Broken Benefits · 2026-06-02 · 57 min
What happens when you put an auditor in charge of employee benefits? You stop accepting assumptions. In this episode of Broken Benefits , Brian Duclos shares how a non-traditional background in accounting and internal audit shaped his approach to benefits strategy - and ultimately led him to challenge many of the industry's long-standing norms. Rather than accepting annual cost increases as inevitable, Brian applies financial discipline, operational rigor, and data-driven decision-making to one of the largest expense categories organizations face. The result has been a series of innovative plan design strategies, stronger vendor accountability, and a fundamentally different way of thinking about benefits management. This conversation explores the importance of data ownership, performance guarantees, vendor oversight, and why benefits leaders should start thinking more like business operators. If you're responsible for managing healthcare costs, improving employee outcomes, or driving value from your benefits program, this episode offers a practical blueprint for doing things differently.
Beyond Borders: What Global Healthcare Can Teach Employers72 / 100No More Excuses: A Hard Look at Healthcare Reform (Feat: Chris Deacon)Beyond the Status Quo: Unlocking Opportunity in Benefits & Healthcare (Feat: Milt Ezzard)Breaking the Trend: How Innovation Kept Healthcare Costs Flat for Decades (Feat: Todd Bisping)Creating Value and Visibility For Your Operation (Feat: Jason Dinerman)