The H.I.T. Podcast

The H.I.T. Podcast curates the top news and information to deliver a brief, high impact overview designed specifically for the Human Resources professional, business person, and company executive. The Podcast is powered by Montage Insurance Solutions.

The H.I.T. Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Tobias Kennedy, with 206 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Tobias Kennedy hosts The H.I.T. Podcast, a business show with 206 episodes published.

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  The H.I.T. Podcast

  Ep 179: Why the Old Story of Work No Longer Works | A HIT-chat with Jonathan Lewis (Part One)

  Sep 28, 202618 min

  What if the biggest workforce challenge isn’t compensation, benefits, or flexibility—but the story employees are being asked to believe about work? Toby sits down with Jonathan Lewis, President of McKee Wallwork, to discuss what their national workforce research reveals about the changing relationship between employees and their organizations. After studying 3,000 participants across the country, Jonathan describes a workforce increasingly defined by TFS: Transactional, Futureless, and Suffering. The traditional promises surrounding work, career, loyalty, and retirement no longer resonate with everyone the way they once did. So how can leaders respond? Jonathan introduces RQM: Relational, Quest, and Meaning—a framework for rebuilding the story of work around human connection, a shared future, and a sense of meaning in the challenges people face. Toby and Jonathan also explore the growing “Who” problem inside organizations, why culture and brand are increasingly connected, and why leaders at every level need to become better storytellers. In this episode: • How the workforce changed after COVID-19 • What TFS reveals about today’s employees • Moving from transactional relationships to relational ones • Why employees need a future worth working toward • Creating meaning instead of simply trying to eliminate struggle • The organizational shift from How → Why → Who • Why a clear internal story can strengthen workplace culture • How leaders can connect everyday work to a larger purpose

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  The H.I.T. Podcast

  How Employers Can Save Big on Prescription Drugs | A HIT-chat with Louis Gallucci, CEO of Limitless Consulting Group (Part 2)

  Sep 21, 202617 min

  What if your company could significantly reduce prescription drug costs without changing its pharmacy benefit manager or taking medications away from employees? In Part 2 of The H.I.T. Podcast, host Toby Kennedy continues his conversation with Louis Gallucci, CEO of Limitless Consulting Group, about how employers can take greater control of prescription drug spending through smarter sourcing strategies. Louis explains why self-funded employers should look beyond traditional pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and explore alternative purchasing options that can benefit both their health plans and their employees. From analyzing pharmacy claims data to identifying high-cost medications and exploring alternative sourcing channels like GoodRx and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs, this conversation provides practical insights for HR professionals, benefits managers, and business leaders looking to control healthcare costs. In this episode: Why employees should have more flexibility in how they access prescription medications How identifying your five most expensive drugs can reveal potential savings opportunities Understanding the difference between clinical strategy and pharmacy procurement How employers can explore lower-cost sourcing without necessarily changing their PBM or formulary Why reducing out-of-pocket prescription costs can help employees access the medications they need How to request and analyze pharmacy claims data to identify unnecessary spending Why transparency matters when managing self-funded health plans and fiduciary responsibilities Louis also shares a practical starting point for HR leaders: Request a report of your organization's 10 most expensive medications over the past 12 months. Then work with your broker or benefits advisor to explore alternative sourcing options. The goal isn't simply to spend less on prescription drugs. It's to help employees access the medications they need while making smarter purchasing decisions for the organization.

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  The H.I.T. Podcast

  Ep. 177: The Real Reason Your Pharmacy Costs Are So High | A HIT-chat with Louis Gallucci

