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E157 How Zero Health Is Reinventing Healthcare Economics from the Inside Out with James Millaway
What if patients paid $0 out-of-pocket and everyone still won?
In this powerful episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with James Millaway, Co-Founder and CEO of ZERO Health (formerly The Zero Card, Inc.), to unpack how a radically different healthcare model is quietly transforming the way employers and employees access care.
They explore how a radically transparent, $0 out-of-pocket model is disrupting the traditional benefits ecosystem from the inside out.
Drawing from his background across every layer of healthcare—payer, provider, consultant, and employer—Millaway breaks down why the system isn’t broken. It’s functioning exactly as it was designed. And that’s the problem.
This conversation demonstrates real-world healthcare innovation in motion. Zero theory. No jargon. Just hard-earned insights and practical wisdom from one of the most respected names in employer-led benefits transformation.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
* The real story behind the $12,000 ear procedure that launched ZERO Health
* How bundled, direct contracts are negotiated with providers across the country
* Why transparency is more dangerous to the legacy system than disruption
* How ZERO Health achieves 30–50% savings for employers while delivering care at no cost to members
* Why removing financial barriers improves both outcomes and trust
* How healthcare systems are designed to push patients to the highest-cost setting
* What employers need to understand about their role in fixing healthcare
* The one mindset shift every health entrepreneur needs to make before they build
About James Millaway:
James is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare innovation. Formerly an executive in integrated health systems and regional HMOs, he has been named one of Forbes' “Most Innovative Benefits Leaders” and was selected as a “Top 40 Consultant Under 40” by Business Insurance.
He co-authored early frameworks for Health Rosetta, contributed to the “95 Theses for a New Health Ecosystem,” and has been featured in books like Cracking Health Costs and The CEO’s Guide to Restoring the American Dream.
His company, ZERO Health, delivers a bundled, tech-enabled benefits model that restores alignment between cost, quality, and access. With an NPS of 94 and growing adoption across the U.S., ZERO is proving that the future of care is simple, human, and transparent.
Website: https://zero.health
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-g-millaway-96161311
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
03:10 – The $12,000 moment that changed everything
10:00 – How to negotiate bundled pricing with providers
14:20 – Member stories that prove patients will change behavior
17:00 – Building a data-first company before building a healthcare company
22:00 – The truth behind PPO discounts and fake “savings”
28:00 – How benefits signal company culture
32:00 – What James would do if he ran HHS for 48 hours
34:00 – Advice for the next generation of healthcare entrepreneurs
#employerbenefits #healthcareinnovation #valuebasedcare #TransparentHealthcare #bundledpayments
📣 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE
If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.
About the Show
The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.
The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.
🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo
🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.
Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/
View all episodes
By Michael StamatinosWhat if patients paid $0 out-of-pocket and everyone still won?
In this powerful episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with James Millaway, Co-Founder and CEO of ZERO Health (formerly The Zero Card, Inc.), to unpack how a radically different healthcare model is quietly transforming the way employers and employees access care.
They explore how a radically transparent, $0 out-of-pocket model is disrupting the traditional benefits ecosystem from the inside out.
Drawing from his background across every layer of healthcare—payer, provider, consultant, and employer—Millaway breaks down why the system isn’t broken. It’s functioning exactly as it was designed. And that’s the problem.
This conversation demonstrates real-world healthcare innovation in motion. Zero theory. No jargon. Just hard-earned insights and practical wisdom from one of the most respected names in employer-led benefits transformation.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
* The real story behind the $12,000 ear procedure that launched ZERO Health
* How bundled, direct contracts are negotiated with providers across the country
* Why transparency is more dangerous to the legacy system than disruption
* How ZERO Health achieves 30–50% savings for employers while delivering care at no cost to members
* Why removing financial barriers improves both outcomes and trust
* How healthcare systems are designed to push patients to the highest-cost setting
* What employers need to understand about their role in fixing healthcare
* The one mindset shift every health entrepreneur needs to make before they build
About James Millaway:
James is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare innovation. Formerly an executive in integrated health systems and regional HMOs, he has been named one of Forbes' “Most Innovative Benefits Leaders” and was selected as a “Top 40 Consultant Under 40” by Business Insurance.
He co-authored early frameworks for Health Rosetta, contributed to the “95 Theses for a New Health Ecosystem,” and has been featured in books like Cracking Health Costs and The CEO’s Guide to Restoring the American Dream.
His company, ZERO Health, delivers a bundled, tech-enabled benefits model that restores alignment between cost, quality, and access. With an NPS of 94 and growing adoption across the U.S., ZERO is proving that the future of care is simple, human, and transparent.
Website: https://zero.health
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-g-millaway-96161311
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
03:10 – The $12,000 moment that changed everything
10:00 – How to negotiate bundled pricing with providers
14:20 – Member stories that prove patients will change behavior
17:00 – Building a data-first company before building a healthcare company
22:00 – The truth behind PPO discounts and fake “savings”
28:00 – How benefits signal company culture
32:00 – What James would do if he ran HHS for 48 hours
34:00 – Advice for the next generation of healthcare entrepreneurs
#employerbenefits #healthcareinnovation #valuebasedcare #TransparentHealthcare #bundledpayments
📣 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE
If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.
About the Show
The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.
The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.
🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo
🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.
Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/