1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,860 This episode is brought to you by Veradigm, 2 00:00:02,159 --> 00:00:04,639 the only health care technology company connecting all 3 00:00:04,639 --> 00:00:07,859 corners of care. Some companies deliver clinical data. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,859 Others turn that data into insights. 5 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,000 A few provide point of care tools to 6 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:12,500 clinicians. 7 00:00:13,125 --> 00:00:15,865 Veradigm does it all at a national scale. 8 00:00:16,085 --> 00:00:18,285 That's why leading health care organizations are part 9 00:00:18,285 --> 00:00:21,445 of the Veradigm network. By enabling smarter, more 10 00:00:21,445 --> 00:00:22,425 connected workflows, 11 00:00:22,725 --> 00:00:24,885 Veradigm helps close care gaps right at the 12 00:00:24,885 --> 00:00:26,984 point of care where it matters the most. 13 00:00:27,359 --> 00:00:30,120 Whether you're a provider, a biopharma company, or 14 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,899 a health plan, visit veradigm.com. 15 00:00:33,039 --> 00:00:36,640 That's veradigm.com 16 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:38,820 to learn how Veradigm can help you too. 17 00:00:39,425 --> 00:00:41,425 Hello, everyone. This is Jacob Emerson with the 18 00:00:41,425 --> 00:00:44,225 Becker's Pay Your Issues podcast. Thrilled today to 19 00:00:44,225 --> 00:00:46,145 be joined by John Burns, who is the 20 00:00:46,145 --> 00:00:49,105 chief operating officer at Banner Aetna. John, thank 21 00:00:49,105 --> 00:00:50,704 you so much for taking the time to 22 00:00:50,704 --> 00:00:52,784 be with me on the podcast today. Hey, 23 00:00:52,784 --> 00:00:55,310 Jacob. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Absolutely. And 24 00:00:55,310 --> 00:00:56,829 before we dive into everything we wanna talk 25 00:00:56,829 --> 00:00:58,149 with you about, John, can you tell us 26 00:00:58,149 --> 00:01:00,510 a little bit more about yourself, your background 27 00:01:00,510 --> 00:01:02,189 in health care, and what it is that 28 00:01:02,189 --> 00:01:04,049 you're doing today at Banner Aetna? 29 00:01:04,829 --> 00:01:07,150 Sure. Yeah. Happy to. So as you mentioned, 30 00:01:07,150 --> 00:01:09,250 I'm the chief operating officer of 31 00:01:09,594 --> 00:01:10,415 Banner Aetna, 32 00:01:11,034 --> 00:01:14,494 which is a joint venture health insurance company 33 00:01:14,555 --> 00:01:15,694 based out of Arizona. 34 00:01:16,394 --> 00:01:18,954 I stepped into this role in April 35 00:01:18,954 --> 00:01:21,354 after having spent more than a decade with 36 00:01:21,354 --> 00:01:21,854 Aetna 37 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:23,459 and CVS Health. 38 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:24,319 And, 39 00:01:24,799 --> 00:01:26,480 in in that role, I was, 40 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,240 really did a number of different functions covering 41 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,140 government affairs, enterprise strategy, product design, 42 00:01:33,599 --> 00:01:36,579 and most recently was in clinical network operations 43 00:01:36,704 --> 00:01:38,545 for about five years for the company, 44 00:01:38,865 --> 00:01:41,905 focused nationally on all of our our various, 45 00:01:42,145 --> 00:01:45,185 network operations across care management, utilization management, and 46 00:01:45,185 --> 00:01:47,584 the like. So, that's where I'm coming from. 47 00:01:47,584 --> 00:01:49,665 In my current role as the COO of 48 00:01:49,665 --> 00:01:53,189 Banner Aetna, I'm responsible for leading the development 49 00:01:53,250 --> 00:01:56,450 and execution of our integrated strategic plan. And 50 00:01:56,450 --> 00:01:59,010 that's really with a focus on aligning our 51 00:01:59,010 --> 00:02:00,469 payer and provider capabilities, 52 00:02:01,489 --> 00:02:01,989 affordability, 53 00:02:02,609 --> 00:02:06,305 enhance quality, and deliver a seamless member experience 54 00:02:06,364 --> 00:02:07,185 for our customers. 