Building a Benefits Program That Protects Your People and Your Bottom Line with Ford Clemons

Healthcare costs are up. Your renewal is coming. And if you are not already having the conversation with your broker, you are six months behind.

In this episode of The Moss HR Minute, Nicole Moss, Co-Founder of Moss Consulting HR Services, sits down with Ford Clemons, Managing Director of Employee Benefits at Higginbotham, for one of the most practical and eye-opening conversations the show has had on what employee benefits actually cost, what drives those costs up, and what business owners can do to stay ahead of it.

Ford has spent his entire career at Higginbotham working with mid-market employers across the US, helping them build and sustain competitive benefits packages in an industry that has changed more in the last decade than in the previous three. From ACA compliance to self-funded strategies to population health management, he brings the kind of deep, healthcare-rooted knowledge that turns a confusing and expensive line item into a manageable and strategic investment.

Key topics discussed in this episode:

• What drew Ford to employee benefits from a pre-med background — and why the intersection of healthcare and business became his calling
• The compliance mistakes business owners make most often, and why not knowing is not an excuse when the penalties land
• Why employee benefits is the second largest line item on most balance sheets and how treating it like a business investment changes everything
• Population health management — what it is, why it matters, and how managing chronic conditions proactively prevents catastrophic claims
• How high cost claimants happen, what drives cancer and prescription costs, and where preventative care fits into the strategy
• The honest conversation about 30 to 50 percent renewal increases — what is causing them at a macro level and how Ford navigates those conversations with clients
• Why blaming your broker for a bad renewal is one of the most common and costly misconceptions in the industry
• Why the benefits strategy conversation needs to start at least six months before renewal — not 90 days out
• The value of pairing a strong outsourced HR partner with a benefits broker and why Ford finds it makes every client outcome better
• Ford's volunteer work with Genesis Women's Shelter, the Touchdown Club of Dallas, and the Ashford Rise School — and what keeps him committed to that work year after year

This episode is essential listening for any founder, operator, or HR leader who is tired of being surprised at renewal, wants to understand what is actually driving their costs, and is ready to treat their benefits program like the strategic business tool it is — within one Moss Minute.

Connect with Ford Clemons:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fordclemons/
Email: fclemons@higginbotham.net
Phone: +1 214-346-4159
Website: https://www.higginbotham.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@higginbothamins
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/higginbotham_ins/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/higginbothamins

Book time with Nicole to talk about your HR needs:
https://mossconsulting.com/book-a-free-consultation

Learn more about Moss Consulting HR Services:
https://www.mossconsulting.com

Follow the show:
@TheMossHRMinute