EP 37 | Why Employers Are Reinvesting in Primary Care and What It Means for Cost, Care, & Engagement скачать в хорошем качестве

EP 37 | Why Employers Are Reinvesting in Primary Care and What It Means for Cost, Care, & Engagement

Employers are no longer waiting for healthcare costs to stabilize. In this episode, Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin are joined by Murray Harbour to break down why advanced primary care, direct contracting, and value-based benefit design are moving from pilot ideas to core employer strategies. The conversation explores how employers are shifting away from traditional networks, why prevention and engagement still struggle at scale, and what is finally changing in 2025 and beyond. From GLP-1 program missteps to bundled care models and local primary care solutions, this episode offers real-world examples of how employers can regain control of cost while improving access and outcomes. Key Topics Discussed Why employer healthcare renewals are driving new benefit strategies The difference between direct primary care and advanced primary care models Evidence behind primary care investment and long-term cost control Why ROI is giving way to value of investment in benefits planning Employer frustration with access, billing complexity, and care delays How self-funded employers are bypassing traditional networks What GLP-1s revealed about program design and wraparound care PBM contract limitations and emerging workarounds The growing role of local, high-touch primary care models What benefit planning for 2026 and 2027 is starting to look like Episode Chapters and Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and guest introduction 01:40 What is changing for employers post-pandemic 02:40 Does primary care investment actually lower costs 03:45 ROI versus value of investment in benefits 04:40 Prevention, wellness, and engagement challenges 05:55 Direct vs advanced primary care explained 06:55 Why employers are bypassing traditional networks 08:10 Provider systems adopting advanced primary care 09:50 Why benefits moved down and back up the priority list 11:05 Legislative incentives and misalignment 13:20 What employers are planning for 2026 14:55 PBM contracts and pharmacy control 16:50 Multi-generational benefits and engagement 18:00 How younger workers are reshaping benefit expectations 21:05 Why change happens slowly and strategically 24:15 The future of advanced primary care and local models 27:45 Primary care as the quarterback of care 28:40 Closing thoughts and wrap-up