55 00:02:07,645 --> 00:02:09,805 And I'm also responsible for oversight of our 56 00:02:09,805 --> 00:02:12,365 day to day operations, which covers everything from 57 00:02:12,365 --> 00:02:15,805 medical cost and network performance, clinical quality, service 58 00:02:15,805 --> 00:02:17,905 operations, and compliance as well. 59 00:02:18,699 --> 00:02:20,860 Fantastic. So you were at CVS for a 60 00:02:20,860 --> 00:02:23,280 long time. Now you're back at Banner Aetna, 61 00:02:23,580 --> 00:02:25,280 which, of course, you you helped launch. 62 00:02:25,979 --> 00:02:27,840 And you're returning to the company 63 00:02:28,139 --> 00:02:30,459 during a time for the industry where there's 64 00:02:30,459 --> 00:02:32,780 a lot of pressure on the traditional insurance 65 00:02:32,780 --> 00:02:33,280 model, 66 00:02:33,585 --> 00:02:35,344 and that really it seems to be across 67 00:02:35,344 --> 00:02:38,145 every market at this point. So talk to 68 00:02:38,145 --> 00:02:40,465 us. What's your perspective on all of this? 69 00:02:40,465 --> 00:02:43,044 What's your vision for scaling the impact, 70 00:02:44,145 --> 00:02:46,560 of Banner Aetna, and what does success look 71 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,379 like right now, in terms of operations 72 00:02:49,759 --> 00:02:51,139 and clinical outcomes, 73 00:02:51,599 --> 00:02:53,060 given the state of the industry? 74 00:02:53,759 --> 00:02:54,259 Absolutely. 75 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,400 You know, I'm I'm really excited to come 76 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:56,900 back 77 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,460 and work with this business. I think, 78 00:02:59,985 --> 00:03:02,145 you know, from the beginning, Banner Aetna was 79 00:03:02,145 --> 00:03:05,264 built on a clear and compelling vision, which 80 00:03:05,264 --> 00:03:05,764 was 81 00:03:06,064 --> 00:03:07,764 to reimagine the healthcare experience 82 00:03:08,305 --> 00:03:10,245 around the needs of the individual. 83 00:03:10,865 --> 00:03:14,099 And the founding principles that we crafted when 84 00:03:14,099 --> 00:03:16,259 this business was stood up were really designed 85 00:03:16,259 --> 00:03:17,239 to move beyond 86 00:03:17,699 --> 00:03:19,799 transactional health care by delivering 87 00:03:20,419 --> 00:03:22,759 personalized, seamless, and affordable experiences 88 00:03:23,219 --> 00:03:26,099 that empower members to really achieve their best 89 00:03:26,099 --> 00:03:26,594 health. 90 00:03:27,155 --> 00:03:28,675 And at the heart of that strategy is 91 00:03:28,675 --> 00:03:29,655 a belief that 92 00:03:30,034 --> 00:03:32,134 success comes from tightly integrating 93 00:03:32,754 --> 00:03:34,375 the payer and provider capabilities 94 00:03:35,074 --> 00:03:36,455 to deliver those results. 95 00:03:36,754 --> 00:03:38,514 And that's not just in theory, but really 96 00:03:38,514 --> 00:03:41,419 in practice. And I think that this approach 97 00:03:41,419 --> 00:03:43,259 and the business that has been stood up 98 00:03:43,259 --> 00:03:44,959 is really uniquely suited to 99 00:03:45,340 --> 00:03:47,919 Arizona's diverse and dynamic market. 100 00:03:48,539 --> 00:03:50,780 When we think about what that means for 101 00:03:50,780 --> 00:03:53,259 our operational success to date and where we 102 00:03:53,259 --> 00:03:56,224 go from here, we're really focused on four 103 00:03:56,224 --> 00:04:00,224 primary levers operationally to drive efficiency, engagement, and 104 00:04:00,224 --> 00:04:01,444 value for our customers. 105 00:04:02,064 --> 00:04:04,384 And that covers everything from things like real 106 00:04:04,384 --> 00:04:07,025 time data integration. So how do we strengthen 107 00:04:07,025 --> 00:04:09,210 the data and workflow between between the health 108 00:04:09,210 --> 00:04:10,990 plan and the care delivery teams 109 00:04:11,370 --> 00:04:14,969 to improve decision making, reduce administrative friction, and 110 00:04:14,969 --> 00:04:16,110 enable more effective, 111 00:04:16,569 --> 00:04:17,310 care management? 112 00:04:18,089 --> 00:04:20,830 It also covers things like virtual care expansion. 113 00:04:20,889 --> 00:04:22,985 So with our consumer expectations 114 00:04:23,365 --> 00:04:24,884 and seeing how those are shifting in the 115 00:04:24,884 --> 00:04:25,384 market, 116 00:04:25,764 --> 00:04:27,384 we wanna scale seamless 117 00:04:27,685 --> 00:04:30,725 and digitally enabled care options that are fully 118 00:04:30,725 --> 00:04:33,524 integrated into the member care journey so that 119 00:04:33,524 --> 00:04:35,544 members can access care virtually, 120 00:04:36,319 --> 00:04:38,720 or in person depending on their needs, where 121 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,980 they are geographically located and so forth. 