S18 E3: Smells Like Money Podcast: Aspirational Healthcare: Make Healthcare Work for You the Way You Want

Key Discussion Points:

• The Root of Misalignment: Traditional healthcare systems reward hospital administrators for filling beds rather than keeping patients healthy. This misaligns the healthcare system with the true objectives of employers.
• The Aspirational Model: Inspired by Alaska’s South Central Foundation, this model prioritizes relationship-focused, preventative care over a rigid, paternalistic treatment structure. It boasts a 98% customer satisfaction rate while cutting healthcare spending nearly in half.
• Wielding Employer Power: Employers hold the buying power but often surrender it to standard brokers. Moving away from commission-based legacy brokers allows businesses to design custom healthcare plans tailored to employee loyalty and wellbeing.
• The Power of Cash Pay: By removing restrictive network contracts and utilizing instant cash-pay applications, employees can access top-tier providers across the country. Providers frequently offer steep discounts for immediate payment at the time of service.
• Scalability: Aspirational healthcare plans are highly flexible, offering zero deductibles, premium reductions, and 24/7 concierge nurse navigation for large corporations and small businesses alike.

Quotes from the Episode:

“There was nothing in my job description that had anything to do with keeping people healthy. In fact, it was all about designing systems that really don’t get at the root problem…” — Darrell Moon

“We never even defined the business objective for why we’re spending the money. We do it because we think we have to, but we never define what we really want and we never measure to see if we’re getting it.” — Darrell Moon

 Connect with Darrell Moon: CEO & Founder/ Orriant

Email: darrell@orriant.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrelltmoon/

Website: orriant.com

Conclusion

The traditional healthcare system in the United States remains heavily misaligned with the businesses that fund it, often prioritizing filled hospital beds and insurance profits over workforce wellness. However, as Darrell Moon highlights, employers hold significant buying power that they can reclaim by shifting away from standard commission-based brokers.

By adopting the Aspirational Healthcare framework—modeled after the highly successful, relationship-driven Alaskan native healthcare system—companies can design custom, flexible plans that treat healthcare as a “guest at the table”. Utilizing modern cash-pay tools eliminates restrictive provider networks, lowers out-of-pocket costs for employees, and unlocks substantial savings for organizations of any size. Ultimately, this model transforms healthcare from a burdensome corporate expense into a powerful tool for building employee loyalty and ensuring a healthier, more productive workforce.

Until next time—keep growing, and keep it flowing. 💧

Subscribe and Follow: