Driven by history: A Q&A with Cameron Cummins

Paul Wilson: How did you get started in the benefits industry?

I wanted to be a doctor growing up, and I got to participate in a program that allowed me to shadow doctors and watch surgical procedures.

My freshman year of college, I was on my way to a pre-med degree. When I went to Michigan State, I quickly found that sitting in 300-person classes was not my ideal way to learn. One of my mentors, an orthopedic surgeon, told me, “The clinical route doesn’t seem to be working; you should check out the business side.” I transferred to Ferris State University and got a degree in Health Care Systems Administration. I worked at a local hospital after graduating and hated every second of it. At 22 with no clinical background, I was following around doctors and nurses, telling them how to do their jobs. They didn’t respond very well.

My next job was in revenue cycle management, but I fell out of love with that and did the sensible thing: became a bartender. A client told me, “You should use that degree. Our health insurance broker is hiring and I think that would be a good fit.” So I was hired at a brokerage that had been around for about 75 years, and that’s how I got started.

PW: How did you move into your current role?

The brokerage was a legacy firm with a really good book of business, but they didn’t have many self-funded clients. A guy I worked with was their self-funded expert, so I followed him around to learn more.

At the 2019 BenefitsPRO Broker Expo, I met Lester Morales, Seth Denson, Kareim Cade and was really inspired by the things they were talking about. I went up to them at cocktail parties or after their sessions, and tried to learn as much as possible. I called them afterwards, and they took the time to talk to me. I knew I had to pursue as much self-funded work as I could.

PW: How has that journey shaped your philosophies and who you are?

I’ve seen how advisors are largely responsible for the state of the industry today. We have a vital role of advising employers about what to accept and what not to accept. We haven’t stood up and said, “This annual 15% cost increase isn’t acceptable; there have to be other options and we need to find solutions.”

We have allowed insurance companies to take part in every single medical transaction that occurs. Hospitals have also played a big part. We’ve created a landscape that has to change quickly and drastically or the consequences are going to be dire.

PW: What areas of innovation or strategies are working best right now?

We’re doing a lot with direct contracts and bundled payments. One of my clients is in Mayetta, Kansas. That’s not a densely populated area, but I called two local hospitals and said, “We don’t have an imaging contract with you, but we want to find a better way.” The administrators were not only open to the idea, but on both cold calls, they asked, “What pricing model do you want to use?” That was within the first five minutes of the call.

PW: How do you stay motivated and not get discouraged or intimidated while trying to help change the industry?

There are days where I’m discouraged and days where I’m optimistic. I’m encouraged more often than not, but I’m preparing my team to be ready for a number of scenarios. I can’t sit and just wait for something to happen; it’s my role to ensure that we have a place in the market, no matter what happens, while also ensuring we’re prepared for today.

PW: How are conversations about change going with clients and prospects?

When we started our company in 2020, I thought employers would be ready for immediate change during the pandemic. But many were paralyzed. It took time, but it also required me to change our message. One of my superpowers is helping employers visualize a destination that is three, five, maybe even 10 years down the road. And then helping them realize they don’t have to implement massive changes today to drive better results. We can schedule it at their own pace. That really changed the conversation and created an uptick in their willingness to have these conversations.

PW: How has the evolving role of the C-suite in benefits impacted client conversations?

In order to make everyone at the table happy, we have to understand their goals and challenges. And not only with prospective clients. Every year, we have a meeting with current clients: “What’s changed? What’s working? What isn’t working?” Often, they’re paying a broker more than they pay anyone on staff or than they invest into point solutions, so we need to be there and willing to have difficult conversations.

PW: You work closely with local tribal governments in your area. What specific challenges and opportunities do you see?

My wife has worked at a tribal casino for 13 years, so I quickly realized these would be good businesses to explore. I was lucky to have a connection, Frank Tecumseh, at one casino. He is now the CEO and was previously one of the smartest HR leaders that I’ve ever come across. I sat down at the table, ready to discuss a bundled self-funded philosophy and I got absolutely demolished for 90 minutes with stuff I didn’t know that was unique to tribal groups. When something like that happens, I’m the type of person who wants to then go and research. I decided I was going to learn as much as I could about this unique market and I came up with a program called Sovereign Health Advantages. Tribal groups have the ability, either through treaties they’ve signed hundreds of years ago or through very recent policies, including the ACA and the Inflation Reduction Act, to pay drastically different amounts for health care compared to non-tribally owned businesses or entities. There’s a very strict process involved, including things like individual premium sponsorship, where you can identify a native person on a plan, put them on a state marketplace plan and completely evacuate their claims from the self-funded plan. There are very unique issues and opportunities for tribal health plans.

PW: Many minority communities have valid trust issues when it comes to health care and the medical industry. Has that presented challenges?

That’s at the top of my mind at all times. I’m very vulnerable when I walk into those situations, because I have no tribal blood and am not tribally affiliated in any way. I’m driven by history; you can read about what has happened to these communities in the past. And the history isn’t that old. There were boarding schools in Michigan until the 1980s where native kids were sent for reeducation, rather than education. Canada has been in the news recently, but there will be plenty more that will come out about the U.S. as well. You need to be careful with what you’re talking about, who you’re talking to and how you’re doing it. I go into these conversations not thinking I know everything. I need to be ready for someone to tell me things that may be uncomfortable to hear.

One of the things tribal nations suffer from most is losing historical languages. We’re working with experts right now with the AAMBE Foundation to invest profits from our work into conserving their cultures.

PW: Why is it important to find a niche?

With the rise of AI and ChatGPT, we’re going to see opportunities for generalists to dwindle in my opinion. People need to get better at discovering a niche and mastering something. I don’t think the mile wide/inch deep approach is going to be the way of the future.

PW: Finish this sentence: The key to success in this industry going forward is…

Openness, vulnerability and a willingness to change. This industry isn’t easy. You have to be willing to dig in and work.