Encore! EP415: Some Jumbo Employers Buying Better Healthcare Outcomes While Saving 15% on Total Cost of Care, With Rob Andrews

In this episode, Stacey Richter speaks with Rob Andrews, CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance (HTA) and former Congressman, about the strategic steps jumbo employers can take to achieve improved health outcomes while reducing cost. They delve into the importance of using data to discern effective practices, negotiate contracts, and hold intermediaries accountable. The discussion highlights maternal health as a critical area of focus, with successful interventions shown to reduce NICU admissions and overall healthcare costs. Andrews emphasizes the role of self-insured employers in driving systemic changes that align financial incentives with health outcomes. Getting better health for the 160 million Americans covered by commercial insurance, in Andrews's view, is all about rates, rights, and power. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✅ What strategic steps jumbo employers can take to improve health outcomes while reducing total cost of care ✅ Why using data to identify effective practices, negotiate contracts, and hold intermediaries accountable is central to the Health Transformation Alliance's approach ✅ Why maternal health is a critical area of focus, and how successful interventions have been shown to reduce NICU admissions and overall healthcare costs ✅ Why self-insured employers have a unique role in driving systemic change that aligns financial incentives with actual health outcomes ✅ Rob Andrews's framing for the 160 million Americans covered by commercial insurance: it all comes down to rates, rights, and power WHY THIS MATTERS "Strategy's not what people say; it's what they do." Rob Andrews's blueprint for jumbo employers isn't a philosophy — it's an operational discipline built on data, contract leverage, and accountability. Getting better health outcomes for the 160 million Americans on commercial insurance, per Andrews, comes down to three things: rates, rights, and power. === LINKS === 🔗 Show Notes with all mentioned links: Episode Page 🔗 Healthcare Industry Acronyms and Terms ✉️ Enjoy this podcast? Subscribe to the free weekly newsletter 🫙 Support the podcast with a small donation to the Tip Jar 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel 🎤 Listen on Apple Podcasts 🎤 Listen on Spotify === CONNECT WITH THE RHV TEAM === ✭ LinkedIn ✭ Threads ✭ Bluesky ✭ X 00:00 Introduction. 07:34 How did Rob get to his current role? 09:08 The problem of maternal health and mortality rate, and how self-insured employers wind up directly and indirectly paying for this. 10:27 Why economic consequences move the needle, and why sometimes they don't. 12:26 Why the best way to address costs isn't to re-shift costs but to address them directly. 13:22 Why compensation that isn't dependent on outcomes is a problem. 16:23 "Strategy's not what people say; it's what they do." 18:21 How do you operationalize saving money with better outcomes? 26:26 How do employers turn conflict into collaboration? 28:20 What is the win-win-win structure among employers, payers, and providers in Rob's eyes? 30:53 To whom should the task of risk adjustment fall? 34:43 "Better contracts do improve outcomes."