Employee Benefit Adviser: Amazon’s PillPack deal a warning shot for PBMs

Amazon’s PillPack deal is continuing to make waves across the health insurance industry. From former pharmacists questioning the quality of patient care Amazon will deliver to determining what level of importance Atul Gawande will set the prescription drug acquisition as the head of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan & Chase healthcare venture, this has been important news for the American … Continue Reading

HR Dive: Healthcare world watches as Amazon makes moves

The rapidity with which Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase have entered the healthcare industry is in part a response to frustrations — held by both employers and the general public — about inefficiencies in the U.S. healthcare system, sources previously told HR Dive. “Affordability is the issue,” Shandon Fowler, an analyst and principal of … Continue Reading

HR Dive: Does Amazon alliance signal employers will finally get serious about healthcare costs?

But Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan have name recognition, most notably Amazon for its reputation as a disruptor, Fowler said. To most observers, it’s no surprise that big-name employers are now loudly demanding a space at the healthcare negotiation table. “For the past couple of decades, employers haven’t really used their leverage or they used … Continue Reading

Data and Transparency Aid in Shift to Outcome-Based Health Care

  • October 4, 2016
  • Blog

I was recently asked to join a panel on the current state of private exchanges and how consumer-oriented enrollment experiences can drive greater engagement with benefits throughout the year. Represented were a policy expert, a benefits advocate for some of the nation’s leading employers, an actuary and a technology nerd (me). As typically happens when … Continue Reading