Business Health Market- Employee Benefits Expert

09/07/2026

Most people assume using their insurance at the pharmacy is automatically the cheapest option.

Sometimes it is.
Sometimes it isn’t.

That’s the part worth knowing.

In this issue of Clarity Notes, I break down why prescription prices can vary so much, a few tools worth checking before you pay, and what’s happening with GLP-1 coverage right now.

A two-minute price check can sometimes save you more than you’d expect.

Have you ever compared your insurance price against a cash or discount price for the same prescription?

📬Read the full issue and subscribe here:
https://lnkd.in/gUtE7Nxa

There's a good chance you've been overpaying at the pharmacy counter. Not because of fraud.

08/31/2026

Business Health Market is sponsoring the 12U Thunderwolves this season.

They're a local travel team working toward a trip to Cooperstown. Coached and run entirely by volunteers, and every dollar raised goes straight to defraying what the families are paying out of pocket.

We're in, and we're looking for a few more businesses to join us. Sponsorships start at $100 and put your name on the banner at every game, with logo placement at the higher levels and your logo on the jerseys at the top level.

If your business wants in — or you'd rather donate a gift card or basket item for their October raffle — message the page and I'll get you connected with the team.

Western New York folks: we've also got Bills squares and a meat raffle in October to help cover the trip. Message me and I'll send you the details.

— Brian

08/21/2026

There’s one number on a health insurance plan I wish more people paid attention to.

And it’s not the premium.

It’s not even the deductible.

It’s the out-of-pocket maximum.

Why?

Because when I’m helping someone evaluate coverage, I want them to understand what happens in the bad year.

Not just the healthy year.

So I’ll often bring the conversation back to one simple question:

“What is the most this plan could cost me if I really have to use it?”

For covered, in-network healthcare, your out-of-pocket maximum helps answer that question.

That number tells you something your monthly premium can’t:

How much financial risk are you actually keeping?

A plan can look inexpensive until you need it.

That doesn’t automatically make it a bad plan.

It just means you should understand the trade you're making before you choose it.

Health insurance gets a lot easier to evaluate when you stop looking at individual numbers and start looking at the risk behind them.

08/17/2026

I’ve had a lot of people say some version of this:

“Wait… I have health insurance. Why am I getting this bill?”

Usually, the answer comes back to the deductible.

A lot of people see that number when they enroll, but they don’t really think about what it means until they actually need care.

That’s the part I wanted to unpack in this episode.

Your premium and deductible are connected. If you pay less each month, you’re usually taking on more of the risk yourself.

That doesn’t automatically make it a bad plan.

It just means you should know what you’re responsible for before a surgery, ER visit, or diagnosis puts that number in front of you.

🎙️ In this episode of Health Insurance Doesn’t Have to Suck, I break down why deductibles have gotten so high and how to think about them before the bill shows up.

Watch the full episode:

https://youtu.be/SMi5MTfLh_w?si=G2l24DbKSCcLsF_G

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-04-riverside-brian-brian-calverts-stu/id6787139892?i=1000783357244

What deductible would make you stop and really think twice about a plan?

08/10/2026

One of the reasons I enjoy working with smaller businesses is that the conversation can go a lot deeper than simply, “Here’s your health insurance quote.”

For a business with 2, 10, or 20 employees, benefits can play a real role in where that company goes next.

Can it help you retain a great employee?

Can it make hiring easier?

Can it help you compete with a larger company for talent?

Those are the conversations I want to have.

A smaller business today may be a much larger business a few years from now, and I’d rather be there helping them think through those decisions along the way than just show up when it’s time to renew a policy.

That’s always been the goal for me: be a resource and a consultant first, not just someone making a transaction.

This was another part of my conversation with Barrett Young on The Art of Succession podcast.

Watch the full episode for more of our discussion around growing a business, serving clients differently, and the decisions that come with building for the long term.

▶️ https://youtu.be/hI2ypKJNH6A?si=eZK3Y1lSilRL5XYe

08/07/2026

Mergers and acquisitions create plenty of questions around finances, operations, and leadership.

Employee benefits often get addressed much later than they should.

When two companies come together, the benefits conversation is not just about deciding which plan to keep. It can affect employee morale, retention, communication, and how smoothly the transition feels for the people involved.

