Disrupting the Healthcare Status Quo: A Conversation with Chelsea Ryckis
Chelsea Ryckis, president and founder of Ethos Benefits, is leading a powerful revolution in how business owners approach healthcare for their teams. In a recent episode of Pivot to Profit, she shared her journey from brain injury survivor to award-winning healthcare consultant—and how she’s dismantling the broken brokerage model that leaves employers paying more and receiving less. Her story is both deeply personal and radically transformative, offering a fresh roadmap for founders who feel boxed in by traditional insurance plans.
From Personal Crisis to Professional Calling
Chelsea’s journey into the world of healthcare benefits began unexpectedly. A traumatic brain injury ended her Division I softball career and halted her plans to attend medical school. Faced with overwhelming U.S. hospital bills while living in Canada, she realized firsthand how confusing and costly the healthcare system could be—especially for those without support. That experience fueled her mission to fix the system and ultimately led to the creation of Ethos Benefits.
An Entrepreneurial Leap with Purpose
After an insulting $10 bonus check in a nonprofit role, Chelsea decided to take charge of her worth and launched her first insurance agency. Within a year, she was running her own brokerage at just 25. A breakthrough came when she landed a $200,000 contract with a 500+ employee dealership—on a budget vacation in Cuba. That deal proved her model could scale, and it set the tone for what Ethos would become.
Ripping the Lid Off Traditional Insurance
Most brokers offer a limited set of cookie-cutter plans with annual rate hikes and little transparency. Chelsea calls this the “closed box” model. Ethos takes the opposite approach—breaking apart the four key components of a health plan (TPA, pharmacy, network, and stop-loss insurance) and shopping each one independently. This gives clients full visibility and control, often resulting in six-figure annual savings—even for small businesses.
A Business Model Built on Integrity
Ethos Benefits charges a flat fee or performance-based rate, eliminating commission conflicts and ensuring client savings come first. Their book of business performs 44% better than national benchmarks—not just in cost, but in employee health outcomes.
Educating and Elevating an Entire Industry
Through speaking engagements, consulting, and her eye-opening documentary It’s Not Personal, It’s Your Healthcare, Chelsea is helping business owners see that they do have options—and power. A second film, focused on pharmacy benefit managers, is in the works. Her goal: make transparent, ethical benefits consulting the new industry standard.