Justin Leader
Certifications, Awards, and Accolades
- National Advisor of the Year Finalist, 2025
- Charter Awardee, the Validation Institute’s Fiduciary Validation for Benefits Firms & Individuals, 2024
- Health Rosetta, 5x Rosie Award Winner 2023-2024
- BenefitsPro Face of Change, 2020
- California University of Pennsylvania inaugural Forty under 40, September 2019
- Certified Health Rosetta Chartered Advisor, 2017
- BenefitsPro Face of Change, 2020
- Central Pennsylvania Business Journal forty under 40 Awardee October 2017
Justin Leader serves as Senior Advisor to Health Plan Legal Counsel, bringing over 15 years of experience in the health and welfare benefits space, with deep subject matter expertise in fiduciary responsibility, compliance, and cost-containment strategies. In this role, he supports the lawyers and legal consultants at Health Plan Legal Counsel by providing strategic guidance, expert analysis, and insight into the rapidly evolving healthcare and benefits landscape.
Justin has advised a wide range of stakeholders across the United States—including plan sponsors, third-party administrators (TPAs), pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and point solution vendors—with a focus on fiduciary risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and the implementation of transparent, aligned benefit strategies. He has also served as a subject matter expert and expert witness, helping litigation teams understand the complex mechanics of health plan design, administration, and fiduciary oversight.
As the founder and President of an independent benefits advisory, brokerage, and consulting firm, and a Certified Health Rosetta Chartered Advisor, Justin is a trusted voice in launching and advising innovative healthcare solutions and startups, helping them navigate compliance, operational design, and market fit. Justin’s trustworthiness and competence is reflected in his current status as a BenefitsPRO 2025 Advisor of the Year Finalist.
At Health Plan Legal Counsel, Justin continues his mission of fixing healthcare by supporting the legal team and HPLC clients with real-world insights, strategic guidance, process knowledge, and a collaborative approach to solving benefit-related legal and operational challenges.
Education
Master of Science
Master of Science Excercise Science and Health Promotion 2005-2007, 4.0 GPA
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Science Biology with Concentration in Pre-Medicine 2001-2005, 3.5 GPA, Beta Beta Beta – National Biology Honor Society
Publications
June 2024, LinkedIn: Uphill Battles: Navigating the Challenges of Ethical Healthcare Consulting
December 2024, LinkedIn: Are Hospitals the Next Utility? A Path to Fairness and Transparency
As Seen In
April 2025, BenenfitsPRO: 2025 Advisor of the Year Finalist: Justin Leader
February 2025, PennWest University: Justin Leader From First-Generation Student to Healthcare Entrepreneur
August 2024, Employee Benefits News: Benefits Think: The power of promoting hospital charity care for eligible patients
July 2021, Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Investigation Troubled Transparency: Most Pennsylvania hospitals fail to reveal their prices to the public — as required by federal mandate
Podcasts
April 2024, Relentless Health Value Episode 433: Mystery of the Weekly Claims Wire: What are Plan Sponsors Actually Paying For Each Week?
2024, Stories with Traction: The Story of Justin Leader
March 2021, Health Rosetta: Saving Working & Middle Class Families from Medical Bill Bankruptcy Via a Little-known ACA Clause
Speaking
Multi Year Vistage Speaker – Available Upon Request for CE and Key Member Groups Nationally
2024 Health Rosetta: Rosetta Fest – Navigating Challenges in Employer and Union Health Plans: Insights and Strategies for Effective Solutions
2024: Simpara Presents Health STL Healthcare Transparency: The New Frontier
2023 The “F” Word – Pittsburgh Business Group on Health Symposium
2023 Legal & Legislative Conference, Pennsylvania State Council of SHRM: “The “F” Word: New Laws Spotlighting the Fiduciary Duties Required by Health Plan Sponsors”
THE “F” WORD | JUSTIN LEADER | DISRUPTHR TALKS
THE “F” WORD | JUSTIN LEADER | DISRUPTHR TALKS The “F” Word – a DisruptHR talk by Justin Leader – President & Founding Partner of BenefitsDNA DisruptHR Princeton 1.0 – September 8, 2022 in Princeton, NJ #DisruptHRPrinceton
2022 York SHRM: “Employer Fiduciary Alert – What You Need to Know Regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA)”
2019 Human Resource Professionals of Central Pennyslvania: “A Fresh Look at Employer Healthcare Strategies”
Our Own Worst Enemy: Our Inadvertent Business Dogmas that Perpetuate the Unsustainable Health System, and How We Change Them – 4C Conference February 2025