Shows / The Phia Group's Podcast
The Phia Group's Podcast
The Phia Group, LLC is an experienced provider of health care cost containment techniques offering comprehensive consulting services, legal expertise, plan document drafting, subrogation and overpayment recovery, claim negotiation, and plan defense designed to control costs and protect plan assets.
Episodes
The Phia Group's PodcastEpisode 288: Empowering Plans: P249 – Peck’s Perspective: Third-Party Liability & Denials
Tune in for an update from The Phia Group’s CLO, Ron Peck. He’ll bring you up to speed on Phia’s efforts to tackle the hottest topics each month, while also…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 287: Empowering Plans: P248 – Defending a Denial
What separates a denial that withstands judicial scrutiny from one that does not? In this episode, Cindy Merrell explores the key considerations courts may…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 287: Empowering Plans: P248 – The Denial That Became an Award
What happens when a benefits denial doesn't tell the whole story? Attorneys Cindy Merrell and Bryan Dunton examine E.O. v. Premera Blue Cross, a case that…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 286: Empowering Plans: P247 – When an EOB Becomes Exhibit A: ERISA Preemption After Ahn v. Cigna
In this week's episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Brady Bizarro and Brian O'Hara break down the Third Circuit's recent decision in Ahn v. Cigna…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 285: Empowering Plans: P246 – Recent 340B Litigation
On this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast series, Attorneys Kelly Dempsey and Naga Vivekanandan discuss recent 340B litigation filed by three major…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 284: Empowering Plans: P245 – Clear Eyes, Good Governance, Can't Lose
On this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast series, attorneys Jen McCormick and Nick Bonds talk through some of the pressures self-funded plans face from…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 283: Empowering Plans: P244 – The Appeal and the Risks of Alternative Health Care Arrangements
On this week's Empowering Plans Podcast, attorneys Ron Peck and Nick Bonds discuss the growing popularity of alternative healthcare arrangements. What's…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 282: Empowering Plans: P243 – Navigating Medicare Incentivization Rules
In this installment of The Phia Group’s Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Kendall Jackson and Jon Jablon break down the Medicare Secondary Payer Act and what…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 281: Empowering Plans: P242 – Surprises and The No Surprises Act
Join attorneys Cindy Merrell and Bryan Dunton as they take a deep dive into real-world cases involving the No Surprises Act. Cindy and Bryan break down how the…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 280: Empowering Plans: P241 – Headlines and Finish Lines – Phia’s Derby Preview
It is time again for the fastest 20 minutes in podcasting as Cindy Merrell and Corey Crigger take over the Empowering Plans podcast to preview The Kentucky…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 279: Empowering Plans: P240 – Tobacco Surcharge Litigation Is Hitting a New Level
As a follow-up to this past January’s podcast episode on tobacco surcharges, new litigation has been filing and this time, it’s on a much larger scale. Humana…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 278: Empowering Plans: P239 – The ACIP Case and What it Means for Health Plans
On this week’s Empowering Plans Podcast, Attorneys Jen McCormick and Nick Bonds talk through a federal district court case out of Massachusetts that has put a…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 277: Empowering Plans: P238 – Hot Topics and Spitting Fire with Ron E. Peck
On this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorney Ron Peck engages in a one-on-one discussion with YOU, regarding two of the “hottest” topics being…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 276: Empowering Plans: P237 – Where is the NSA at Today?
On today’s episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Jon Jablon and Kendall Jackson discuss the current state of the No Surprises Act (NSA) and the…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 275: Empowering Plans: P236 – Dangers of Legacy Language
In this installment of The Phia Group’s “Empowering Plans” podcast, attorneys Bryan Dunton and Cindy Merrell discuss what happens when laws evolve faster than…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 274: Empowering Plans: P235 – The Latest No Surprises Act Developments: A 2026 Reality Check for TPAs
In this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Brady Bizarro and Brian O’Hara share the latest information TPAs and employer plan sponsors need to…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 273: Empowering Plans: P234 – Smoking Hot Litigation: When Tobacco Surcharges Go Up In Flames
Tobacco surcharges have long been a common cost containment wellness tool for self-funded plans, but recent lawsuits are putting them under the microscope. In…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 272: Empowering Plans: P233 – The Butterfly Effect of Healthcare Costs
In this episode, Phia Group legends – CLO Ron Peck and EVP Jen McCormick – dive deep into waters rarely discussed. They contemplate how the rising costs of…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 271: Empowering Plans: P232 – Get Psyched: Innovative Therapies on the Rise
This week on the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Corey Crigger and Nick Bonds dig into the growing movement to use psychedelics in treating mental health…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 270: Empowering Plans: P231 – Are EHBs Really That “Essential”?
