Amaze Health

Before Joanna Luong became a psychiatric nurse practitioner and an experienced healthcare provider, she waited tables. It might sound like an unlikely start for a mental health career, but it's where she learned the skill her patients value most: listening. Really listening to the details people mention in passing, the things they almost don't say. Remembering small details of their lives and asking about them when they came back. Building relationships, one person at a time. That instinct carried her through five years as an ER nurse, into family medicine, urgent care, and eventually, after her own experience with postpartum depression, into mental health care. Today, Joanna is the Mental Health Services Director at Amaze Health. Her approach is curiosity-driven and centered on the patient: exploring each person's story, sometimes challenging a diagnosis that may have followed them from doctor to doctor, and empowering them to build on their strengths. "At Amaze Health, I get to be the patient-centered provider I always wanted to be — one that listens, one that helps them problem solve, and one that does what's right, every time." #mentalhealth #employeewellness #benefitsstrategy #humanresources

Most benefit plan sponsors don't discover their health plan has created a fiduciary liability until someone files a lawsuit. June 9th in Scottsdale is your chance to get ahead of it. David Silverstein, Founder and CEO of Amaze Health and a nationally recognized expert on employer healthcare, will open AZ FOCUS as the keynote speaker with a candid look at why healthcare has become one of the most significant sources of fiduciary exposure on the balance sheet, and what plan sponsors must do now. He'll be joined by Wendy Dominguez of Innovest Portfolio Solutions and Bryan Jeffries of Public Safety Financial/Galloway for a focused panel on translating regulatory pressure into clear, actionable governance steps. It's a complimentary half-day event at the Silverleaf Club in Scottsdale. Lunch is included, and attendance is anticipated to earn CPE and SHRM credits. If you're a benefit plan sponsor or fiduciary in the Phoenix or Scottsdale area, this event could change how you think about your obligations and your options. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dYiN_PBr #PhoenixBusiness #ScottsdaleBusinesss #ArizonaBusiness #EmployerHealthcare #HRLeaderss #BenefitsPlan #SelfFunded #HealthcareCosts

If you're an HR or benefits leader who feels like you've already tried everything to control healthcare costs, you still have options. This Thursday, David Silverstein and Ben Falk are joining Rocky Mountain Total Rewards Association at Empower Field at Mile High for a candid conversation about what's driving employer healthcare costs and what a fundamentally different approach to your health plan could look like. If you've ever sat in a benefits renewal meeting convinced you've run out of levers to pull, this event is for you. It's free to attend, but registration is required. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjbKhHWb We look forward to seeing you! #DenverHR #EmployerHealthcare #HRBenefits #HealthcareCosts #TotalRewards #SelfFunded #BenefitsStrategy #DenverBusiness

Hantavirus is everywhere in the news right now. If your feed has been flooded with hantavirus headlines this week, you're not alone. Between the M/V Hondius cruise ship outbreak, screenshots of out-of-context CDC guidance, and posts warning about the new "airborne Ebola," it's hard to separate the facts from the frenzy. So, we did what we always do for our members. We talked to the experts and put everything you need to know in one place. In our latest article, we break down everything you need to know: • What actually happened on the Hondius (and why the Andes strain is different) • The history of hantavirus—from 1951 Korea to the 1993 Four Corners outbreak to today • Why "can spread between people" isn't the same as "spreads easily" • What that 42-day incubation window really means (hint: it's protocol, not panic) • The symptoms to watch for if you've been around rodents • How to safely clean garages, sheds, and cabins where mice may have nested The bottom line? For the overwhelming majority of us, personal risk remains very low, but hantavirus isn't nothing. Three people have died in this outbreak, and the virus kills a handful of Americans every year, usually after routine exposure in a garage or cabin out West. If you want to learn how it spreads, what symptoms to watch for, and how to protect yourself and your family, we've put it all in one place. At Amaze, we understand that while some viruses spread quickly, fear tends to spread even faster. Our job is to help you tell the difference. Read the blog: https://lnkd.in/gb5wx5yS #PublicHealth #EmployeeBenefits #HealthLiteracy #Hantavirus #HumanResources

Employer healthcare is at an inflection point. Policy shifts, rising costs, and growing fiduciary pressures are forcing organizations to ask hard questions about plans they've had on autopilot for years. Employers who are getting ahead of it aren't waiting for their carriers to fix it; they're starting to ask different questions and are taking control. On May 21st, Rocky Mountain Total Rewards Association is hosting David Silverstein, Founder and CEO of Amaze Health, and Ben Falk, Director of Total Rewards and Compliance for the Denver Broncos, at Empower Field for the conversation most benefits meetings never get to. They'll cover what's driving costs, what a different approach to your health plan could look like, and whether your organization is ready to have that conversation. It's free, it's in Denver, and it might be the most useful evening you spend this year. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gjbKhHWb #DenverHR #EmployerHealthcare #HRBenefits #HealthcareCosts #TotalRewards #SelfFunded #BenefitsStrategy #DenverBusiness

