Connect with benefit consultants who align their incentives with you the employer and know how to help you build a continuous quality improvement approach to your benefits strategy.
Reach your goals to:
Attract and Retain Top Talent
Improve health and productivity
Employee satisfaction with benefits
Achieve superior outcomes at half the cost with the right consultant.
"After our first year we cut our health insurance costs in half... so we added a therapeutic massage benefit."
Greg Kaupp, CEO ArcherPoint, Inc.
David Contorno is Founder of E Powered Benefits. As a native of New York, David began his career in the insurance industry at the age of 14 and has since become a leading expert in the realm of employee benefits over the last 21 years.
Among his many accolades, David received a Broker Spotlight in 2004 and was recognized as an outstanding Broker of Service in 2005 through 2014 by Blue Cross Blue Shield. He has continually received the Echelon Award by United Healthcare since 2003, reserved for the top 1% of agents nationally, and was a 2015 “40 Under 40” Award Winner presented by Charlotte Business Journal. Most recently, David was Benefits Selling Magazine’s 2015 Broker of the Year and, in March 2016, Forbes deemed him “One of America’s Most Innovative Benefits Leaders.”
David is a member of the Board of Directors for both the Charlotte Association of Health Underwriters and Healthreach Community Clinic. He served on the NC Insurance Commissioners Life and Health Agent Advisory Committee, as well as participated in the Technical Advisory Group that helped with the Market Reforms required under the Affordable Care Act in North Carolina. He is a long-time member of the Lake Norman and South Iredell Chambers of Commerce as well as the National, North Carolina, New York and Long Island Associations of Health Underwriters. David contributes to numerous publications, including Forbes, Benefits Selling Magazine, Business Leader Magazine and Insurance Thought Leadership. David is committed to giving back to his community and actively participates in the membership drive for the United Way, assisting the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and supporting The Dove House Child Advocacy Center. When he is not working, he enjoys boating and traveling.
Bill Andersen Working with employers around the country, in a collaborative effort, to provide the most affordable healthcare, best service, and extraordinary customer experience, that they’ve ever had.
E. Heidi Cottle, SVP, Cost Containment Strategies consults with NFP advisors and clients to develop client specific cost containment strategies. Heidi is a subject matter expert in delivering solution-based programs through – emerging and innovative programs which strive to improve quality, cost, and outcomes while mitigating client benefit risk.
Frank M. Stichter, President of Strategic Healthplan Consulting LLC, earned the Managed Healthcare Professional (MHP) designation through the Health Insurance Association of America. He is also a Certified Health Rosetta Advisor, is on the Board of Advisors for the Association For Corporate Health Risk Management, the Broker Advisory Council for ELAP Services, and has served on the Board of the Colorado Healthcare Association for Human Resource Management (CHAHRM). Frank has spoken numerous times on the subjects of Self-Funding and Healthcare Risk Management programs at national conferences and seminars throughout the country, and has written a variety of articles and position papers on these topics as well. Frank is also the author of his Best Selling book “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.”
Previously, Frank had his own Agency for 14 years, and worked for 2 large regional insurance Agencies as a broker and consultant in Ohio and Colorado. Frank also was a Partner and Co-Founder of a Wellness, Lifestyle and Disease Management company, HyHealth LLC.
Locally, Frank is active in the Crested Butte and the surrounding area serving as Member and Past President of the Chamber of Commerce, Member and Past President of the Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary Club, and Assistant District Governor of Rotary District 5470.
Brian Klepper, PhD is Principal of Worksite Health Advisors and a nationally prominent health care analyst and commentator. He speaks, writes, and advises extensively on high-performance health care, primary care clinics, and the management of clinical and financial risk.
A purchaser advocate, he has focused on the market and policy dynamics of the health care quality and cost crises, and readily available solutions to purchasers willing to approach the problem laterally. His current focus is on high-performing health care organizations that consistently deliver better health outcomes at lower cost than usual approaches in high-value niches.
Dr. Klepper has been involved in several transformative health care efforts favoring patient and health care purchaser interests. His 2009 testimony to an HHS panel resulted in the revocation of an industry group’s monopoly on Health Information Technology certification. In 2010-2013, he spearheaded a national effort, culminating in a lawsuit against CMS and HHS, to expose the AMA’s RBRVS Update Committee’s role in distorting US’ care and cost patterns.
Brian is a regular contributor to the health care trade press. He is a reviewer for the journals Health Affairs and The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, and an advisor to several health care organizations. He is Founder and Moderator of The Healthcare Benefits Hackers listserv, a vibrant discussion forum with more than 900 participants focused on health care value and high performance. George Washington University’s Masters in Health Administration Program ranked Brian's writing, archived at Care & Cost, the top 2016 blog by a health care professional. Feedspot named it a 2017 top 100 health care blog.
