Live at HLTH: Providing Quality Care at a Low Cost—featuring Marcus Osborne

When Walmart launched its $4 generics program in 2006, the retailer was amazed by how many Americans had prescriptions they weren’t getting filled, either because they couldn’t afford care, or they were afraid to find out how much the drug might cost.And that key learning has guided Walmart Health ever since, as they work to address issues of accessibility, affordability and complexity in the healthcare system.Marcus Osborne is the Senior Vice President of Walmart Health, where he focuses on driving innovation and growth in healthcare for the retail giant. Marcus has been with the organization for 15 years, and he is on a mission to provide high-quality care to the Walmart customer base.On this episode of The Beat, Marcus joins host Dr. Gautam Gulati to discuss the evolution of Walmart Health, explaining why Walmart got into the primary care business and what it looks like to engage in their integrated experience. Marcus describes how delivering on the Walmart motto—save money; live better—builds trust with its healthcare customers. Listen in to understand Marcus’ concerns around staffing Walmart Health at scale and learn how his team is leveraging technology to provide quality care at a low cost.Topics CoveredMarcus’ role in driving innovation and growth in healthcare for WalmartThe key learning from Walmart’s $4 prescription programWhy Walmart got into the business of providing primary careMarcus' take on healthcare as an omnichannel undertakingHow Marcus distinguishes among customers, consumers and patientsHow delivering on the Walmart motto (save money; live better) builds trust with consumersHow Walmart is leveraging technology to provide a high standard of care at a low costWhat the integrated Walmart Health experience looks like and how it makes healthcare ‘shoppable’How Marcus thinks about staffing Walmart Health at scaleMarcus’ challenge to innovators on serving the Walmart customer base Connect with Marcus OsborneWalmart Health Connect with Dr. Gautam GulatiHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedIn ResourcesMeMDNudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. SunsteinCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesVegan HealthDr. Cheryl Pegus Introductory Quote[28:36] “By us using the latest and greatest technology, it allows us to operate more effectively, more efficiently, at a much lower cost. And so, sometimes people assume that quality and cost run counter, and I would say that in healthcare, that is the biggest mistake. They don’t run counter. They actually operate [in] parallel.”