Midway Business Podcast

How to Stop Paying for a Broken Healthcare System (Without Firing Your Broker… Yet)

In this episode, Butch Zemar chats with benefits vet Gary Blaum, who’s spent decades in the TPA and PBM trenches. Spoiler: PBMs were cooking the books, and Gary brought spreadsheets to the gunfight. After years of chasing down shady contracts, he found something better—Vitable—a fixed-cost primary care model that sends nurse practitioners to your employees’ homes. Yep, house calls are back, and no, it’s not 1942.
Employees love the zero copays. CFOs love the predictable costs. HR finally has a recruiting tool better than casual Fridays. With early diagnosis, real care, and a 3:1 ROI, this model doesn’t just bend the trend line—it dropkicks it.
As Gary says, “There’s no good reason not to do this.” Unless, of course, you’re emotionally attached to double-digit renewals.
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net or call 708-535-3006.

Beyond the Breaking Point: What Great Leaders Do Differently

🎙️ In this episode of the Midway Business Podcast, Butch Zemar dives into the unglamorous truth about why people give up too early — and no, it’s not just because Netflix released another season of something shiny. From childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut (thanks for nothing, Navy recruiter) to navigating the chaotic galaxy known as health insurance, Butch shares battle-tested stories about how success isn’t a straight line — it’s more like a drunken loop-de-loop through doubt, detours, and deductible spreadsheets. Spoiler alert: most people don’t fail — they just stop showing up.
 
Using Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking goal streak as a metaphor (because who doesn’t love hockey analogies), Butch reminds us that even the greatest need assists — from line mates, life partners, and yes, even LinkedIn followers. Whether you're chasing a business goal, a personal best, or just trying to survive open enrollment season with your sanity intact, this episode is your wake-up call to stop ghosting your goals. Grab your calendar, call your therapist, and for the love of benefits, journal your action steps. Because the only thing worse than failing is hiring a broker who gives up faster than your New Year’s resolution.
 
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net or call 708-535-3006.

Dear CFO: You Analyze Everything Except the One Thing Bleeding Cash

In this episode of the Zemar Podcast, Butch Zemar takes us on a wild ride from outdated Navy aircraft to outdated employer health plans — because apparently, both refuse to die quietly. Using a broken FLIR pod as a metaphor (and no, not the kind of pod you cry in after seeing your renewal increase), Butch breaks down why starting from scratch isn't such a bad thing — whether it's rewiring aircraft or rebuilding your benefits strategy. If NASA can reprogram a space capsule with duct tape and whiteboards, your company can certainly rethink its January 2026 health plan before it's too late (yes, even in July 2025).
Bonus tip: your broker might already be on summer vacation, but that doesn’t mean your fiduciary duty is too.
He compares the health insurance renewal process to a family board game — except in this one, the rules change annually, the dice are rigged, and your CFO keeps trying to skip to the end without reading the instructions. Butch lays out the roadmap: ditch the cookie-cutter plan, start removing predictable expenses like doctor visits, challenge your broker on drug rebates, and don’t be afraid to ask “why are we still doing it this way?” If you can control office supplies and taxes, you can control your health plan. And if all else fails, channel your inner Captain Jack Sparrow, grab your sword (or spreadsheet), and charge the Kraken — because it’s time to fight back against bad renewals. 💥💼🩺
 
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006

Because ‘We’ve Always Done It This Way’ Is Clearly a Financial Plan

In this episode, Butch Zemar delves headfirst into the bureaucratic complexities that hinder small and mid-sized businesses when it comes to managing employee benefits. He explores why some companies act like deer in headlights when faced with cost-saving opportunities — usually because emotions are driving the bus while logic is locked in the trunk. Butch calls out the common bottleneck culprit: the business owner.
Spoiler alert — if you're still personally reviewing dental network maps in Q3, you're probably the problem. Drawing comparisons to giants like Musk and Bezos, Butch reminds us that successful leaders make bold moves, trust data over feelings, and don’t panic just because the toothpaste is running low.
With equal parts insight and satire, Butch urges business leaders to ditch the "just survive" mentality and start playing to win. He shares real-world examples of companies that left six figures in cash savings on the table because they were too emotionally attached to outdated plans.
From letting go of tasks to trusting the math over your gut, the episode lays out a simple roadmap: stop hoarding responsibility like it's Halloween candy, delegate like a grown-up, and treat your benefits strategy like it actually impacts your bottom line — because it does. If you're tired of watching your health plan bleed cash while your CFO plays whack-a-mole with invoices, this episode is your wake-up call.
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006

We Tried Nothing and We’re All Out of Ideas - But Hey, At Least HR Still Has Bagels

Let’s be honest—setting goals is easy. Achieving them? That’s where CFOs start twitching and HR hides under their desks.
In this episode, we get a masterclass in corporate reality checks. Think you're overworked? Imagine trying to hit business goals while your benefits plan is hemorrhaging money like a rookie finance intern let loose in Excel.
Butch Zemar breaks down the art of not giving up too early—unless, of course, you enjoy 54% renewal increases and the warm, fuzzy feeling of budget panic. He uses stories from his own journey—complete with dreams of becoming an astronaut and disappointing DIY projects—to prove that brute force and wishful thinking don’t belong in your benefits strategy.
Now, if your current broker is telling you “it’s just the market,” you might want to get that second opinion before your healthcare plan starts moonlighting as a financial sinkhole. Zemar shares how one company saved $400,000 by switching funding models—yes, real money, not Monopoly cash—and another that avoided a catastrophic increase by actually using strategy (shocking, we know). The takeaway? Stop throwing darts at your health insurance plan blindfolded. There’s a better way—and no, it doesn’t involve spreadsheets soaked in tears.
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006