Employers, think about how you run your business. You negotiate vendor contracts, you audit suppliers, and you switch providers when the price isn't right. You demand accountability for every significant line item on your balance sheet because that's what running a business responsibly requires. Now think about your health plan. When you purchase a bundled Administrative Services Only (ASO) plan from a legacy carrier, you are not buying a health plan. You are signing a contract to pay fees to a BUCA tollbooth. If you're like most employers, this is a system of fees you didn't choose, don't fully understand, and have no contractual power to control. You are paying for network access fees, Pharmacy Benefit Manager spread pricing, bundled administrative costs, and override bonuses. The worst part is that the contract you signed likely prevents you from doing anything about it. Yes, your contract might be restricting you from sourcing cheaper specialty drugs and bypassing the PBM. It also prevents you from paying an independent physician a fair cash price without penalizing you for stepping outside the system. You negotiate everything else. Your rent, software, raw materials, and logistics partners. So why does your second-largest operational expense get a pass? Link to my latest Substack in comments. #EmployerHealthcare #SelfFundedHealth #EmployeeBenefits #HRLeadership #CFO #HealthcareCosts #BenefitsStrategy

If you're a self-insured employer, HR leader, or benefits professional in the Denver area and you're tired of absorbing double-digit healthcare cost increases with no clear path forward, we'd like to invite you to an evening that might change how you think about both. Employer healthcare is hitting a breaking point. Rising costs, policy shifts, and growing fiduciary pressure are forcing organizations to rethink traditional health plan models. On May 21st at Empower Field, David Silverstein, Amaze Health Founder and CEO will be joined by Ben Falk, Head of Total Rewards and Compliance for the Denver Broncos, for a candid conversation hosted by the Rocky Mountain Total Rewards Association on why the traditional health plan model is breaking down, and what employers can do about it. We'll cover what recent legislation is doing to employer costs, why fiduciary pressure is increasing, what unbundling a health plan really means, and what employers who have already made the shift wish they had known sooner. 4:00 PM — Networking 4:30 PM — Discussion 5:45 PM — Networking reception and light refreshments Parking provided. Empower Field at Mile High, 1701 Bryant St, Denver. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gRa-4-X3 #DenverHR #DenverBusiness #HRBenefits #EmployerHealthcare #HealthcareCosts

Does it seem like your broker shows up every year with something new? Maybe last year it was a chronic condition management platform, and the year before, it may have been an ER diversion program. This year, it might be a weight loss solution for your GLP-1 costs or a mental health app with a compelling utilization rate. You did what you were told to do to reduce costs and improve your benefits. Your costs went up anyway. I've spent 25 years inside the healthcare system, consulting for United Healthcare, CIGNA, Kaiser, and some of the largest hospital systems in the country. I know why those solutions don't work, and it's not because the vendors are incompetent. It's because none of them are designed to address the source of your costs. While your broker is pitching wellness apps, your Pharmacy Benefit Manager is pocketing the spread between what your drugs cost and what you're charged. Your regional hospital is billing $4,000 for a routine MRI that costs $400 down the street. And the contract your broker sold you, the bundled ASO plan from a legacy carrier, is preventing you from doing anything about either one. The levers that will move employer healthcare costs are transparent PBM contracts, direct provider relationships, independent plan design and Virtual Direct Primary Care. Most employers have never been shown these options. Not because they don't exist, but because showing them to you would cost your broker money. The infographic below shows what's being pitched versus what really works. Share it with whoever signs your renewal. Full article in comments. #EmployerHealthcare #SelfFundedHealth #EmployeeBenefits #HRLeadership #CFO #HealthcareCosts #BenefitsStrategy

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we want to talk about something that matters just as much as awareness—access. When your employees need mental health support, they shouldn't have to wait six weeks for an appointment or wonder if they can afford the $200 session fee. They also shouldn't have to call ten different therapists only to hear "I'm not taking new patients right now." Unfortunately, that happens all too often. People realize they need help, and then they hit a wall trying to get it. At Amaze Health, your employees can connect with licensed therapists and psychiatric providers when they need support, not weeks from now. There are no surprise bills, no endless searching, and no wondering if help is even available. We know mental health challenges don't wait for convenient timing. They show up at 2 a.m. when someone can't sleep, or on a Sunday when the thought of Monday feels overwhelming, or in the middle of a regular Tuesday when something just becomes too much. Your employees deserve support that shows up when they need it. That's what we're here to provide. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #EmployeeBenefits #MentalHealthSupport #HRLeaders #HumanResources

Bloomberg reported this week that healthy workers are leaving employer-sponsored health plans in significant numbers, opting for healthcare share plans or going without coverage altogether to save hundreds of dollars a month. At some companies, 40% of workers waived major medical benefits last year because of cost. If you're an employer, we think that number should get your attention. The workers leaving tend to be young and healthy, the ones who pay premiums and rarely file claims. When they go, the cost burden shifts to everyone who stays. Premiums rise, deductibles climb, and the cycle feeds itself. Many are turning to healthcare share plans for lower monthly costs, fewer rules, and no government mandates. For healthy people, the savings are real, but these plans carry no legal obligation to pay claims and no state oversight. For employees managing chronic conditions or facing a serious medical event, the financial exposure can be significant. Our CEO David Silverstein just published a two-part series on healthcare share plans on his Substack, Broken Healthcare. The articles describe what they are, who benefits, who bears the risk, and what their growth reveals about the state of employer healthcare right now. If you want to learn more about this growing health trend, take a moment to read these articles and consider subscribing. Bloomberg article: https://lnkd.in/ezcGH6z5 Part 1, The Rise of Share Plans: https://lnkd.in/eEeUEJ62 Part 2, Thinking About Joining a Share Plan? https://lnkd.in/gkvduQHb #Employers #HRLeaders #HumanResources #EmployeeBenefits #BenefitsStrategy