In the latest installment of The Phia Group’s “Empowering Plans” podcast, attorneys Kendall Jackson and Jon Jablon explore Essential Health Benefits – an…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 269: Empowering Plans: P230 – What Happens When Subrogation and the NSA Collide?
Join attorneys Bryan Dunton and Cindy Merrell as they discuss what happens when the No Surprises Act collides with subrogation. They explore the practical…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 268: Empowering Plans: P229 – From Free to Fee: The New Rules for COVID Vaccines and Testing"
The rules around COVID coverage are entering a new phase. attorneys Kelly Dempsey and Naga Vivekanandan as they explore how recent ACIP guidance narrows…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 267: Empowering Plans: P228 – Prior Authorization – The Promise and the Peril
Attorneys Jon Jablon and Nick Bonds break down some of the issues around administering prior authorization requirements, including their use as a…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 266: Empowering Plans: P227 – Method to the Badness
Join the dynamic duo of Ron Peck and Corey Crigger as they discuss the surge of equity investment into “sin” services – such as gambling and adult…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 265: Empowering Plans: P226 – RBP Meets NSA: Clearing Up the Confusion
In the latest episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Jon Jablon and Kendall Jackson discuss common misconceptions surrounding RBP plans and the…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 264: Empowering Plans: P225 – Adverse Claims & Prior Authorizations: Big Changes Ahead
On the latest and greatest episode of the Empowering Plans podcast series, attorneys Bryan Dunton and Cindy Merrell discuss news that matters to you: how…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 263: Empowering Plans: P224 – CMS Spotlight: Cleaning Up Provider Data and Fixing IDR Errors
In this episode, we take a closer look at two key developments out of CMS that could reshape how provider data and dispute resolution work in practice. First…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 262: Empowering Plans: P223 – Telemedicine, DPCs, and the Future of HSA-Compatible Plans under The One, Big, Beautiful Bill
Today, attorneys Kelly Dempsey and Naga Vivekanandan dive into the latest landmark healthcare-related legislation, nicknamed “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill,"…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 261: Empowering Plans: P222 – SCOTUS Shockwaves: Analysis of June Decisions for Self-Funded Plans
In this episode of Phia’s Empowering Plans Podcast, attorneys Nicholas Bonds, Esq. and Bryan M. Dunton, Esq., break down the key Supreme Court rulings issued…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 260: Empowering Plans: P221 – Saying What You’re Thinking
Join The Phia Group’s Corey Crigger and Ron Peck as they discuss some of the things many in our industry seem to be thinking, but are often afraid to say…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 259: Empowering Plans: P220 – Algorithms and Adjudication: How AI Is Affecting the Self-Funded Industry
On the latest installment of the Empowering Plans podcast series, join attorneys Jon Jablon and Kendall Jackson as they discuss the integration of AI into the…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 258: Empowering Plans: P219 – Executive Orders, Tariffs, and a Crystal Ball
Join attorneys Bryan Dunton and Cindy Merrell as they explore President Trump’s latest moves to address the rising cost of prescription drugs. Cindy and Bryan…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 257: Empowering Plans: P218 – Unreasonable Plan Fees on Trial: Cunningham v. Cornell University
In this episode, we unpack the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Cunningham v. Cornell University — a landmark ERISA case with major implications for…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 256: Empowering Plans: P217 – The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Cost Containment
The Run for the Roses is here! Join two of Phia’s Louisville, Kentucky, employees, Corey Crigger and Cindy Merrell, as they discuss the event that takes over…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 255: Empowering Plans: P216 – Why 2025 is the Year to Go Self-Funded
Our consulting team has received numerous questions in Q1 2025 about employers considering self-funding their health plans. Join Attorneys Jennifer McCormick…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 254: Empowering Plans: P215 – Plan Sponsor Discretion Advised
ERISA gives plan sponsors great power and great responsibility. On this week’s podcast, attorneys Ron Peck and Nick Bonds get back to ERISA fundamentals to…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 253: Empowering Plans: P214 – Unpacking Weight Loss Drugs
On this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Corey Crigger and Kendall Jackson discuss the hot button topic of weight loss drugs. Tune in to…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 252: Empowering Plans: P213 – Error 304: Good Faith Negotiation Not Found
Artificial intelligence may be changing the trajectory of the self-funded industry – but can it negotiate? In this episode of The Phia Group’s Empowering Plans…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 251: Empowering Plans: P212 – Lewandowski v. Johnson & Johnson – Big win or warning?
