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 examines how employers are shifting away from traditional networks, why prevention and engagement continue to 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 the 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

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Sponsored by:
Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/.

Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.