CVS Health: Building Healthcare’s Consumer Platform

Josh Weiner left Meta to return to CVS Health with two painful realizations: consumers don't manage their health—they expect it, and the healthcare market fundamentally violates every principle of economics. In this conversation with a16z's Julie Yoo, the CVS Senior VP explains why 50% of Americans can't afford a healthcare emergency, how CVS is becoming a platform to solve structural healthcare problems, and why the future depends on consumers finally controlling their own health data. Timecodes: 0:00  The Healthcare Market Isn't Functioning 2:30  Consumers Don't Manage Health, They Just Expect It 3:39  Why Consumer Playbooks Die in Healthcare5:41  Motion vs Progress: The Innovation Illusion8:46  Platform Philosophy: "It Takes a Village"11:38  The Vaccine Paradox Under One Roof19:37  The 40% Hidden Reality: Healthcare Is Caregiving21:04  The Deductible Comprehension Crisis22:10  "This Does Have an Expiration Date"24:40  The Health Passport Future Resources:Find Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshweiner2/Follow Julie on X: https://x.com/julesyoo Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the Raising Health Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjb8YTzHDuPBgDXc3ElkRListen to the Raising Health Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-health/id1529318900Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.