Most employers renew healthcare like this:

“Pick the option that sucks the least.”

In this episode of the Dysrupt Healthcare Podcast, Lester sits down with Doug Hetherington (reformed broker, founder of Health to Business) for a raw, MBA-level breakdown of how direct contracting is flipping the script—by building real partnerships between employers and providers and removing the financial friction that keeps people from getting care.

This conversation is not theory.
It’s the behind-the-scenes reality of how healthcare actually works… and why it keeps getting worse—unless someone chooses to do something different.

• The “blue and blue” story that explains what’s broken in the carrier-driven model

• The moment Doug realized everyone is losing… except the insurance carrier

• Why a direct contract is “just a piece of paper”… and why the intent behind it changes everything

• The stakeholder shift: employer + patient + provider win (and the “house” stops winning)

• The real reason hospitals say insurance carriers “have a gun to my head”

• The hidden cost no one talks about: administrative burden and claims touchpoints

• What happens when you remove the dollar barrier (spoiler: people don’t get “extra colonoscopies”)

• The plan design that makes employees actually choose the better option:
  $10 doctor visit. $400 facility event. “Free babies.”

• The story that will stick with you: a 20-year employee, obesity, bariatrics, and a company culture changed forever

• Why hospitals quietly say: “You’re our #1 payer by a mile.”

If you’re an employer, advisor, CFO, or HR leader—and you’ve ever wondered:

“Is there a way to make healthcare better without blowing up the plan?”