In his spare time, Brian is an offshore sailor.
Louis Bernardi is Founder and President of Group Planners Inc. d/b/a BritePath. Lou has over 28 years of employee benefit experience; both as a general agent and retail advisor. In 2017 Lou found his ‘Why’ and left the GA world behind to focus exclusively on helping benefit decision makers and their members eliminate the barriers that prevent them from building a high-performance health plans.
Lou is proud to be among the first 150 advisors accepted into Health Rosetta; an eco-system of forward-thinking advisors and solution partners that share his passion for helping people and businesses customize health plans that enhance benefits, improve outcomes and reduce costs.
Lou is the innovator behind BritePath benefit strategies that flattens the curve on health insurance costs. BritePath helps benefit decision makers reset their expectations with advanced analytics & insights that make them and their members more informed health care consumers capable of changing the trajectory of the cost and quality of their employer sponsored health insurance plan.
Lou is a proud member of the NY and Long Island Association of Health Underwriters, Melville Chamber of Commerce, serves on the HR Sub-Committee of the Hauppauge Industrial Association, is a Founding Member of the Talent Champions Council and recently founded the Benefit Champions Network. Lou is a resident of Massapequa Park, NY where he spent many years coaching on the Massapequa International Little League, St. Rose CYO basketball and Massapequa Mustang travel football.
Jonathan Harris began his career in the employee benefits industry as a senior, large-group underwriter for the local chapter of BlueCross BlueShield in his home state of Utah. Jonathan’s experience with the financial misalignment between brokers’ incentives, insurance companies, and the end user led him to transition his career from underwriting to employee benefits consulting. Jonathan seeks to empower employer organizations to make better decisions about their employee benefits package, with a particular emphasis in broker compensation transparency and employee engagement. Jonathan received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Brigham Young University with two minors in mathematics and business administration.
Colby Denton is Founder and CEO Impact Beneficial, Co. Colby is uniquely qualified to help business owners maximize their value add to their employees, because he has owned and operated numerous companies himself. He speaks the language of business ownership and takes pride in his ability to find the best package for both the beating heart of the business, employees, and the life blood bottom line. His first foray into employee benefits came when he was hired to run an entire brokerage despite having zero industry experience. He appreciated the challenge, took it, and grew the brokerage 600% the first eighteen months. His secret – his fresh eyes were able to focus on fixing the healthcare cost crisis by helping employers find new, superior options, often overlooked by stodgy industry veterans.
He is saving businesses 20-50% on insurance and he is helping them take control of their health plan and eliminate waste, putting money back in employees pockets and freeing up significant capital for the business.
He holds a finance degree from the WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Health Benefit Design.
Colby is committed to giving back. That’s why he formed Impact Beneficial, Co. as a federally designated B-Corp (Benefits Corporation). A Benefit Corporation is a traditional corporation with modified obligations committing it to higher standards of purpose, accountability and transparency. With this designation Impact has chosen to help fund the amazing organization Operation Underground Railroad to help end child slavery.
Nelson Griswold, Chairman NextGen Benefits Network
A controversial industry disrupter, bestselling author, and in-demand keynote speaker, Nelson Griswold is known as the Chief Evangelist of the NextGen Benefits Revolution, the grassroots movement in employer health care plans that is improving the quality of care for employees while dramatically reducing companies’ healthcare costs by changing the way employers buy and manage health care.
The author of DO OR DIE, a trade best-seller for leaders of employee benefits firms, he is lead author of two #1 bestsellers on health care reform, BREAKING THROUGH THE STATUS QUO – How Innovative Companies Are Changing the Benefits Game to Help Their Employees and Boost Their Bottom Line and NEXTGENERATION HEALTHCARE – Proven Secrets of Managing the Healthcare Value Chain to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs.
Nelson is Founder and Chairman of the NextGen Benefits Network, a national alliance of independent health care advisory and consulting firms. Network members are revolutionizing employee benefits and health care delivery by helping executives to make health care a controllable cost. By disintermediating the insurance company and managing the health care supply chain, NextGen Health Plans improve the quality of care and lower costs. Among the elite in the industry, Network members have received the industry’s top honors and recognition; appear regularly in industry and business publications; and are invited to speak at leading benefits and health care conferences.
Nelson has been honored as a Health Value Awards Finalist and was presented the prestigious Industry Leadership Award by the Voluntary Benefits Association. He is a featured columnist for Employee Benefit Adviser magazine and writes for other industry publications. The Founder and Conference Chair of ASCEND – The Agency Growth & Leadership Summit, Nelson also chairs the Benefits Adviser Leadership Track for the World Health Care Congress in Washington, D.C. He is Past President of the Workplace Benefits Association, President of the Voluntary Benefits Association, and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Validation Institute and Ameriflex.