122 00:04:41,439 --> 00:04:44,000 And really helping by doing that helping reduce 123 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:44,980 inpatient utilization 124 00:04:45,519 --> 00:04:48,480 and enhance that access, especially in rural and 125 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:49,540 underserved communities. 126 00:04:50,475 --> 00:04:53,355 Another thing we're looking at operationally is with 127 00:04:53,355 --> 00:04:55,595 the advent of AI and how much that 128 00:04:55,595 --> 00:04:57,834 has has started to really mature over the 129 00:04:57,834 --> 00:04:58,334 last, 130 00:04:58,795 --> 00:05:00,714 eighteen to twenty four months is looking at 131 00:05:00,714 --> 00:05:01,774 how we can leverage 132 00:05:02,290 --> 00:05:03,670 some of those AI capabilities 133 00:05:04,290 --> 00:05:06,550 to better drive predictive analytics, 134 00:05:07,089 --> 00:05:08,790 help integrate some of those, 135 00:05:09,889 --> 00:05:12,930 AI capabilities into the operations, and really in 136 00:05:12,930 --> 00:05:15,649 doing that, driving better outcomes as well as 137 00:05:15,649 --> 00:05:17,509 enabling and empowering clinicians 138 00:05:17,935 --> 00:05:19,555 to deliver the best care possible. 139 00:05:20,415 --> 00:05:21,954 And then I would say operationally, 140 00:05:22,415 --> 00:05:24,014 the last thing and the fourth lever is 141 00:05:24,014 --> 00:05:24,834 really around 142 00:05:26,014 --> 00:05:27,935 how we think about this from an employer 143 00:05:27,935 --> 00:05:29,074 centric standpoint. 144 00:05:29,694 --> 00:05:31,375 So we obviously have a lot of self 145 00:05:31,375 --> 00:05:31,875 funded 146 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,060 employers of varying sizes across the state 147 00:05:35,439 --> 00:05:38,400 and really thinking about how do we empower 148 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:39,540 and enable them 149 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:40,660 to manage 150 00:05:41,199 --> 00:05:43,279 the rising cost of health care for their 151 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:43,779 workforce 152 00:05:44,104 --> 00:05:45,964 while at the same time empowering 153 00:05:46,425 --> 00:05:48,345 and helping to improve the health of those 154 00:05:48,345 --> 00:05:48,845 members. 155 00:05:49,544 --> 00:05:51,964 And really the success tied to that is 156 00:05:52,104 --> 00:05:53,324 are we able to, 157 00:05:54,185 --> 00:05:57,245 help support enrollment growth, drive administrative efficiency, 158 00:05:57,730 --> 00:06:00,050 and ultimately help the employer to have some 159 00:06:00,050 --> 00:06:01,029 long term retention 160 00:06:01,569 --> 00:06:02,870 with their employee base. 161 00:06:03,330 --> 00:06:05,410 So that's operationally how we think about kind 162 00:06:05,410 --> 00:06:06,850 of where we go from here. I would 163 00:06:06,850 --> 00:06:08,389 say from a clinical standpoint, 164 00:06:09,009 --> 00:06:11,990 we will continue to demonstrate that the integrated 165 00:06:12,345 --> 00:06:14,444 care of this joint venture 166 00:06:14,745 --> 00:06:17,464 can outperform the traditional models and fee for 167 00:06:17,464 --> 00:06:17,964 service, 168 00:06:18,425 --> 00:06:20,425 and that really results in better health outcomes 169 00:06:20,425 --> 00:06:21,404 at lower costs. 170 00:06:21,785 --> 00:06:24,185 So for this, we're focused on a few 171 00:06:24,185 --> 00:06:26,205 different critical pieces of it clinically. 172 00:06:26,539 --> 00:06:28,860 One is around chronic condition management. You know, 173 00:06:28,860 --> 00:06:31,740 we've already seen some really great outcomes in 174 00:06:31,740 --> 00:06:34,800 diabetes reversal through our partnership with Virta Health, 175 00:06:35,740 --> 00:06:37,979 both on the A1C reduction side as well 176 00:06:37,979 --> 00:06:38,479 as, 177 00:06:38,939 --> 00:06:41,919 a substantial reduction in diabetes medication, 178 00:06:42,675 --> 00:06:44,355 and then just overall weight loss. And I 179 00:06:44,355 --> 00:06:44,855 think 180 00:06:45,235 --> 00:06:46,694 that has been a real, 181 00:06:47,314 --> 00:06:49,714 use case and some of the demonstrated proof 182 00:06:49,714 --> 00:06:51,975 points around that that has given us, 183 00:06:52,435 --> 00:06:54,595 an opportunity to build from as we think 184 00:06:54,595 --> 00:06:56,834 about the momentum and looking at other conditions 185 00:06:56,834 --> 00:07:00,110 like kidney cardiovascular disease, and how we better 186 00:07:00,110 --> 00:07:03,170 support and and help members manage those conditions, 187 00:07:03,870 --> 00:07:05,250 with with this arrangement. 