EP493: Revelations Mainstream CEOs Are Having About the Healthcare Market Right Now—Also, Some Advice, With John Quinn

Nov 13, 2025

In this discussion, John Quinn, CEO of Wellness City, shares insights on how employer CEOs are waking up to the realities of healthcare spending. He discusses the impact of health benefits on corporate earnings, and why traditional cost-shifting to employees is unsustainable. John advocates for accountability in vendor contracts and the need for real-time data to tackle high-cost claimants effectively. He emphasizes integrating finance and medical expertise in benefits teams to manage healthcare spend more strategically.

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INSIGHT

Healthcare Market Is Not Really A Market

There is no functioning healthcare market because hospitals rarely compete on price for patients.
Self-insured employers are the demand side and must insist on market behavior for prices to fall.

INSIGHT

Employers Are The Demand Curve

Self-insured employers pay for care for roughly 160 million Americans and represent the demand curve.
You can't expect sellers to create buyer-side elasticity; employers must act to create it.

ANECDOTE

Missed Earnings Woke Up C-Suites

John Quinn recounts being pulled in when employers missed earnings due to rising health spend.
Those surprises pushed corporate planning teams to prioritize healthcare costs.

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In Episode 493 of Relentless Health Value, host Stacey Richter engages in an enlightening discussion with John Quinn, CEO of Wellnecity, about the current revelations and challenges employer CEOs are facing within the healthcare market. Stacey explores whether average employer C-suites are recognizing the fundamental myth that a functioning healthcare market exists.

The conversation dives into how self-insured employers are substantially the demand side of the healthcare market and why their lack of insistence on a true market exacerbates high prices. John Quinn shares insights on why C-suites and boards are now more attuned to healthcare spending, emphasizing the need for real-time, correct data and comprehensive vendor accountability.

A significant takeaway is the shift from viewing health benefits management as a one-time annual task to adopting a continuous, year-long strategic approach. Finally, the episode delves into actionable steps for employers to manage healthcare costs more effectively without compromising employee health, urging them to move beyond traditional cost-shifting tactics.

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