On this episode of the Empowering Plans Podcast, attorneys Brady Bizzaro and Cindy Merrell delve into the details of the Lewandowski v. Johnson & Johnson case…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 250: Empowering Plans: P211 – Network Adequacy Under MHPAEA
Attorneys Kelly Dempsey and Bryan Dunton dive into the results of the 2024 MHPAEA Report to Congress. The EBSA and CMS have continued to improve their focus on…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 249: Empowering Plans: P210 – Mental Health Parity: New Year, New Rules, New Lawsuits
Attorneys Jen McCormick and Nick Bonds ring in the Lunar New Year by breaking down the ERIC v. HHS lawsuit in which an industry advocate challenged the federal…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 248: Empowering Plans: P209 – 2025 Healthcare Hot Takes
It’s a new year, and a new type of Empowering Plans podcast! In a world full of talking heads and 2-minute news cycles, hot takes have become the norm. This is…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 247: Empowering Plans: P208 – The Evolution of the Birth Control Benefits Mandate
On today’s episode of the Empowering Plans podcast series, attorneys Kendall Jackson and Brian O’Hara discuss the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 246: Empowering Plans: P207 – Denied Claims Beyond the Headlines
On this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast series, attorneys Corey Crigger and Cindy Merrell discuss the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, which fueled…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 245: Empowering Plans: P206 – Non-Preferred Carrier Fees: Incentives or Control?
In this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Jon Jablon and Brady Bizarro delve into the details of a recent lawsuit where BCBS of Michigan, in…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 244: Empowering Plans: P205 – Lessons From a Florida IDR Case
On this episode of the Empowering Plans Podcast, attorneys Ron Peck and Nick Bonds talk through a recent Florida case addressing judicial review of IDR…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 243: Empowering Plans: P204 – Nightmares on Self-Funded Street
Join Attorneys Corey Crigger and Kendall Jackson on this Halloween edition of the Empowering Plans Podcast. Corey and Kendall take a look at topics that send…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 242: Empowering Plans: P203 – Gender-Affirming Care, Is it Covered?
On this episode of the Empowering Plans Podcast, attorneys Jon Jablon and Cindy Merrell explore the changing landscape of several state and federal laws that…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 241: Empowering Plans: P202 – Senator Sanders: “Stop ripping us off.”
Attorneys Brady Bizarro and Andrew Silverio discuss today’s senate committee hearing on GLP-1 drug pricing and strategies that self-funded employers are using…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 240: Empowering Plans: P201 – Diving Into the Parity Pool: MHPAEA’s Latest Updates
Regulators finally announced the long-awaited MHPAEA Final Rules on September 9, 2024. Many of these changes will directly affect group health plan design and…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 239: Empowering Plans: P200 – Recognizing Our Blind Spots
Dr. Marty Makary is a New York Times bestselling author, renowned Johns Hopkins surgeon, and globally recognized expert on medical research. In its most recent…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 238: Empowering Plans: P199 – Summer Regulation Rundown
The regulators rush to finalize a suite of marquee regulations as the clock gradually runs out on the Biden administration. Even when finalized, these…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 237: Empowering Plans: P198 – Healthcare on the Ballot
Nick Bonds and Corey Crigger are hosting this political edition of the Empowering Plans Podcast series. With an election looming in November, Nick and Corey…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 236: Empowering Plans: P197 – The Concerns About PBMs and the Demand for Reform
In this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Jon Jablon and Kendall Jackson break down the consequences of PBM steerage. Join us in the…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 235: Empowering Plans: P196 – Exploring Claims Processing Models
On this episode of the Empowering Plans Podcast, attorneys Andrew Silverio and Cindy Merrell delve into the pros and cons of the pay and chase versus pend and…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 234: Empowering Plans: P195 – SCOTUS Decisions: Harrington and Loper's Impact on Healthcare
In this episode of the Empowering Plans podcast, attorneys Brady Bizarro and Corey Crigger break down two of the most significant Supreme Court cases just…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 233: Empowering Plans: P194 – The Rapid Evolution of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
Just like the development of a child, regulations evolve in their ability to walk and talk over time. Join Jen McCormick and Kelly Dempsey as they go through…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 232: Empowering Plans: P193 – Stopping Esophageal Cancer In Its Tracks
In this episode of Empowering Plans, The Phia Group’s CLO – Ron Peck – sits down with experienced surgeon, Dr. Victoria Lee, to discuss a very dangerous – and…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 231: Empowering Plans: P192 – Places, Promises, and Plan Documents
In this installment of The Phia Group’s Empowering Plans podcast series, attorneys Jon Jablon and Cindy Merrell discuss a health plan that lost its ERISA…
- The Phia Group's Podcast
Episode 230: Empowering Plans: P191 – Derby Reflections and Gambles on Healthcare Strategies (Part 2)
In this concluding episode of our special two-part series on the Empowering Plans Podcast, Adam Russo and Corey Crigger return to unpack more significant…