188 00:07:05,870 --> 00:07:07,889 I think preventative care and early intervention 189 00:07:08,509 --> 00:07:11,545 is another one where we're really focused clinically 190 00:07:11,845 --> 00:07:13,845 on how do we increase screening rates and 191 00:07:13,845 --> 00:07:14,745 timely interventions 192 00:07:15,365 --> 00:07:17,444 for members, making sure they're getting in to 193 00:07:17,444 --> 00:07:20,165 see a primary care provider, making sure that 194 00:07:20,165 --> 00:07:21,625 they are, avoiding 195 00:07:22,004 --> 00:07:23,305 unnecessary hospitalizations 196 00:07:23,605 --> 00:07:24,824 and really take advantage 197 00:07:25,180 --> 00:07:26,860 of the full suite of services that are 198 00:07:26,860 --> 00:07:29,500 available to them. And then when we think 199 00:07:29,500 --> 00:07:30,800 about hospital utilization, 200 00:07:31,579 --> 00:07:33,680 we're also looking at it from the standpoint 201 00:07:33,740 --> 00:07:34,240 of 202 00:07:34,620 --> 00:07:37,279 when a member goes into those care settings, 203 00:07:37,394 --> 00:07:38,914 how do we make sure that we're wrapping 204 00:07:38,914 --> 00:07:40,514 around them with the right level of care 205 00:07:40,514 --> 00:07:43,894 and support? So everything from proactive care coordination, 206 00:07:44,754 --> 00:07:46,375 to post discharge follow-up. 207 00:07:47,074 --> 00:07:48,935 How do we make sure that we reduce 208 00:07:49,074 --> 00:07:51,555 those unnecessary ER visits and that when a 209 00:07:51,555 --> 00:07:54,430 member leaves a care setting, they're equipped with 210 00:07:54,430 --> 00:07:56,430 the right level of education, the right level 211 00:07:56,430 --> 00:07:58,829 of care support, and follow on care to 212 00:07:58,829 --> 00:08:01,329 be able to avoid an unnecessary readmission. 213 00:08:01,949 --> 00:08:04,430 And that's particularly true for for high risk 214 00:08:04,430 --> 00:08:04,930 populations. 215 00:08:06,444 --> 00:08:08,444 Absolutely. And, you know, John, we've heard from 216 00:08:08,444 --> 00:08:10,785 several banner Aetna leaders in the past. 217 00:08:11,324 --> 00:08:13,345 I'll always point into your your value based 218 00:08:13,564 --> 00:08:15,585 integrated model as a key differentiator 219 00:08:15,965 --> 00:08:17,185 in the market. So 220 00:08:17,579 --> 00:08:19,439 talk to us about why you think Arizona 221 00:08:19,660 --> 00:08:22,379 is such a uniquely strong market for the 222 00:08:22,379 --> 00:08:24,860 type of transformation you just described, and can 223 00:08:24,860 --> 00:08:26,620 you expand a bit for us about how 224 00:08:26,620 --> 00:08:27,360 you're leveraging 225 00:08:27,660 --> 00:08:30,300 those local dynamics to push this model even 226 00:08:30,300 --> 00:08:30,800 further? 227 00:08:31,694 --> 00:08:32,595 Yeah. Absolutely. 228 00:08:32,894 --> 00:08:34,355 I I mean, if you look at Arizona, 229 00:08:34,894 --> 00:08:35,955 it it really represents 230 00:08:36,815 --> 00:08:40,355 a uniquely fertile environment for value based integrated 231 00:08:40,495 --> 00:08:43,375 care. And I think Banner Aetna is purpose 232 00:08:43,375 --> 00:08:45,634 built to lead that transformation. 233 00:08:46,730 --> 00:08:48,329 It's obviously not the only player in this 234 00:08:48,329 --> 00:08:50,429 space, but the way it has been configured 235 00:08:50,570 --> 00:08:53,309 and just the opportunity of these two large 236 00:08:53,850 --> 00:08:54,350 organizations 237 00:08:55,289 --> 00:08:56,990 is in a lot of ways unparalleled. 238 00:08:57,690 --> 00:08:59,309 But if you look at the state's 239 00:08:59,625 --> 00:09:02,445 health system landscape broadly, it's highly consolidated 240 00:09:03,065 --> 00:09:04,924 among a handful of hospital systems, 241 00:09:05,225 --> 00:09:06,665 Banner being one of those. But then you 242 00:09:06,665 --> 00:09:08,125 have HonorHealth, Mayo, 243 00:09:08,504 --> 00:09:09,644 Abrazo and others. 