In Episode 11 of Captivating Health Insights, host Maddison Bezdicek, Vice President of Strategic Vendor Services at Captive Resources, took the mic solo to walk listeners through a rapid-fire year-end review: what strategies are officially in, what has become outdated, and what is coming next for self-funded employers in 2026.
From high-dollar claims to the realities of GLP-1 drugs to cultural shifts in workplace wellbeing, Maddison recapped the most prominent themes of 2025 and counted down the podcast’s most-listened-to episodes of the year.
High-cost claims are no longer rare. Dialysis, gene therapies, and transplants have shifted from “unlikely” High-cost claims; such claims are no longer considered “rare.” Episode 7’s conversation with Jennifer Lee of QBE underscored why employers are carving out transplant risk up front to stabilize plan performance and avoid six- or seven-figure surprises.
Telemedicine has evolved far beyond urgent care. In Episode 4, Jason Chirichigno of Galileo explained how digital-first primary care brings continuity, chronic care management, and behavioral health into a single, integrated, and relationship-driven model.
Episode 9 and Episode 10, featuring Adam Russo of The Phia Group, made it clear that employers — not TPAs or brokers — hold the fiduciary responsibility for final claim decisions. With DOL audits on the rise, especially around mental health parity, programs like PACE help employers protect both their plans and their members.
In Episode 8, industry leaders reinforced during a stop-loss leadership roundtable that self-funding and group captives are no longer niche. Employers are no longer joining captives out of fear — they’re joining because captives offer analytics, risk-sharing, and cost management strategies that outperform the traditional market.
2025 proved that GLP-1 medications aren’t going anywhere. The conversation has shifted from “Should we cover them?” to “How do we cover them responsibly?” Maddison recapped guidance from Brenda Navin of Launch My Health and Kelly Rawlings of Vida Health that was shared in Episode 1: employers should link medication access with comprehensive metabolic health programs to drive tangible outcomes, prevent muscle loss, and ensure long-term sustainability.
These highlights only scratch the surface of what Maddison covered in her year-end 2025 recap. To hear the full breakdown — including the context behind each trend, real examples from across the season, and her perspective on what employers should be watching for — make sure to listen to the episode.
Maddison closed with results from a listener poll revealing what viewers most wanted to hear in the year ahead:
Listeners can expect a content-rich 2026 focused on savings, wellbeing, and simplifying the complexities of self-funded plans.
Key Takeaway
In 2025, employers shifted from passive oversight to proactive strategy — from waiting for claims to hit, to building programs that protect plan integrity, member health, and long-term sustainability. As Maddison summed up, the future belongs to employers who embrace innovation, understand evolving risks, and stay curious about what’s next. Here’s to another year of insights, innovative solutions, and a stronger self-funded community.
Listen and subscribe on your favorite platforms, including YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, and Pocket Casts, for insights on the biggest 2025 healthcare trends — from high-cost claim protection and fiduciary compliance to captives, GLP-1 strategies, and digital-first primary care.
