Business of Health with Mike Martens

Dr. Jack Forbush: Positive Impact of Direct Primary Care

Dr. Jack Forbush, DO is the owner of the Osteopathic Center for Family Medicine, Maine's first Direct Primary Care practice offering comprehensive, full-spectrum medical care for all ages including obstetrical and hospital care. He is also a founding member of both the Direct Primary Care Alliance and New England Direct Primary Care Alliance. Dr. Forbush has been and remains actively involved in "all things" related to Direct Primary Care.  In addtion to the Direct Primary Care community, he serves in several leadership capacities in local, state, national and international organizations including the Andrea Ritz Clinics in Paraguay. In this episode of the Business of Health podcast, Mike Martens sits down with Dr. Jack Forbush to discuss his unique perspective on medical practice and the concept of direct primary care. Dr. Forbush challenges the traditional healthcare system, encouraging listeners to think differently about how medical care is provided. He shares his personal journey and the benefits he has seen through implementing a direct primary care model in his own practice. Dr. Jack Forbush begins by highlighting the frustrations he experienced with the system based on self-feeding and colluding arrangements. He shares how he discovered that medications and lab tests can be much cheaper than expected, and how negotiating and paying upfront for services without relying on insurance can be a refreshing change. He emphasizes the patient-centric approach in direct primary care practices, prioritizing accessibility and timely appointments. The conversation delves into the growth of direct primary care organizations and their goal of providing resources, education, and support to physicians who practice this model. Dr. Forbush explains how more physicians are adopting direct primary care and how employers are becoming increasingly interested in this approach to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to their employees. Throughout the episode, Dr. Jack Forbush highlights the benefits of direct primary care, including cost savings on medications, lab testing, and diagnostic procedures. He differentiates direct primary care from concierge medicine, emphasizing that it eliminates the complexities of insurance and enables a direct relationship between patients and physicians. Join us in this informative episode as Dr. Jack Forbush shares his insights and experiences with direct primary care, challenging the traditional healthcare system and offering a new approach to providing high-quality, cost-effective care. Three Takeaways 1. Direct primary care offers a patient-centric approach. 2. Employers are increasingly interested in direct primary care. 3. Direct primary care models eliminate the complexities of insurance. Quote “We really wanted to provide an avenue to get more physicians doing direct primary care and serve as resources.” -Dr. Jack Forbush Resources Email Dr. Jack Forbush: jforbush@ocfm.com [jforbush@ocfm.com] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jforbush [http://www.linkedin.com/in/jforbush] Email Mike Martens: mikem@firststaffbenefits.com [mikem@firststaffbenefits.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits [http://linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits] Website: www.firststaffbenefits.com [http://www.firststaffbenefits.com]

Krista Martens: The Core Ingredient of Wellness

Krista Martens, MS, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist who has seven years of professional experience as a registered dietitian. Her graduate school experience allowed her to practice in clinical, research, food service and community settings. Krista aims to provide culturally appropriate, science based, and compassionate care to help others identify and succeed in reaching their long- term nutrition goals. In this episode of the Business of Health podcast, Mike Martens speaks with Krista Martens about the crucial role of nutrition in overall wellness. Krista, with her expertise in nutrition and experience working with clients, sheds light on the difference between 'hashtag wellness' and true wellness, emphasizing the significance of mental health in adopting a healthy lifestyle. In today's social media-driven world, there is a perception of wellness propagated by diet programs promising quick results. However, true wellness encompasses various factors, including social well-being, mental health, physical health, and dietary lifestyle. Krista also highlights the importance of recognizing real wellness beyond its superficial portrayal on social platforms. Krista Martens points out that mental health plays a vital role in individuals' journey towards a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to nutrition, many clients have underlying issues such as anxiety, depression, or disordered eating. This necessitates collaboration between dieticians and mental health professionals to address these complex challenges comprehensively. The concept of a sustainable lifestyle is introduced as an alternative to fad diets. Krista emphasizes the need for long-term changes in diet and exercise that are personalized to individual needs. Unlike diets that promise quick weight loss, a healthy lifestyle leads to sustainable outcomes, preventing disordered eating behaviors and promoting overall wellness. By focusing on mental health, adopting personalized lifestyle changes, and seeking professional guidance, individuals can achieve holistic wellness. Three Takeaways 1. Understand the changing needs of the aging population. 2. Advocate for comprehensive long-term care coverage. 3. Promote aging in place with dignity. Quote “If we eat and exercise a certain way, then we get to look a certain way.” -Krista Martens Resources Email Krista Martens: k2ocunningham@gmail.com [k2ocunningham@gmail.com] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/krista-cunningham-ms-rdn-cdn-037955ba [http://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-cunningham-ms-rdn-cdn-037955ba] Email Mike Martens: mikem@firststaffbenefits.com [mikem@firststaffbenefits.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits [http://linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits] Website: www.firststaffbenefits.com [http://www.firststaffbenefits.com/]