244 00:09:10,024 --> 00:09:11,245 I think this concentration 245 00:09:11,705 --> 00:09:12,205 of 246 00:09:13,410 --> 00:09:15,669 system of health systems in the market 247 00:09:16,129 --> 00:09:19,009 and with Banner alone commanding nearly 50% of 248 00:09:19,009 --> 00:09:22,690 inpatient volume, within Maricopa County, it really creates 249 00:09:22,690 --> 00:09:25,350 a perfect scale for the integration 250 00:09:25,934 --> 00:09:28,914 and data sharing around these aligned incentive models 251 00:09:29,215 --> 00:09:30,514 and what we're going after. 252 00:09:30,894 --> 00:09:32,174 The other piece of it, if you think 253 00:09:32,174 --> 00:09:34,434 about the uniqueness of Arizona, is 254 00:09:34,975 --> 00:09:35,794 the demographics 255 00:09:36,174 --> 00:09:38,595 of the state, relative to the population. 256 00:09:38,894 --> 00:09:42,039 And, you know, Arizona has 49%, 257 00:09:42,500 --> 00:09:45,139 roughly of its residents that identify as Black, 258 00:09:45,139 --> 00:09:46,919 Hispanic, Asian or Native American. 259 00:09:47,379 --> 00:09:50,519 And with that comes the need for culturally 260 00:09:50,659 --> 00:09:54,084 tailored and personalized care that is accessible across 261 00:09:54,084 --> 00:09:54,745 the state. 262 00:09:55,365 --> 00:09:57,605 And so when we think about that relative 263 00:09:57,605 --> 00:10:00,245 to our business, you know, Banner Aetna was 264 00:10:00,245 --> 00:10:02,985 physically designed to take advantage of these dynamics, 265 00:10:03,524 --> 00:10:04,664 as a joint venture 266 00:10:04,980 --> 00:10:08,019 between the national scale of Aetna as a 267 00:10:08,019 --> 00:10:08,839 health plan 268 00:10:09,139 --> 00:10:10,279 and then Arizona's, 269 00:10:11,220 --> 00:10:12,759 health system with Banner 270 00:10:13,379 --> 00:10:15,320 and the breadth and depth of that system. 271 00:10:15,459 --> 00:10:18,419 We're not simply coordinating care. We're really integrating 272 00:10:18,419 --> 00:10:21,774 it. So this model breaks down the traditional 273 00:10:21,834 --> 00:10:23,855 barriers between the payer and provider 274 00:10:24,235 --> 00:10:27,355 to deliver that more connected accountable experience across 275 00:10:27,355 --> 00:10:28,014 the continuum. 276 00:10:28,634 --> 00:10:30,235 This means that we can act faster on 277 00:10:30,235 --> 00:10:32,714 the insight insights that we have for our 278 00:10:32,714 --> 00:10:33,214 members, 279 00:10:33,730 --> 00:10:36,049 to more effectively align those incentives to meet 280 00:10:36,049 --> 00:10:38,290 members where they are. And whether that's through 281 00:10:38,290 --> 00:10:40,950 things like digital navigation tools for members, 282 00:10:41,330 --> 00:10:43,269 and our work with ninety eight point six 283 00:10:43,410 --> 00:10:46,290 and and virtual care, whether that's some condition 284 00:10:46,290 --> 00:10:49,285 specific programs like Virta Health and the partnership 285 00:10:49,285 --> 00:10:51,524 we have there, or whether that's community based 286 00:10:51,524 --> 00:10:53,925 programs that we offer through our Get Active 287 00:10:53,925 --> 00:10:55,705 program or the banner at the kitchen, 288 00:10:56,165 --> 00:10:58,644 and then even personalized care management through the 289 00:10:58,644 --> 00:10:59,305 the banner, 290 00:11:00,085 --> 00:11:02,629 the banner care team. You know, we have 291 00:11:02,629 --> 00:11:04,089 a suite of services 292 00:11:05,269 --> 00:11:07,909 and ways of engaging and tailoring those offerings 293 00:11:07,909 --> 00:11:09,669 for members that really meets them where they 294 00:11:09,669 --> 00:11:11,269 are and and the unique needs that they 295 00:11:11,269 --> 00:11:11,769 have. 296 00:11:12,389 --> 00:11:14,089 And then I would say with that, 297 00:11:14,454 --> 00:11:16,454 the unique advantage that Banner Aetna has in 298 00:11:16,454 --> 00:11:18,855 Arizona, if you look at things like the 299 00:11:18,855 --> 00:11:21,575 performance network that we offer, is the cost 300 00:11:21,575 --> 00:11:24,714 savings associated with that for commercial plan sponsors 301 00:11:24,774 --> 00:11:27,730 and the broad access that's provided across key 302 00:11:27,730 --> 00:11:30,450 Arizona counties, which really reaches the majority of 303 00:11:30,450 --> 00:11:31,350 the state's population, 304 00:11:32,210 --> 00:11:33,670 with those banner facilities, 305 00:11:34,129 --> 00:11:35,429 it is really unparalleled. 