Let’s create solutions, and let’s demand results
FOR EMPLOYERS
SPEAKER · ADVOCATE · ADVISOR
For Employers
The Business Case for Healthcare Reform
I spent 35 years in the healthcare industry, 25 of them at Johnson & Johnson, and a good share of that time negotiating contracts with payers and PBMs. I know how those deals get built and who they're built to benefit. Usually it's not the employer paying the bill.
The average family plan cost employers and workers nearly $27,000 in 2025, up 6% in a single year, and employers covered roughly three-quarters of it. Most companies still can't see what they're paying for. PBM contracts are written so rebates and fees stay hard to trace, and hospitals have been slow to post real prices even though the federal transparency rule took effect in 2021.
The cost doesn't stay on the benefits line. Money spent on premium increases is money that doesn't go into raises, and employees feel the rest through higher deductibles. When people put off care because of cost, or spend weeks fighting a prior authorization denial, you pay for it in missed days and turnover. Employers are the largest private purchasers of healthcare in this country, which means you have more leverage than you're probably using, at the negotiating table and with your legislators.
Chuck Melendi
Former J&J executive, host of Disruptive Dialogue
How I Help Employers
Benefits advising and contract strategy
I work with employers and benefits consultants on drug price negotiations, PBM and payer contracting, and analyzing how plan decisions actually land on employees. I've been on the other side of those negotiations, and I know where the money moves.
Speaking
I speak to HR and benefits audiences, leadership teams, and industry groups on PBMs, drug pricing, 340B, Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage, and practical tools for insurance negotiations. I tailor each talk to the people in the room.
Advocacy training
Many of the problems driving your costs have to be fixed in Congress and state legislatures. I train employer teams and coalitions to engage lawmakers on PBM reform and price transparency, with a strategy built around the legislation that's actually moving.
Featured Partnership
Wallace Welch & Willingham (W3), an IMA company + Disruptive Dialogue
W3 consultants go into renewals understanding how drug pricing and PBM contracts actually work and knowing which questions to ask. That’s the focus of Chuck’s partnership with Wallace Welch & Willingham (W3), built around prescription drugs, the part of the benefits plan that’s hardest for employers to see into. Chuck trains W3’s team on drug pricing and consults on prescription drug strategy for their clients, and they collaborated on a PBM contract for use with national transparent PBMs. He also shares insights directly with employers at group gatherings and conferences.
"Chuck consistently brings fresh, innovative ideas to every training and contracting project at W3. His dedication, expertise, and collaborative approach have made a meaningful difference for our team and clients."
Katie Reynolds
Employee Benefits Practice Leader, W3 Insurance
Podcast Episodes for Employers
{Candidate list for Brooke and Chuck to narrow down.}
Healthcare’s Toll on Business (ft. Scott Robey)
The economic cost of healthcare to businesses, beyond the hospital bill.
The Business of Denial (ft. Dr. Seth Glickman)
A former health system CMO and insurer chief health officer on prior authorization, ghost networks, and denials. It's useful for anyone evaluating a plan.
The ALICE Crisis: Why 42% of Families Struggle to Make Ends Meet (Ft. Doug Griesenauer)
Our outdated poverty metrics & what healthcare costs do to working households, which includes much of your workforce.
Why Health Insurance Still Bankrupts Americans (ft. Wendell Potter)
A former insurance executive explains how the industry makes its money.
340B, Hospital Consolidation, and Where the Money Goes (ft. Brian Reid)
Health policy explores the drug discount program, hospital absorption of private practice, & how both show up in what commercial plans pay.
My guest appearances
Code WACK!: Why Employers Are 'Flying Blind' on Healthcare Costs
Taking the Pulse
Understanding the 340B Pricing Program
Tools for Employers
I put together a guide for employers who want to do more than absorb the next premium increase. It starts with pressing your carrier and your broker for real plan data, including claims trends and benchmarking, and getting your CFO involved. It also covers how to hear from employees about where their coverage is failing them and how to bring that experience, along with your own numbers, to lawmakers and employer coalitions working on reform.