The Business of Benefits Podcast · 2026-04-23 · 44 min
In this episode of The Business of Benefits, host Chelsea Ryckis sits down with Dr. Cristin Dickerson, founder of Green Imaging, to uncover the power of direct contracting for employer-sponsored health plans. They dive deep into how getting the "middleman" out of the equation can save plan sponsors up to 60% on medical imaging while actually improving the quality of care for employees. We cover how direct contracting works in practice, why traditional insurance models artificially inflate imaging costs, and how Green Imaging is flipping the script by providing transparent, cash-pay rates. Dr. Dickerson explains the HIPAA Omnibus Law that makes this possible, how to build a zero-out-of-pocket benefit that employees actually use, and the real-world savings employers are seeing. Chelsea and Dr. Dickerson also discuss the future of direct primary care, navigating hospital pushback, and why every employer has a fiduciary duty to explore these solutions. What you’ll learn • What direct contracting is and how it eliminates the middlemen driving up healthcare costs • Why there is an inverse correlation between cost and quality in the U.S.
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