Welcome! Let’s Get You Oriented.
If you’re new(ish) or haven’t yet explored all the newsletter issues, this is your roadmap.
Most newsletters fade after a few months.
This one didn’t.
What started as a weekly attempt to untangle healthcare complexity has turned into something much more:
A growing community of fiduciaries, advisors, and executives who want better answers and are willing to act on them.
Last week’s anniversary giveaway wasn’t just a celebration.
It was a signal. A signal people want:
- Practical tools, not platitudes
- Fiduciary clarity, not vendor spin
- Help making hard decisions, not more noise
Whether you joined last week, or you’ve been here since the beginning, this issue is your roadmap for getting real value from everything we’ve built.
What You’ll Find In This Issue
- A quick welcome for new subscribers (and how to get oriented fast)
- A brief roundup of the most useful resources from the past year
- A new archive turning issues into a resource library
- A look at what’s coming next
If you only spend 5 minutes on this issue, you’ll leave knowing exactly where to start and how to use this newsletter when decisions matter.
Why This Newsletter Exists
Employer health plans sit at the intersection of:
- Real human impact
- Fiduciary responsibility
- Opaque vendor incentives
- Growing cost and legal risk
Most leaders are expected to “do the right thing” without clear standards, reliable tools, or unbiased guidance on what “right” really is. This newsletter exists to change that. Every issue is designed to do at least one of three things:
- Clarify a confusing issue
- Surface a hidden risk
- Offer a practical next step
No hype. No vendor agenda.
Just clear thinking and better decisions.
What You May Not Know
One thing many subscribers don’t realize:
There Are Now 50+ issues in a searchable archive on our website.
👉 Check it out at DittoAndAssociates.com/Archive
We’ve updated our website to make accessing and sharing every newsletter issue easier. The Archive lists issues by date and allows quick filtering by topics like Benefits, Contracts, Ethics, Litigation, and PBMs.
Perhaps most useful is a Search function to filter by any keyword you choose. That means you can quickly find guidance on topics like:
- ERISA, CAA, Fiduciary, Ethics, Boards
- PBMs, TPAs, Stop Loss, Direct Contracts
- Procurement, RFPs, RFIs, Vendors, Advisors
- Risks, Costs, Litigation, Case Studies
If you’ve ever thought,
“I know Steve wrote something about this…”
...you can now find it in seconds.
This update turns the newsletter from “weekly reading” into a reference library.
Quick Guide to Using the Archive
Here are three simple ways readers are using it already:
1. Problem-first searching
Facing a PBM renewal? A vendor conflict? A board question?
Search the topic and skim 2–3 relevant issues before your next meeting.
2. Internal education
Forward specific issues to HR teammates, CFOs, or committee members
Instead of trying to explain everything yourself.
3. Pattern recognition
Reading across multiple issues reveals something important:
Many “isolated” problems are actually systemic and solvable.
What We’ve Covered This Year
Over 52 issues, we’ve explored:
- How to make better decisions leading to better outcomes
- How fiduciary risk is quietly expanding
- Why PBM conflicts persists
- Where employers consistently overpay and why
- How better governance leads to better benefits
- What real reform actually looks like at the plan level
Not as theory but through real examples, real contracts, and real decisions.
Next week, we’ll pull the most important themes together into a Year-in-Review issue to make those patterns explicit.
What’s Coming Next
Between now and year-end:
- Next week (Dec 22): The biggest lessons from the past year
- Final issue of the year (Dec 29): Resolutions for the New Year
No urgency. No promotion.
Just a clean close to the year and a clear look ahead.
We’re Glad You’re Here
If you’re new here, start by exploring the archive.
If you’ve been reading for a while, revisit a few issues with fresh eyes.
This work compounds.
And the leaders who get the most value aren’t the ones who read the most.
They’re the ones who use it when decisions matter most.
Here’s to clearer thinking, stronger plans, and better outcomes for the people who rely on us.
All the best,
The Health Plan Compliance Advantage
p.s.
Before we go, a quick update on last week’s anniversary giveaway…
Don’t be a bystander. Change the status quo and reap the benefits of The Health Plan Compliance Advantage. Schedule an introductory call with us.