Dr. Char Hu: Aging in Place with Dignity

Dr. Char Hu is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Helper Bees, an insurtech company successfully improving the home care experience for the payer and care recipient. They work with some of the world’s largest insurance carriers to deliver transformative experiences in digitization, sourcing great care options, and applying machine learning to power intelligent care and claim analytics and processing In this episode of the Business of Health podcast, Mike Martens welcomes Dr. Char Hu to discuss the topic of Aging in Place with Dignity. Dr. Char Hu, who has personal experience caring for aging parents, shares insights and expertise on the challenges and opportunities in the aging care industry. They delve into the importance of long-term care insurance, the evolving landscape of in-home caregiving, and the need for human-centered design in the aging population. As the average age in the US rises and the baby boomer generation enters their senior years, the topic of aging care has become more critical than ever before. Dr. Char Hu emphasizes the importance of long-term care insurance in ensuring a dignified aging experience. With the costs of in-home care, assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities soaring, long-term care insurance provides financial security and peace of mind. Dr. Char Hu also highlights the significance of open dialogue with aging relatives and loved ones about their preferences and needs. By prioritizing choice, dignity, and well-being, we can ensure that aging individuals can age in place with the support and resources they require. Another crucial aspect discussed in the episode is the limited coverage provided by Medicare for long-term care facilities and caregivers. While Medicare does not cover custodial care, some Medicare Advantage plans have started incorporating certain non-medical services. This expansion of coverage is a positive step forward, but there is still work to be done to ensure comprehensive support for the aging population. By understanding the challenges and opportunities in the aging care industry, we can ensure the dignity and well-being of our loved ones as they navigate their golden years. Three Takeaways 1. Understand the changing needs of the aging population. 2. Advocate for comprehensive long-term care coverage. 3. Promote aging in place with dignity. Quote “Since 1960, life expectancy has grown by 20 years.” -Dr. Char Hu Resources Email Dr. Char Hu: char@thehelperbees.com [char@thehelperbees.com] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charhu [http://www.linkedin.com/in/charhu] Email Mike Martens: mikem@firststaffbenefits.com [mikem@firststaffbenefits.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits [http://linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits] Website: www.firststaffbenefits.com [http://www.firststaffbenefits.com]

Adam Butcher: A Small Business ICHRA Success Story

Adam Butcher is the owner and Vice President of Fred's Appliance LLC, an appliance repair service company that provides field service for all major home appliances in northeast Ohio  with over 50 years of combined experience working on every make and model of appliance from such leading manufacturers as Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, GE, Frigidaire, Kenmore and countless others. They also offer a diverse technical training program that covers all aspects of appliance repair through the Fred’s Appliance Academy. In this episode of the Business of Health podcast, Mike Martens engages in an insightful conversation with Adam Butcher and shares his success story of utilizing Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA). Adam's experience sheds light on the challenges faced by small businesses in providing affordable and flexible health insurance options to their employees. By implementing ICHRA, Adam and his team found a solution that not only addressed these challenges but also empowered their employees to choose the coverage that best suits their individual needs. Join us as we dive into the details of Adam's journey and explore the key benefits and considerations of ICHRA. Three Takeaways 1. Choose ICHRA for diverse, affordable plans. 2. Use ICHRA to predict yearly health costs. 3. Enjoy uninterrupted benefits with ICHRA. Resources Email Adam Butcher: abutcher@fredsappliance.com [abutcher@fredsappliance.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adam-butcher-98a78016 [http://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-butcher-98a78016] Email Mike Martens: mikem@firststaffbenefits.com [mikem@firststaffbenefits.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits [http://linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits] Website: www.firststaffbenefits.com [http://www.firststaffbenefits.com] Quote “In a traditional group policy, we're all experiencing incredible increases every year.” -Adam Butcher

Matt Noe: Improving the Broken Healthcare Space

Matt Noe is a benefits consultant and business development executive at OneDigital with over 26 years of industry experience. Matt works with existing clients as well as develops new relationships in the challenged industry market. He works with employers to align their employee benefits programs with the employer’s goals and that high performing business leaders need to compete in the market. In January 2020, the Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) began to make waves in the group health marketplace. The ICHRA allows employers of all sizes to provide a tax-free health benefit to employees while allowing employees to select and purchase individual insurance policies that are suited to their unique needs. ICHRA can revolutionize the way businesses approach healthcare, offering a new solution for employers struggling with rising health insurance premiums. Matt Noe talks about ICHRA and its potential for reducing group health insurance costs. Matt believes that every employer has different objectives when it comes to ICHRA, and it's not always just about cost savings. Employers can modernize their approach to healthcare to attract and retain younger generations while still providing choices for Gen X and boomers. Matt also suggests that employers look at ICHRA from a global 3 to 5 year strategy and find a balance between employer objectives and cost savings. Education and communication are key in helping employees make informed decisions about their healthcare plan. Many employees have little knowledge of their current group health insurance plan and obtain information through utilization during open enrollment. Shifting the employee's understanding to know what they need and that it is different from others is simple. Although, the hardest part of ICHRA is not modeling benefits, but rather relating the information to employees who have never thought about health insurance before. Overall, ICHRA offers a new solution for employers who are tired of going through the same cycle every year to contain costs. It can help stabilize group health costs by putting employees in massive risk pools and offers various applications for businesses of any size. Employers who are challenged by the construct of their current medical plans and have reached a ceiling in certain states, regardless of vertical, become potential candidates for ICHRA. With ICHRA, healthcare should be treated like retirement plans, and employers should be given tools and a bucket of funds to make decisions on employee healthcare. Three Takeaways 1. Stabilize group health care costs. 2. Provide choices in health benefits. 3. Don’t be in the risk business. “The fact that an ICHRA plan has no participation requirement is a beautiful thing for a staffing firm..” -Matt Noe Resources Email Matt Noe: matt@mibenefits.world LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matt-noe-251aab4a Email Mike Martens: mikem@firststaffbenefits.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/firststaffbenefits