Do you keep the existing plans? Move everyone to one plan? Start over entirely?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but there should be a clear strategy behind the decision.
I appreciated the opportunity to discuss this with Barrett Young, on The Art of Succession Podcast podcast.

Watch the full episode to hear more about navigating employee benefits during mergers, acquisitions, and leadership transitions.
▶️ https://youtu.be/hI2ypKJNH6A?si=eZK3Y1lSilRL5XYe

If your business is preparing for a transition, it is worth having the benefits conversation early, not after the decisions have already been made.

07/31/2026

Every renewal season, I get some version of the same question:
“Why did my health insurance go up again?”

I wish there were one simple answer.

The truth is, premiums move because of several things happening at once: healthcare usage, prescription costs, the health of the risk pool, provider pricing, and what the insurance company expects to pay in the year ahead.

That doesn’t make a large increase any less frustrating.

But understanding what is behind it changes the conversation

from:
“I guess we just have to accept it.”
to:
“What is driving this, and what options do we actually have?”

That is what I unpack in Episode 3 of Health Insurance Doesn’t Have to Suck.

🎙️ Watch the full episode.
▶️ https://youtu.be/F1Uea2_wf8I

🎤️ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xiiV5ygBLno0JG5lLUY0p?si=3zZrbNyvRWuVXP-tSAoVkQ

What is the biggest premium increase you have seen at renewal?

07/22/2026

For years, a lot of people have been told the same story:

“You need a traditional job because that’s how you get good health insurance.”

The reality is a lot more nuanced than that.

I had a great conversation on about why so many entrepreneurs, business owners, and even employees make decisions based on outdated assumptions about health insurance.

When you understand your options, you stop making decisions out of fear and start making them with confidence.

Health insurance shouldn’t be the thing that keeps someone from starting a business, growing one, or making a career change.

Thanks to Barrett Young and the team at The Art of Succession for having me on. Part 1 drops Tuesday, and I’m excited to share the full conversation.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on: https://lnkd.in/etHNeXB2

I’d love to hear your thoughts after you watch the trailer.

07/21/2026

Nobody's thinking about health insurance right now.

Which is exactly why now is the time to think about it.

Open enrollment is months away. You picked your plan last fall and haven't looked at it since. Fair. That's what most people do.

But something's happening quietly in the background: your plan is teaching you something right now.

Every copay. Every "sorry, that's not covered." Every time you check what you owe and wince. That's data.

It's telling you whether the plan you picked actually fits the life you're living.

Hit your deductible back in May? You might be carrying more risk than you needed to.

Haven't touched it all year? You might be paying for protection you're not using.

Got surprised by a bill you were sure was covered? That's the gap to close next time.
This is the feedback you'll wish you had in November, when you've got two weeks, a wall of options, and no time to think.

Most people throw it away. They ignore the plan all year, then panic-pick in the fall off the premium number and a vague memory.

You don't have to.

Nothing drastic required mid-year. Just pay a little attention. Notice what your plan does well, and where it leaves you exposed.

Because the best open enrollment decision isn't made during open enrollment.
It's made in July, when nobody's rushing you.

07/20/2026

🎙️A few years ago, if you had asked me whether I'd ever start a podcast, I probably would have laughed.

I'm much more comfortable sitting across the table from one client than talking into a microphone.

But after having the same conversations hundreds of times, I realized something.

The questions never really changed.
"What plan should I choose?"
"Why did my premium go up?"
"Why is my deductible so high?"

Most people aren't looking for a perfect health insurance plan. They're looking for someone who can explain it in a way that actually makes sense.

That's what pushed me to start Health Insurance Doesn't Have to Suck.

This clip is from the very first episode and explains the reason behind the podcast.

If it helps you, or reminds you of someone who's ever said, "I have no idea how my health insurance works", I'd appreciate you sharing it.

And if you enjoy learning this way, I also write a companion newsletter called Clarity Notes, where I expand on each episode with additional insights and practical examples.

Full Episode on:
🎙️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-health-insurance-feels-so-confusing-and-how-to/id6787139892?i=1000775354438

🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NQ3opnM5RGEkGkJ8EtIcS?si=E-e6GPupTAygkF2o5sXULg

🎙️ https://youtu.be/c5vqchoV84w?si=NQckP0YAgWPEsS3X

I'd love to know:
❓What's one thing about health insurance you've always wondered but never asked?