Insurance, Benefits, and Risk Management Podcasts

Episodes

Explore podcasts from Brown & Brown featuring insights on insurance, risk management, employee benefits, cybersecurity, and other industry topics.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.

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Reimagining Student Health Plans

In this episode of The Benefits Breakdown, Joe Hein and Van Malafa from the Academic Health Plans team discuss how rising healthcare costs, increasing claim severity, and changing student needs are reshaping the student health insurance landscape.

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Healthcare Reimagined: AI, Innovation, and the Future of Employee Benefits

In this episode, Dannielle Sherrets, Director of Brown & Brown's Innovation Hub, discusses how AI and digital health are transforming employee benefits.

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Beyond Open Enrollment: Building a Benefits Communication Strategy That Works

In this episode of the Benefits Breakdown, Adam, Jared, and Vanessa sit down with Brown & Brown communication leaders Tanya Mulqueen and Erika Illiano to discuss the evolving world of employee benefits communications.

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Healthcare Delivery Reinvented: Advanced Contracting, Direct Care Strategies, and Cost Control

Vanessa, Jared, and Adam are joined by Katie Wendorff, Brown & Brown Advanced Contracting Strategies Practice Leader, to break down one of the fastest growing areas in employer healthcare strategy. The discussion focuses on how advanced contracting models are helping employers improve access, elevate outcomes, and reduce total cost of care.

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Regulatory Reality Check for Employers

In this episode of The Benefits Breakdown, the team is joined by Jessie Campbell, National Practice Leader for Brown & Brown’s Regulatory and Legislative Strategy Group, to break down the growing fiduciary and compliance challenges facing employers.

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Women’s Health Across the Lifespan, Small Changes with Big Impact

In this episode of the Benefits Breakdown podcast, the team explores women’s health across the full lifespan, moving beyond family building to address heart health, mental health, menopause, chronic conditions, and health disparities.

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Stop Loss 101, 201 & Beyond: Fundamentals to Smarter Risk Strategy

In this episode, the team welcomes Matt Johnson, leader of Brown & Brown’s Stop Loss practice, for a practical conversation on stop loss fundamentals and the realities of managing catastrophic claim risk in today’s market.

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How Smart Data Decisions Are Reshaping Benefits Strategy

Benefits Breakdown is joined by Mike Reardon who leads the data and analytics team at Brown & Brown. Together, we explore why every employer needs a data strategy, how modern analytics move us from looking backward to predicting what is next, and how smarter use of data directly improves the employee experience while controlling cost.

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Culture, Change and the Future: Powell Brown on Benefits, AI, and Leadership

In this episode, Vanessa Longnecker, Jared Bowcutt, and Adam Compton welcome Powell Brown, CEO of Brown & Brown for a candid conversation about the evolving landscape of employee benefits, the impact of rapid growth and the role of AI in shaping the future.

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Innovation, Affordability, and the Future of Employee Benefits

The team welcomes Mark Abate and John Greenbaum from Brown & Brown’s retail leadership team. Together, they dive into the realities of rising healthcare costs, the challenges of affordability for employees and the evolving landscape of benefit strategies.

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Workforce Well-being Trends: Physical, Mental, Financial Health & Employer Actions

The team is joined by Ellen Kelsay, President & CEO of the Business Group on Health. The discussion highlights how leading employers are responding to rising healthcare costs, global pressures, and evolving employee needs.

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Specialty Drugs, GLP-1s, and the New Employer Pharmacy Reality

In this episode of Benefits Breakdown, the team is joined by Josh Halperin, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Consulting Services at Brown & Brown. Together, they explore the rapidly changing pharmacy landscape—how the surge in specialty drug approvals, the rise of GLP-1 medications, and shifting oncology treatments are reshaping employer health plans.

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Navigating the Future of Benefits Tech: AI, Engagement, and Strategy

In this episode of The Benefits Breakdown, Sean Clem and Steve Piccolino from the Brown & Brown Benefits Technology team join us to explore the rapidly evolving world of benefits technology. From the integration of AI in administration to the critical role of employee engagement, they unpack how strategic tech investments are reshaping the employee experience.

