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Richard Helppie's Common BridgeAuthor: Richard Helppie
The problems we have in the country are solvable, but not solvable the way were approaching them today, because of partisan politics. Richard Helppie, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist seeks to find a place in the middle where common sense discussions can bridge the current great divide. Language: en-us Genres: News, News Commentary, Politics Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 344- Direct Contracting That Actually Works. With Nick Stefanizzi
Episode 344
Monday, 28 September, 2026
Health insurance is supposed to buy peace of mind, but too often it buys a new kind of stress: surprise bills, long waits, and prior authorization hurdles that hit when you’re already sick. We sit down with Nick Stefanizzi, president of Northwell Direct, to unpack a provider-led, direct-to-employer contracting model designed to lower healthcare costs while improving the actual experience of getting care.Nick explains how Northwell Direct serves self-funded employers and unions by building a high-performance network without becoming an insurance company. We dig into the practical “product stack” behind the scenes: third-party administrators for claims, PBMs for pharmacy, stop-loss and reinsurance to cap risk, and a broad wrap network that helps prevent out-of-network exposure. Then we get specific on benefit design and the two-tier network approach, including how lower copays and smarter incentives can move members toward high-value care without taking choice away.We also tackle the issues that decide whether any affordability strategy survives contact with real life: prior authorization burden, specialty access, wait times, and how you measure quality so cheaper care doesn’t become worse care. Nick shares how navigation teams, load balancing, and better data and analytics (including Epic EHR transformation) can support access and outcomes, plus what success looks like over months and years for employers, members, and the health system.If you’re an employer, broker, union leader, or just someone who wants healthcare to work like a normal service, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who deals with benefits, and leave a review with your take: what would it take for you to trust a direct-to-employer health plan?Support the showEngage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!
