Episode 17: Nick Reber, founder and CEO of Garner Health

Welcome back to another great episode of the Digital Health Heavyweights podcast! This week our host Norm Volsky interviews Nick Reber, founder and CEO of Garner Health. They discuss Nick's personal journey into healthcare, his experiences at Oscar Health, and the innovative approaches Garner Health is taking to transform the healthcare system. The conversation delves into the challenges of healthcare spending, the importance of quality over cost, and the insights gained from analyzing the largest claims database in the US. Nick emphasizes the need for better incentives in healthcare and the role of data in improving patient outcomes. In this conversation, Nick Reber discusses the complexities of healthcare provider compensation, the innovative reimbursement model of Garner Health, and the importance of data solutions in navigating healthcare fragmentation. Stressing that in the current broken healthcare system "there's zero correlation between cost and quality". He emphasizes the need for high-performance teams, dispels common misconceptions about healthcare options, and shares insights on maintaining personal health as a CEO. The discussion also covers predictions for the future of digital health and the traits necessary for successful founders in this space. Learn about Garner's goal to transform the healthcare economy! "It's all about results." Tune in to find out more! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more amazing Digital Health content, just like this!  Takeaways 💡 Nick's personal experience as a patient inspired his journey into healthcare. ⚙️ The healthcare system is plagued by inefficiencies and misaligned incentives. 📉 Oscar Health's early challenges included high medical loss ratios. 🔍 Transforming healthcare requires understanding the root causes of problems. 🏥 Quality of care is often unrelated to the prestige of providers. 📊 Garner Health aims to provide better data on provider performance. 🎯 The importance of aligning patient incentives with healthcare outcomes. 💸 Healthcare spending is often disconnected from actual quality of care. 🤝 Building a large claims database requires strategic partnerships and timing. 📐 Innovative metrics are needed to evaluate healthcare providers effectively. 🩺 Hospitals have varying degrees of control over their salaried doctors. 📈 There is a growing demand for data-driven insights in healthcare. 💰 Garner Health's reimbursement model incentivizes employees to choose recommended doctors. 🔗 The DataPro solution helps providers understand patient referrals better. 🚀 Future innovations at Garner will focus on improving data and user experience. 🧩 Healthcare fragmentation complicates employee benefits management. 🧠 Successful healthcare teams require deep operational understanding. ❌ Common misconceptions include the belief that price equals quality. ✅ Creating seamless healthcare experiences is essential for patient satisfaction. 💼 Garner has achieved significant cost savings for employers.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Nick Reber and Garner Health 04:12 Experiences at Oscar Health 07:23 Key Learnings from Oscar Health 10:25 Innovative Approaches to Healthcare Spending 15:16 Quality vs. Cost in Healthcare 18:55 Founding Garner Health 23:25 Challenges in Building Garner Health 24:54 Building the Doctor Recommendation System 29:02 Navigating Provider Compensation and Hospital Control 31:56 Understanding Garner Health's Reimbursement Model 33:29 Exploring the Garner DataPro Solution 35:25 Future Trends and Innovations at Garner Health 37:25 AddressinFollow, connect and subscribe:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-health-heavyweights-podcastYoutube: https://youtube.com/@DigitalHealthHeavyweightsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalhealthheavyweights/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heavyweightspodcast