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In this episode of The Benefits Playbook, Robert E. Andrews, CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance, shares what it takes to move from policy to practice — and why collective action may be the key to fixing our broken healthcare system.
Season 3 of The Benefits Playbook continues with a wide-ranging conversation on health system reform, employer influence, and how real change gets made.
“When you have 5 million lives, which we do, and $40 billion worth of spend, we’re able to go to behavioral health providers and say, people shouldn’t have to wait six weeks to see a psychiatrist when they’re feeling anxious or depressed. Why can’t they see them in six days or less?… We’re really all about using the leverage of collective bargaining to improve outcomes.”
Robert E. Andrews
This episode features Robert E. Andrews, CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance (HTA), a cooperative of 60+ major corporations working together to transform healthcare. Rob brings a unique perspective, having served in Congress for nearly 24 years and playing a key role in the creation of the Affordable Care Act.
Host Kirk McConnell speaks with Rob about what it means to translate policy into action, how HTA is using its collective power to drive down costs and expand access, and the major trends employers should watch — from gene therapy to mental health parity to AI. They also explore how reducing administrative friction can lead to better health outcomes and happier employees.
Highlights from Rob’s episode include:
- What Rob learned as an original author of the Affordable Care Act
- How HTA has saved its members $2B+ through data and purchasing power
- Why reducing friction is a critical priority for benefits leaders
- The role employers can play in reshaping access to behavioral health
- What’s next: gene therapy, value-based care, and system-level change
🎧 Listen to the full episode above, or find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.
📄 Read the episode transcript here.