306 00:11:35,889 --> 00:11:37,990 And I think that combination of 307 00:11:38,370 --> 00:11:40,070 local access to care 308 00:11:40,784 --> 00:11:44,225 combined with the national scale and track record 309 00:11:44,225 --> 00:11:44,725 of, 310 00:11:45,105 --> 00:11:46,725 a national payer like Aetna, 311 00:11:47,424 --> 00:11:49,424 really comes through in in the results that 312 00:11:49,424 --> 00:11:51,585 we've seen where, you know, we have three 313 00:11:51,585 --> 00:11:54,220 times higher than industry average member engagement, and 314 00:11:54,220 --> 00:11:56,620 we're positioned to lead the market in really 315 00:11:56,620 --> 00:11:59,759 delivering that integrated and value based care. 316 00:12:00,379 --> 00:12:01,919 The last thing I'll say on this is, 317 00:12:02,059 --> 00:12:03,980 you know, we wanna push this model further, 318 00:12:03,980 --> 00:12:06,620 and that really means we wanna embed those 319 00:12:06,620 --> 00:12:07,759 value based principles 320 00:12:08,274 --> 00:12:10,514 into every facet of our operations, whether that's 321 00:12:10,514 --> 00:12:13,735 clinical programs, member experience, or even employer engagement. 322 00:12:14,434 --> 00:12:15,254 It's really 323 00:12:15,634 --> 00:12:16,134 around 324 00:12:16,514 --> 00:12:19,254 making sure that we're able to quickly adapt 325 00:12:19,475 --> 00:12:19,975 to 326 00:12:20,319 --> 00:12:22,980 Arizona specific needs and address 327 00:12:23,519 --> 00:12:25,919 gaps in care for rural populations, be able 328 00:12:25,919 --> 00:12:28,339 to tailor solutions for those diverse communities, 329 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,199 and then really partner with employers to improve 330 00:12:31,199 --> 00:12:32,899 the health of of their employees. 331 00:12:33,919 --> 00:12:35,059 So in a nutshell, 332 00:12:35,774 --> 00:12:38,014 we're not trying to rep retrofit value based 333 00:12:38,014 --> 00:12:40,575 care into a legacy system. We were built 334 00:12:40,575 --> 00:12:42,495 for it, and I think Arizona is the 335 00:12:42,495 --> 00:12:44,355 ideal market for this type of model. 336 00:12:45,215 --> 00:12:47,134 Absolutely. Well, I appreciate you breaking down those 337 00:12:47,134 --> 00:12:48,975 local dynamics for us. That all makes a 338 00:12:48,975 --> 00:12:49,715 lot of sense. 339 00:12:50,129 --> 00:12:53,330 And beyond improving outcomes and and lowering costs 340 00:12:53,330 --> 00:12:55,090 for your for your patients and your members, 341 00:12:55,090 --> 00:12:58,210 Sean, you touched earlier on elevating that member 342 00:12:58,210 --> 00:13:00,769 experience. We've heard from leadership at the company 343 00:13:00,769 --> 00:13:03,269 in the past about things like frictionless billing. 344 00:13:04,294 --> 00:13:06,534 So so what's your perspective? What what does 345 00:13:06,534 --> 00:13:07,674 this look like in practice, 346 00:13:08,455 --> 00:13:10,534 from for Banner Aetna, and how do you 347 00:13:10,534 --> 00:13:13,174 balance human centered care with that push for 348 00:13:13,174 --> 00:13:14,315 operational efficiency? 349 00:13:15,335 --> 00:13:16,634 Yeah. That's a great question. 350 00:13:17,509 --> 00:13:19,509 You know, it's funny. I think in a 351 00:13:19,509 --> 00:13:21,269 lot of ways when we talk about these 352 00:13:21,269 --> 00:13:23,850 different concepts, whether it's health outcomes, 353 00:13:24,230 --> 00:13:26,970 costs, medical cost management, or member experience, 354 00:13:27,830 --> 00:13:31,190 they're often talked about as competing goals. And 355 00:13:31,190 --> 00:13:33,605 I think the way we view it as 356 00:13:33,825 --> 00:13:34,565 they are 357 00:13:35,105 --> 00:13:37,125 interdependent goals to one another. 358 00:13:37,665 --> 00:13:40,384 Our model is not built to only lower 359 00:13:40,384 --> 00:13:42,625 medical costs or only improve health outcomes or 360 00:13:42,625 --> 00:13:44,245 only elevate the member experience. 361 00:13:44,750 --> 00:13:46,209 It's really built around 362 00:13:46,509 --> 00:13:47,009 those 363 00:13:47,389 --> 00:13:48,209 three principles 364 00:13:48,669 --> 00:13:50,209 being of equal weight 365 00:13:50,669 --> 00:13:52,049 and of equal importance. 366 00:13:52,750 --> 00:13:53,250 And 367 00:13:53,789 --> 00:13:54,529 by integrating 368 00:13:55,389 --> 00:13:59,134 Banner's patient centric clinical care with Aetna's deep 369 00:13:59,195 --> 00:14:01,134 operational rigor and digital capabilities, 370 00:14:01,754 --> 00:14:03,134 we're able to really 371 00:14:03,834 --> 00:14:06,014 deliver against those three imperatives. 