  Sep 14, 202618 min

  Prescription drug costs are climbing—but the medication itself may not be the biggest problem. It may be how and where you're buying it. On this episode of The H.I.T. Podcast, Toby Kennedy welcomes longtime friend Louis Gallucci, CEO of Limitless Consulting Group, for a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges facing employer-sponsored healthcare today: pharmacy costs. With 20 years of experience across group benefits, carriers, voluntary benefits, benefits technology, and consulting, Louis explains why employers need to rethink the way they purchase prescription drugs—and start looking at healthcare through the lens of procurement. Pharmacy now represents a significant portion of overall healthcare spending, and Louis shares how a surprisingly small number of medications can account for an enormous percentage of a health plan's total costs. In this episode: Why prescription drug spending has grown so dramatically How just a handful of medications can drive a huge portion of plan spending Why the sourcing channel can matter as much as the medication itself Understanding the enormous pricing differences that can exist for the same drug Why rebates and traditional PBM strategies may no longer be enough How alternatives such as direct sourcing are changing the pharmacy landscape Why HR leaders should start thinking more like procurement directors What self-funded employers need to understand about their fiduciary responsibilities Why employers need to take ownership of their claims data The questions employers should be asking their PBMs and benefits partners One of Louis' biggest messages is simple: employers are the buyers. Your PBM may administer the claims, but employers need to understand what they're purchasing, where the money is going, and whether there is a more efficient way to source the same care. And there's a personal connection to this episode, too—Toby and Louis go back nearly 20 years, from working together early in their careers to attending each other's weddings. Now they're sitting down to unpack how dramatically the benefits and pharmacy landscape has changed.

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  The H.I.T. Podcast

  How to Build a Workplace Wellness Program That Actually Works | A HIT-chat with Andrea Notch Mayzeles

  Sep 1, 202618 min

  Workplace wellness is about much more than step challenges, gym memberships, and occasional health initiatives. The everyday employee experience matters. On this episode of The H.I.T. Podcast, Toby Kennedy sits down with Andrea “Andy” Notch Mayzeles, Workforce Health Consultant at Kaiser Permanente, to discuss how organizations can build wellness strategies that actually become part of their workplace culture. With more than a decade of experience at Kaiser Permanente, Andy shares practical ways employers can assess their current wellness efforts, get employees involved, build leadership support, and integrate health and well-being throughout the organization. In this episode: How benchmarking and scorecards can reveal where your wellness strategy stands Why employee wellness shouldn't live exclusively within HR How wellness committees and employee champions can drive engagement Why organizations should regularly ask employees what they actually need The powerful trickle-down effect of leaders modeling healthy behaviors The business case for wellness—from retention and healthcare costs to absenteeism and productivity How to make mental health part of the everyday employee experience Small, practical wellness rituals that managers can incorporate into their teams One of the biggest takeaways? A quarterly wellness challenge can't make up for an unhealthy day-to-day work experience. Managers and leaders play a critical role in creating an environment where employees can thrive. Andy also discusses Kaiser Permanente's Mental Fitness Toolkit, designed to help organizations incorporate simple, achievable mental wellness practices into the regular rhythm of work.

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  The H.I.T. Podcast

  Ep. 174 | The Leadership Development Formula That Actually Works | A HIT-chat with Maren Perry

  Aug 24, 202617 min

  Great leadership isn't developed in a single training session—it takes insight, action, repetition, and real-world application. On this episode of The H.I.T. Podcast, Toby Kennedy sits down with Maren Perry, Founder and President of Arden Coaching, to discuss how organizations can develop stronger leaders at every level. Since founding Arden Coaching in 2007, Maren has grown the organization into a network of more than 35 executive coaches, helping leaders, teams, and organizations strengthen their people skills, improve performance, and create meaningful organizational change. Maren breaks leadership development into three distinct domains: self leadership, relational leadership, and strategic leadership—and explains why the way we develop leaders needs to change as people progress through an organization. In this episode: Self Leadership — developing self-awareness and understanding your communication style Relational Leadership — navigating difficult conversations, accountability, execution, and developing others Strategic Leadership — building the skills needed to lead at the highest levels of an organization Why leadership development should evolve as responsibilities increase Why one long training session usually isn't enough How repetition and multiple learning "touches" fight the forgetting curve Why coaching and small-group sessions help lessons stick Turning leadership concepts into action under real-world pressure Maren also shares a simple but powerful formula: INSIGHT + ACTION = RESULTS Information can create insight, but lasting leadership development happens when people take those insights back into their actual jobs, put them into practice, and continue building on them over time.

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