Traci sits down with Chris Hamilton, a benefits consultant who specializes in helping employers cut through the noise of rising healthcare costs, to dig into what's really driving the hardest insurance market in 15 years.
If you sat through open enrollment this year wondering why insurance premiums jumped 20% when you thought it would be single digits, this episode reveals why—and what you can actually do about it.
Chris walks through the misaligned incentives that make traditional insurance companies profit when your costs rise, exposes waste hiding in your current plan (like medications available for $300 being charged at $1,000), and breaks down why Wells Fargo and Johnson & Johnson ended up in fiduciary duty lawsuits over benefits decisions.
But the real value is the concrete timeline and strategy for what to do starting this month—not waiting until August—to completely reshape your 2026 renewal and actually improve coverage while reducing costs.
Contact Information:
Connect with Chris Hamilton: Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | The Insider Playbook
Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraci
Disclaimer: Thoughts, opinions, and statements made on this podcast are not a reflection of the thoughts, opinions, and statements of the Company by whom Traci Chernoff is actively employed.
Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.