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Friends as Medicine

In this episode of Benefits Breakdown, the team is joined by Rachel Jensen from the Population Health and Well-Being team at Brown & Brown. Together, they explore the concept of "friends as medicine" and how social connection, belonging and workplace culture directly impact employee health, retention and productivity.

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Navigating Cost Pressures and Finding Creative Solutions

Vanessa, Jared and Adam discuss the challenges and innovations shaping employee benefits during open enrollment season. With healthcare costs rising at record rates—often 10% or more—employers are exploring new funding models, direct-to-consumer pharmacy options and Centers of Excellence (COEs) to improve outcomes and control spend.

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Beyond Benefits: Bridging Financial Stress, Mental Health, and Workforce Well-Being in 2025

Vanessa Longnecker, Jared Bowcutt and Adam Compton are joined by Meghan Pistritto and Dr. Wendy Coduti from Prudential to unpack the findings of the “2025 Benefits and Beyond” study. The conversation explores the growing intersection of financial stress, mental health, and employee well-being—and how employers can better support their teams.

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Digital Wellness and Employee Protection in 2025: Strategies for HR and Cybersecurity Alignment

In this episode of Benefits Breakdown, Adam Compton, Jared Bowcutt, and guests Leyla Bilge, Casey Cullinan, and Paul Berryman explore the evolving landscape of digital wellness and its critical role in employee well-being and organizational resilience.

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Transparency, Technology, and Total Rewards in a Personalized World

In this insightful follow-up episode, Adam and Jared are joined by Chelsea Hamilton and Sam Thomeier from herronpalmer to explore the evolving landscape of total rewards, pay transparency and the role of AI in enhancing employee experience.

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Pay Transparency and Total Rewards: Strategy, Compliance, and Culture

Vanessa and Adam are joined by compensation specialists Sam Thomeier and Chelsea Hamilton to explore the evolution of pay transparency and its growing impact on workplace culture and business strategy.

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Cancer Early Detection and Empowered Healthcare

Vanessa, Adam & the team are joined by Tricia Laursen, President & Executive Director, and Sandy Danault, Senior Director of Programs & Partnerships at DetectTogether, for a powerful conversation on the critical role of early cancer detection and the evolving healthcare landscape.

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Benefits Audits: Fiduciary Oversight, Claims Accuracy, and Hidden Opportunities

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Tammy Miller, Executive VP of Auditing at Brown & Brown. Tammy breaks down the essentials of healthcare and pharmacy audits—why they matter, how they’re conducted and what employers often overlook.

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Navigating the Absence Market, PFML, and the Employee Experience

The team welcomes Melanie Payton, National Practice Leader for the Brown & Brown Absence team. In this insightful podcast episode, we delve into the current state of the market, highlighting the significant impact of absence costs, which now surpass medical expenses, and the evolving regulatory climate driven by generational shifts in employee expectations.

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People Analytics and Thriving in '25: 2025 Employee Benefits Market Trends (Part 3 of 3)

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Julie Turpin, Chief People Officer of Brown & Brown to discuss the latest trends in People Analytics and how they are shaping the future of HR. Julie highlights the importance of collecting, analyzing and applying data related to employees to improve business outcomes.

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Women’s Health in the Workplace: Menopause, Medicine, and the Path Forward

Benefits Breakdown is joined by Brown & Brown teammates Gina Julian, Amy Suss, and Lindsey Ladell for a candid conversation on women’s health with a focus on menopause and perimenopause in the workplace.

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Transformative Therapies and PBM Trends in 2025: 2025 Employee Benefits Market Trends (Part 2 of 3)

Vanessa, Jared & Adam are joined by Katy Wong, National Pharmacy Leader for Brown & Brown, to discuss the latest trends in transformative therapies and pharmacy benefit management (PBM).

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2025 Employee Benefits Market Trends (Part 1 of 3)

Vanessa, Jared & Adam highlight the latest trends impacting employers, such as rising healthcare expenses and the importance of personalized benefits. The team delves into the primary elements driving employer costs, including increased utilization of services.