372 00:14:06,634 --> 00:14:09,595 So for, you know, commercial plan sponsors, this 373 00:14:09,595 --> 00:14:12,495 means that we're creating a healthcare experience that 374 00:14:12,669 --> 00:14:13,809 helps their employees 375 00:14:14,190 --> 00:14:14,929 stay healthy, 376 00:14:15,309 --> 00:14:17,169 be productive, and be supported, 377 00:14:17,950 --> 00:14:20,029 in their health care journey, but it also 378 00:14:20,029 --> 00:14:22,429 gives those employers better control over cost and 379 00:14:22,429 --> 00:14:24,350 outcomes. So it's both meeting the member where 380 00:14:24,350 --> 00:14:26,445 they are and making sure that we're caring 381 00:14:26,445 --> 00:14:28,285 for them and and the various health needs 382 00:14:28,285 --> 00:14:29,904 that they have, but then also 383 00:14:30,285 --> 00:14:33,184 equally able to demonstrate the rigor and operational 384 00:14:33,325 --> 00:14:34,305 excellence needed, 385 00:14:34,925 --> 00:14:36,605 to be able to manage a a health 386 00:14:36,605 --> 00:14:38,764 plan at scale for for an employer of 387 00:14:38,764 --> 00:14:39,389 any size. 388 00:14:40,029 --> 00:14:41,970 I think from a member experience standpoint, 389 00:14:42,350 --> 00:14:44,670 when we think about that and your question 390 00:14:44,670 --> 00:14:45,970 around frictionless billing 391 00:14:46,429 --> 00:14:47,170 in particular, 392 00:14:47,790 --> 00:14:50,750 you know, we want to take off those 393 00:14:50,750 --> 00:14:53,205 points of friction where they exist. And when 394 00:14:53,285 --> 00:14:54,965 this business was set up, a lot of 395 00:14:54,965 --> 00:14:56,565 what we looked at was what are those 396 00:14:56,565 --> 00:14:59,445 critical pain points that a member experiences when 397 00:14:59,445 --> 00:15:00,264 they go into, 398 00:15:01,125 --> 00:15:03,764 get care, when they have that health care 399 00:15:03,764 --> 00:15:04,745 journey experience? 400 00:15:05,299 --> 00:15:07,139 And when we look at that and and 401 00:15:07,139 --> 00:15:09,620 tackling things like, frictionless billing and how we 402 00:15:09,620 --> 00:15:11,939 can simplify that, we we look at it 403 00:15:11,939 --> 00:15:15,139 across the whole ecosystem. So we want to 404 00:15:15,139 --> 00:15:17,539 simplify how members are able to access care. 405 00:15:17,539 --> 00:15:19,539 We want them to understand their health care 406 00:15:19,539 --> 00:15:21,154 benefit simply, and we want them to be 407 00:15:21,154 --> 00:15:22,534 able to navigate the system 408 00:15:22,995 --> 00:15:25,315 in a way where there aren't barriers to 409 00:15:25,315 --> 00:15:27,394 care and there aren't barriers to understanding that 410 00:15:27,394 --> 00:15:29,554 the care that they're getting, or paying for 411 00:15:29,554 --> 00:15:32,034 that care. And we've invested in a lot 412 00:15:32,034 --> 00:15:34,200 of a lot of the solutions around that. 413 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,160 So things like proactive care advocacy, providing digital 414 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,799 front doors, providing more of an integrated customer 415 00:15:39,799 --> 00:15:42,519 service model that's powered by real time data, 416 00:15:42,519 --> 00:15:45,320 and then shared accountability between our payer and 417 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:46,379 and provider teams. 418 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:48,299 I think what makes, 419 00:15:48,674 --> 00:15:52,115 again, this arrangement unique is the ability to 420 00:15:52,115 --> 00:15:52,615 combine 421 00:15:53,394 --> 00:15:55,174 the empathy with the efficiency. 422 00:15:55,955 --> 00:15:58,835 The empathy and understanding for the customer, whether 423 00:15:58,835 --> 00:16:00,990 that's a plan sponsor or the member, as 424 00:16:00,990 --> 00:16:03,169 well as the efficiency of being able to, 425 00:16:03,629 --> 00:16:06,029 deliver those business results in a way that's 426 00:16:06,029 --> 00:16:09,490 really gonna be meaningfully valuable to that customer. 427 00:16:10,269 --> 00:16:12,529 You know, Banner brings a long standing commitment 428 00:16:12,669 --> 00:16:15,714 to that relationship based community anchored care. So 429 00:16:15,714 --> 00:16:17,875 it's rooted in trust. They have the local 430 00:16:17,875 --> 00:16:19,735 presence, the deep clinical expertise, 431 00:16:20,835 --> 00:16:23,714 things like same day appointments, providing culturally tailored 432 00:16:23,714 --> 00:16:24,934 behavioral health programs, 433 00:16:25,475 --> 00:16:28,054 having embedded care teams in primary care settings. 