Big renewal increases are creating difficult conversations for small-business owners—and an opportunity for brokers willing to do the work.

In this episode of The Noble Agents, Tom Stein welcomes back Jason Powers, the “Self-Funded Sensei” of Legacy Brokers, for a practical conversation about moving from fully insured health insurance into level funding. Drawing on 26 years of experience, Jason explains what new brokers need to understand before presenting their first case—and why the monthly rate tells only part of the story.

You’ll learn:

• Why rates aren’t firm and final until enrollment is firm and final.
• How individual medical questionnaires help brokers explore options they might otherwise miss.
• What fixed costs, claims funding, and surplus provisions reveal about a level-funded proposal.
• Why pharmacy costs and PBM transparency deserve closer attention.
• How better discovery questions uncover an employer’s real reasons for considering a change.
• How an experienced general agent can help brokers build confidence and serve clients more effectively.

Jason also shares his recommended reading list and the personal family story behind his “Self-Funded Sensei” name.

Whether you’re exploring level funding for the first time or helping an established client through a tough renewal, this episode offers practical ways to look deeper, explain the options, and earn an employer’s trust.

Connect with Jason Powers on LinkedIn or visit LegacyBrokersKC.com.

Get out there, fight for Main Street, and help somebody.

What can decades of stop-loss history teach brokers about today’s level-funded health plans—and the risks behind an attractive quote?

Tom Stein welcomes veteran actuary Hobson Carroll to The Noble Agents for a conversation about the origins of small-group level funding, the mechanics of retained risk, and the lessons behind past insurance market corrections.

Drawing on his experience dating back to the 1970s, Hobson explains how specific and aggregate stop-loss work together, why precise definitions matter, and how aggressive pricing can create problems that surface at renewal. Tom and Hobson also examine AI underwriting, the declining predictive value of initial medical underwriting, and the financial challenges posed by multimillion-dollar medical treatments.

In this episode:

• How early small-group product development helped shape level funding.
• What past stop-loss market corrections reveal about pricing and underwriting discipline.
• Why gross and net loss ratios can tell very different stories.
• Questions brokers should ask about AI underwriting and renewal sustainability.
• How alternative risk arrangements can give employers more meaningful choices.

Hobson’s advice to brokers: work with your underwriting partners, ask for options, and learn to explain those options clearly. For agents serving Main Street employers, this episode offers a deeper understanding of the products they recommend—and the responsibility that comes with recommending them.

Follow The Noble Agents for more conversations about level funding, employee benefits, and responsible plan stewardship.

Rising health care costs are putting employers under pressure—and giving knowledgeable brokers an opportunity to prove their value.

In this episode of The Noble Agents, Tom Stein sits down with John Nelson of TPAC, whose underwriting career began in 1988, to explore how brokers can help employers understand their costs and take action to control them. From underwriting with adding machines and graph paper to today’s flexible self-funded and level-funded plans, John brings decades of perspective to the conversation.

They discuss direct primary care, the hidden cost of referral patterns, why the location of care matters, and how pricing transparency can help brokers guide better decisions. They also examine broker compensation and what it takes to earn the employer’s trust.

For agents looking to strengthen client relationships and improve renewal outcomes, this conversation connects plan stewardship with practical ways to deliver greater value.