Before moving into benefits and health care, Nelson had a distinguished career in public policy. As a nationally recognized public policy expert, he served as president of two public policy think tanks that promoted a free-market and limited-government agenda, testified before legislative committees, received gubernatorial appointments to two influential boards, and appeared frequently on national network TV news programs. Nelson also has worked in radio, as host of both a morning drive talk show and a popular jazz music program.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Nashville and have two grown children.
Steve Jasinski is the Senior Vice President Employee Benefits at SterlingRisk. Founded in 1932, SterlingRisk is a thought leader with more than 220 highly skilled insurance professionals with offices in NJ, NY, CT, FL, CA and IN. A Top 40 Ranked privately owned insurance brokerage and consulting firm, SterlingRisk services regional, national and international clients.
Steve heads a team of highly talented insurance professionals with an expertise in each discipline necessary for client partnership success. An industry leading advisor and Aspirational Healthcare Advisor Partner,
Steve’s career has spanned three decades with expertise focused on Employee Benefits and providing innovative solutions. Identifying and analyzing both traditional and cutting-edge strategies, helping clients successfully reduce costs and enhance coverages is paramount. For 30 years Steve’s provided organizations the most extensive review and solutions analyses. These analyses providing proven, common sense strategies that optimize the opportunity for organizations to cut costs by 25-30% and be implemented throughout the plan year. Additionally, the process of collaborating on a detailed one, three and five year strategic plan provides a clear path to ensuring successful outcomes.
From the executive level to the employee level, Steve works with businesses and not-for-profits to provide the direction, tools and resources necessary to meet and exceed expectations. Throughout his career, portfolio of clients includes industry leading organizations operating in the United States and abroad. Steve has consistently outperformed client-partner expectations, garnering such accomplishments as National Sales Leader, Regional Sales Leader and selection to The Producer’s Advisory Council as well as Producer Roundtable Member. Steve is also a long-standing SHRM Member. Steve is a benefactor for the St Peter’s Foundation and also benefactor and event host for St Peter’s Children’s Hospital.
Michael Juergens is a Father, Husband, Colorado Native, Registered Employee Benefits Consultant, and Founder/Owner of Rise Benefit Solutions. He thrives on guiding his clients on how to develop result-driven top-tier health plans – making the complex simple. He is passionate about what he does. Michael’s goal is to empower employers, their employees, and their families on how to get the best healthcare at the best price.
In 2017 his second son (Chase) was born with a condition called CDH. His son's hospital bill was $222,367 of which $99,000 was said to be his responsibility. This experience opened his eyes to how much variability and bureaucracy exists in the US healthcare system and drives his passion to deliver value for consumers and businesses.
Michael has his REBC certification through the national association of health underwriters, as well as certificates in accident, health, and life insurance, human capital management, and leadership. Currently serving as a committee member on the Arvada Healthcare KAPS Council, serving as a board member on the Arvada Chamber of Commerce, he is highly engaged in the community. He has been featured as a keynote speaker on what it means to be an "Engaged Healthcare Consumer" and featured on the TrendBreakers podcast. Michael is a current volunteer with the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center, Community Table of Arvada, Team Rubicon, Helping Hands, and Colorado Friendship. As an active member of the Colorado community, he makes it a priority to give first.
Michael earned a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Wyoming, (Go Pokes!) where he was a starter on the university football team for three years. During that time, he was involved with several youth camps around the state of Wyoming, including Big Brothers and Sisters and Habitat for Humanity. He also signed as a free agent with NFL's Carolina Panthers.
Born and raised in Colorado, he graduated from Pomona High School and Michael loves everything his beautiful state has to offer. He is happily married and is the father of two sons. Michael is an avid fly-fisherman, mountain biker, camper, deeper, personal growth junky, and man of God.
Steven E. Nielsen, MHA, FACHE, RHU President at NBG Benefits
Steve has spent his career working at the intersection of health care providers and employer purchasers. He’s held executive positions with Intermountain Healthcare and Community Medical Centers of Central California. He founded the Western Business Group on Health, an employer purchasing coalition. He served on the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions’ Board of Directors. He is a founder of NBG Benefits. He works to improve health, satisfaction and affordability. He participated in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s value improvement project. He is a member of the Utah State Health Department’s Transparency Advisory Group and the Utah Partnership for Health Care Value. He served as Co-Chairman of the Utah Health Underwriters Association Legislative Committee. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Registered Health Underwriter. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Washington University at St. Louis, with an M.H.A in healthcare management.
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