Brokers, Spreadsheets, and Other Things That Haven’t Changed Since 1997

This episode dives into the all-too-familiar boardroom ritual: reviewing the company's health plan with furrowed brows, followed by the annual shrug and “let’s just raise the deductible again.” Butch Zemar calls out this Groundhog Day behavior with a fresh prescription—less déjà vu, more innovation. Drawing inspiration from Big Hero 6 (because who says insurance can’t be animated?), he challenges businesses to think differently.
Brokers still clinging to 1990s playbooks?
CFOs allergic to change?
It's time for a reality check and possibly a cartoon intervention.
Butch Zemar walks us through a case study that would make even the most cynical auditor perk up: a company shaved nearly $300K off their health costs over six years by doing the unthinkable—collaborating with their accountant. Even when claims spiked 52%, their strategy cut it back to 22%. The message is clear: switching carriers isn’t a strategy, and hope isn’t a cost containment tool. Tune in to learn why your accountant might be the real superhero you’ve been ignoring—cape not included.
 
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006

Skate Your Lane: Beer League Strategies for Boardroom Survival

In this episode, we lace up the skates, tape our sticks (badly), and take a hard-checking look at how beer league hockey can teach business professionals more than a dozen leadership seminars and a thousand "synergy" emails ever could. What starts as a midlife crisis on ice turns into a full-on MBA in grit, leverage, and learning not to chase the puck—or the next shiny business trend.
Between getting yelled at by semi-retired goalies and misplaying every position imaginable, the lessons come fast, slippery, and slightly bruised. Spoiler: brute force rarely wins—unless your KPI is “most time spent in the penalty box.” From boardrooms to breakaways, we explore how playing your position, using the right tools, and not mistaking motion for progress are key to scoring real wins. Whether you're a sales rookie, a startup founder, or just trying to survive the inbox power play, this one’s for you. Work smarter. Skate harder. And for the love of all things strategic—stay out of the crease.
 
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006

When Your Moral Compass Has Better GPS Than Your Insurance Network

This episode takes a bold stand for a concept often left behind after the annual ethics training: integrity. From a 19th-century shipwreck survivor refusing to sell out his story to Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, we explore how standing up for what’s right has always been uncomfortable, unpopular—and often unprofitable. Naturally, that brings us to today’s healthcare industry, where "ethical pricing" is apparently a mythical creature and major players keep pharmaceutical rebates as secret as Area 51.
Listeners will enjoy a tour through the tangled world of rebate hoarding, price inflation, and "transparency" that only a legal team could love. It's a reminder that moral courage isn’t just for history books—it’s also for employers who are tired of footing the bill for an industry that can’t spell “value-based care” without an asterisk. Whether you're a broker, a benefits manager, or someone who’s ever stared at a $300 Band-Aid on an EOB, this episode offers real talk, corporate clap back, and a gentle push to start demanding better—preferably before 2028.
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006

Breaking Up with the Status Quo - It’s Not You, It’s Your 14% Premium Hike

In this episode, we tackle everyone’s favorite workplace fantasy: achieving long-term goals without sacrificing lunch breaks, sanity, or the sacred Slack meme thread. From health insurance horror stories to motivational gym metaphors, it’s a brutally honest look at why your benefits plan (and your personal growth strategy) tend to fall apart around Q2. The solution? Stop treating progress like a New Year’s resolution and start building actual systems—because spoiler: “We’ll circle back on that” is not a strategy.
Also up for discussion are the fine art of pretending double-digit premium increases are just “part of the process” and how Purdue University managed to keep its healthcare costs flatter than your company’s last birthday cake. We dive into why consistent action beats quarterly panic, why brokers need to stop playing it safe, and why your Fitbit steps don't count unless you're also stepping up your benefits strategy. If you’ve ever wanted to fire your comfort zone and promote strategic discipline, this episode is your performance review wake-up call.
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006

The Premium Is Too Damn High: A Strategic Deep Dive into Annual Sadness

Ah, health insurance: the annual corporate Hunger Games where employers try to look generous, employees pretend to understand their benefits, and everyone ends up Googling “What is coinsurance?” at 2 a.m. This episode dives into the heart of every HR manager's favorite nightmare—managing costs while offering benefits that don’t cause immediate mutiny in the break room. From the post-WWII days of “Hey, free coverage!” to today’s 14% premium hikes and $7,000 deductibles, we've strayed just slightly from the original vision.
But don't worry, there is hope. We cover real-world strategies that don’t involve printing out motivational posters about “wellness.” Think: telemedicine programs that keep people out of the ER (and away from WebMD doom spirals), claims advocacy that actually advocates, and convincing employees that generic meds aren't part of a government conspiracy. Whether you’re running a 500-person company or managing a team of three and a Keurig, this episode will leave you with ideas, and maybe a renewed desire to finally explain urgent care vs. emergency care without using interpretive dance.
For more information, please contact us at EliteBenefits.net 708-535-3006