Benefits Like a Boss Episode 26 with Jessica Brooks-Woods, CEO of NABIP
In episode 26 of Benefits Like a Boss, National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) CEO Jessica Brooks-Woods joins host Lesley Brown Albright and Jody Schreffler, Nonstop’s SVP of Marketing and Business Development, for a candid conversation about the future of benefits consulting. .
They dig into how brokers can step up as catalysts for affordable, equitable, and innovative healthcare, and why the profession is at a pivotal crossroads. Today, employers need strategic partners who deliver benefits that work for both employees and the bottom line.
Jessica frames the transformation with clarity:
“The role of the broker is one of the most consequential in our healthcare delivery and financing system—I would even challenge to say maybe more than the physician.”
Jessica’s point is hard to ignore: a broker’s recommendations directly determine whether employees can afford care and essential medications.
The key to navigating this era? Operating at the top of your license.
“Our responsibility is to educate and help the broker consultant operate at the top of their license. That means being fluent in the latest products, solutions, strategies, and funding models available in the marketplace today,” Jessica explains.
This mindset is critical as healthcare costs continue to climb. Steep renewal cycles and outdated plan structures make true cost control nearly impossible, unless brokers and employers embrace innovative funding models like ICHRAs or MERPs.
The old playbook is bankrupt. Brokers can no longer rely on traditional approaches that simply shift costs to employees; it’s time for bold, solution-driven strategies.
Jessica delivers a mantra for this new era:
“Selling isn't our goal, being a solution is our goal… Shift happens—but cost shifting to employees is no longer a strategy.”
As the conversation wraps, Lesley reflects on NABIP’s alignment with Nonstop Health’s mission: empowering benefits professionals to lead with courage, collaboration, and compassion.
Listen now to discover how to lead with equity, earn trust, and redefine what it means to be a modern benefits professional.
To know more about Alternative Funding models, access the BIP magazine article and the Alternative Funding Guide.
The information and materials herein are provided for general information purposes only and are not intended to constitute legal or other advice or opinions on any specific matters and are not intended to replace the advice of a qualified attorney, plan provider or other professional advisor. This information has been taken from sources believed to be reliable, but there is no guarantee as to its accuracy. This communication does not constitute a legal opinion and should not be relied upon for any purpose other than its intended educational purpose.
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