434 00:16:28,340 --> 00:16:30,419 The emphasis is always on meeting the member 435 00:16:30,419 --> 00:16:32,100 where they are and then treating the whole 436 00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:34,360 person as part of that. And then conversely, 437 00:16:34,419 --> 00:16:34,919 Aetna, 438 00:16:35,220 --> 00:16:37,540 as the payer, brings the operational backbone to 439 00:16:37,540 --> 00:16:38,440 make that scalable. 440 00:16:38,820 --> 00:16:41,559 So from things like precision analytics and coordinated 441 00:16:41,700 --> 00:16:42,360 care management 442 00:16:42,774 --> 00:16:46,134 to streamline digital tools that reduce administrative burden 443 00:16:46,134 --> 00:16:48,134 for the member and provider. You know, we 444 00:16:48,134 --> 00:16:50,615 don't view operational efficiency as a trade off 445 00:16:50,615 --> 00:16:52,855 to human centered care. Instead, we see it 446 00:16:52,855 --> 00:16:54,855 as the engine that enables it. And when 447 00:16:54,855 --> 00:16:57,674 processes are efficient and data flows seamlessly, 448 00:16:58,209 --> 00:17:00,289 clinicians can spend more time with patients and 449 00:17:00,289 --> 00:17:03,190 members, and, ultimately, the experience is more personalized, 450 00:17:03,649 --> 00:17:04,950 timely, and effective. 451 00:17:06,369 --> 00:17:09,009 Absolutely. Well, Ben Aretna is very clearly on 452 00:17:09,009 --> 00:17:12,044 the forefront of that value based integrated care 453 00:17:12,044 --> 00:17:14,444 model, John. So we really appreciate you sharing 454 00:17:14,444 --> 00:17:16,765 your insights on where the company will continue 455 00:17:16,765 --> 00:17:18,384 to go under your leadership. 456 00:17:19,244 --> 00:17:21,404 But before we go today, are there any 457 00:17:21,404 --> 00:17:23,659 final thoughts you wanna share with us, share 458 00:17:23,659 --> 00:17:25,579 with our listeners, our health care leaders all 459 00:17:25,579 --> 00:17:27,740 over the country? Any final bits of advice 460 00:17:27,740 --> 00:17:28,960 you'd wanna share with them? 461 00:17:29,819 --> 00:17:31,179 The only thing I would say is that, 462 00:17:31,179 --> 00:17:32,720 you know, I'm incredibly energized 463 00:17:33,019 --> 00:17:34,319 to step into this role, 464 00:17:34,700 --> 00:17:36,640 coming up on four months now, and 465 00:17:37,154 --> 00:17:38,375 I think this is a really 466 00:17:38,674 --> 00:17:39,735 defining moment, 467 00:17:40,515 --> 00:17:42,275 not just for value based care, but the 468 00:17:42,275 --> 00:17:44,115 the health care industry broadly when you look 469 00:17:44,115 --> 00:17:46,674 at market dynamics, what's going on, you know, 470 00:17:46,674 --> 00:17:48,695 in the regulatory environment and otherwise. 471 00:17:49,380 --> 00:17:51,299 I think it's a an exciting time. There's 472 00:17:51,299 --> 00:17:53,220 a lot of challenges, and the challenges are 473 00:17:53,220 --> 00:17:53,720 real, 474 00:17:54,019 --> 00:17:55,320 but so is the opportunity. 475 00:17:55,940 --> 00:17:58,019 And, you know, I firmly believe in the 476 00:17:58,019 --> 00:17:59,320 model of this business, 477 00:18:00,019 --> 00:18:01,720 and what can be delivered 478 00:18:02,375 --> 00:18:05,654 ultimately in in bringing value to customers and 479 00:18:05,654 --> 00:18:07,975 members and making health care simpler. And I'm 480 00:18:07,975 --> 00:18:09,195 confident that we 481 00:18:09,575 --> 00:18:11,894 can and and will continue to build something 482 00:18:11,894 --> 00:18:13,115 that really is unique, 483 00:18:13,575 --> 00:18:15,654 in Arizona. I'm excited for the future of 484 00:18:15,654 --> 00:18:16,650 where this will go. 485 00:18:17,690 --> 00:18:20,170 Fantastic. Well, John, thank you so much for 486 00:18:20,170 --> 00:18:21,690 taking the time to sit down with us 487 00:18:21,690 --> 00:18:23,930 and for sharing your thoughts with our listeners. 488 00:18:23,930 --> 00:18:26,330 We really appreciate it. Thanks, Jacob. I appreciate 489 00:18:26,330 --> 00:18:28,410 it. And to our listeners, if you'd like 490 00:18:28,410 --> 00:18:30,990 to listen to more podcasts from Becker's Healthcare, 491 00:18:30,998 --> 00:18:33,818 you can visit beckershospitalreview.com.