77. A Candid Look at Health Benefits, Compliance, and the State of the Industry

In this special episode of The Business of Benefits, host Austin Townend flips the script and interviews our very own President and Co-Founder, Chelsea Ryckis. Together, they break down exactly what employers need to know about healthcare compliance, vendor accountability, and controlling costs heading into 2026.We cover the massive compliance shifts from the last 12 months—including the CAA of 2026 and FTC scrutiny on PBMs—and why these changes are the ultimate leverage for plan sponsors. Chelsea unpacks why Direct Primary Care (DPC) combined with HSAs is a game-changer, why ICHRAs are just a bandaid for healthcare inflation, and how to spot the red flags in your broker and PBM contracts. Plus, learn how to stop accepting the bare minimum from your vendors and start demanding true fiduciary alignment.What you’ll learnHow recent compliance changes (like the CAA of 2026) give employers unprecedented leverage over their health plansWhy the traditional high-deductible health plan (HDHP) is failing low-wage earners, and how Direct Primary Care (DPC) actually reduces claimsThe hidden dangers of ICHRAs and why they don't solve the root cause of healthcare inflationHow to identify "red flags" with your PBMs and brokers, including spread pricing and refusing compensation disclosuresWhy vendor accountability requires more than just a "nice account manager"—and how to use KPIs and scorecards to evaluate themThe truth about big company purchasing power: why 10,000+ employee companies are often paying more than mid-market competitorsConnect with UsChelsea Ryckis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-ryckis-8508a192Austin Townend on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-townend-619520103Ethos Benefits:https://ethosbenefits.com/The Business of Benefits Podcast:https://businessofbenefitspodcast.com/____Finished with the content? Claim your CE credit here:https://ideas.ethosbenefits.com/continuing-educationSHRM:Ethos Benefits is recognized by SHRM to offer professional development credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.HRCI:Ethos Benefits is approved to offer HRCI® recertification credits for this program. This program has been approved for 0.5 - 1 HR (General) recertification credit(s) toward aPHR®, PHR®, SPHR®, and GPHR® certification.