Author: Danna Schwerdt

When healthcare costs rise, CFOs don’t just want explanations. They want confidence.  They are responsible for defending benefit decisions to leadership, managing financial risk, and ensuring resources are allocated responsibly. That means the questions they ask are rarely about tactics. They are about impact, accountability, and alignment.  Brokers who can anticipate these questions and answer them clearly earn trust that extends far beyond…

For many employers, pharmacy conversations happen too late.  Costs spike, renewal arrives, and decisions are made under pressure. By that point, options feel limited and trust is tested.  A mid-year Rx review changes that dynamic. When used intentionally, it becomes one of the most effective ways brokers can strengthen client relationships and reinforce their role as strategic advisors. …

PBM contracts are often treated as definitive documents. Once signed, employers assume the terms clearly define how prescription benefits will be managed, how costs will flow, and how accountability will be enforced.  In reality, PBM contracts often explain how things are priced without fully explaining how decisions are made.  That gap matters. Especially as pharmacy spend continues to rise…

Renewal season has a way of narrowing the conversation.  Spreadsheets get sharper. Timelines get tighter. Focus shifts to rates, trend, and whether the increase is “reasonable.”  What often gets lost is the opportunity renewal season presents. It is one of the few moments each year when employers are expected to pause, review, and make intentional decisions…

Specialty medications are often discussed in clinical terms. Breakthrough therapies. Complex conditions. Life-changing outcomes.  For brokers, however, specialty drugs represent something else entirely. They are one of the largest and least predictable sources of financial risk in employer health plans.  Understanding that risk and knowing how to reframe it is quickly becoming a defining skill for effective advisors. …

For many employers, pharmacy spend is one of the least understood parts of the health plan. Reports arrive each quarter. Trends are summarized. Costs rise.  But when leaders ask why pharmacy spend is increasing, the answers are often vague. Utilization. Specialty drugs. Market pressure.  Those explanations describe what is happening, not where the dollars are actually going. …

Most brokers say they want to be viewed as strategic partners. Far fewer are actually positioned that way.  For many employers, the broker relationship still centers on transactions. Renewals. Market checks. Carrier negotiations. Necessary work, but not the kind that earns a seat at the executive table.  To become a true partner to CFOs and…

For years, prescription drug costs were treated as an unfortunate but unavoidable part of employer-sponsored health plans. Complex, opaque, and largely outsourced, pharmacy was often viewed as something to manage at arm’s length.  That approach is becoming increasingly risky.  As prescription drug spend continues to rise, employers are facing a new reality. Overspending is no…

For years, transparency has been treated as a checkbox in the benefits world. A contract term. A pricing model. A line in a proposal.  But in today’s environment, transparency has evolved into something far more powerful.  For brokers willing to use it strategically, transparency is no longer just about disclosure. It’s a way to differentiate, deepen client relationships,…

For years, pass-through pricing has been marketed as the gold standard of pharmacy transparency. Employers hear the term and assume it guarantees clarity, fairness, and alignment. Brokers hear it and often check the box; confident they’ve solved the PBM problem.  But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Pass-through does not automatically mean transparent. And it certainly does not mean cost containment.  Understanding the difference matters more now…