Fireside chat: Nothing can be changed until it is faced
These thought leaders are creating change and innovation in various areas of the health care and benefits landscape. In this panel, they share their thoughts on current and possible changes in the industry.
Photo: Lauren Lindley Photography
Paul Wilson walked Solome Tibebu, CEO, Behavioral Health Tech; David Balat, founder, Healthcare Finance Specialists; and Jessica Brooks-Woods, CEO, NABIP through a fireside chat at the 2024 BenefitsPRO Broker Expo.
These thought leaders are creating change and innovation in various areas of the health care and benefits landscape. In this panel, they share their thoughts on current and possible changes in the industry.
Paul Wilson (PW): We all know that the U.S. health care system is a huge and complicated mess. You all seem like smart and well-adjusted people, so what in the world made you decide to dedicate your careers to fixing something so complex and daunting?
Jessica Brooks-Woods (JBW): “I don’t think you choose it as much as it chooses you… There is not a life that isn’t touched by the system.”
Solome Tibebu (ST): “Mental health has found me, but in many ways, it keeps me connected to the work we are doing.”
David Balat (DB): “Through my experiences, I really got to touch, feel and see patient care. Being in that environment really formed my way of looking at how patients view health care.”
ST: “There are so many solutions that are personalized… But now the challenge is understanding and challenging the solution providers and how they are coexisting with other because there are so many now.”
DB: “We have a lot of cronyism… That consolidation is driving up the prices for everyone. That consolidation is increasing the cost of care for everybody. If you have transparency and no competition, you just see how bad you are getting screwed.”
JBW: “The bigger picture would be establishing trust. They [employers] need to trust us because there are so many things that need to be done… We need to build that trust very quickly.”
PW: How do you stay motivated and not become discouraged?
DB: “I get a lot of calls and emails from people who have big medical bills. I really enjoy taking the time to walk them through it… I enjoy being able to be of service.”
JBW: “We are not the enemy… The heart of us who have the opportunity to solve the issue is so real and the call is so great. I like problems because we can solve them. The solution is here and we are the solution.”
ST: “It’s very personal for me… It keeps me aware that we have all of the right stakeholders around the table when we talk about it.”
PW: With our industry full of “seasoned” professionals, how do we attract young and fresh talent to continue to carry out the innovative thought to impact change?
ST: “While we weren’t looking to fund novel solutions, we were looking to fund people. It’s going to be youth who are going to make the change. It’s important to empower them with the tools.”
DB: “Health care is needlessly complex and providing the opportunity to explain is good. Being able to talk to them. Foster the interest and foster the passion, and then pass it on.”
JBW: “We need to bring the sexy back to this industry. We have not created an environment that encourages young people… Exposure is critical. The way we get in this industry is a cause, a purpose.”