rails to a single payer system. So when you have comments or questions coming to the Trump, campaign about what his plan is to replace the Affordable Care Act.

There is no replacing it. There’s a patch, there’s a workaround, or there’s a full on repeal. However, there are too many popular components of that law. The safety net is in place and I don’t foresee anything going forward that’s gonna replace the whole thing.

Now, will there be amendments? Yes.

Will there be adjustments? Yes.

Will there continue to be a public and a private offering? The magic eight ball says yes, because anywhere there’s been a publicly funded medical plan, whether it’s the US or Australia, you always see an overlay or a secondary or private healthcare plan to supplement what the government does, because guess what?

The government does not have enough money. They cannot print enough money to cover the costs of everyone’s whim and folly, which we are currently seeing with the use of this GLP -1 business. Weight loss is sweeping across the nation. Everybody’s cutting weight, even though the facts are in on the dramatic weight loss being 70 % of muscle mass as opposed to regular fat.

So the long -term effects aren’t even in place yet we have the federal drug administration, the FDA approving prescription drugs to have weight loss at a breakneck pace without the true long -term effects being studied. So I will say to you that summary for the Trump campaign versus the Harris campaign is you can expect both of them to look at the Affordable Care Act as their go -to. And for Harris, they could certainly rest on their laurels because it is working towards a single payer option. And for Trump, you can look at their campaign and if they’re elected presidency to patch and amend what is currently in place. You’ve already seen Trump try to manage the cost of prescription drugs and which…

did take effect during his administration. So that’s going, yet the drug market continues to proliferate with high cost medications because as we know, there ain’t no money in the cure, the money’s in the medicine. I’m John Clay and this is your Healthcare Minute.