Saum Sutaria, M.D.

That has a lot of implications given the medical training debt that you're describing about our ability to continue to grow the pool of physicians to meet the growing demand of healthcare services as the population is still aging. but also aging with chronic illness so that their needs are more intensive rather than not.

That has a lot of implications given the medical training debt that you're describing about our ability to continue to grow the pool of physicians to meet the growing demand of healthcare services as the population is still aging. but also aging with chronic illness so that their needs are more intensive rather than not.

And I'm not even yet getting into mental health, which has been an area that's been under-invested in for the better part of three or four generations, which, you know, as we now realize, actually costs a lot, not just for mental health, but the impact on physical health, which drives our healthcare costs, especially in the context of chronic illness.

And I'm not even yet getting into mental health, which has been an area that's been under-invested in for the better part of three or four generations, which, you know, as we now realize, actually costs a lot, not just for mental health, but the impact on physical health, which drives our healthcare costs, especially in the context of chronic illness.

Yeah, the way I would think about a PPO plan is it's one in which you're procuring insurance where you have relatively open network choice. Okay, so there may be a preferred network where you get somewhat of a discount, but you have the choice to go wherever you want, however you want, etc. HMO, a health management organization, is one in which that choice is narrowed.

Yeah, the way I would think about a PPO plan is it's one in which you're procuring insurance where you have relatively open network choice. Okay, so there may be a preferred network where you get somewhat of a discount, but you have the choice to go wherever you want, however you want, etc. HMO, a health management organization, is one in which that choice is narrowed.

You're making a choice upfront to come into a program with less options such that the penalty for going out of that set of options is high and theoretically comes at a lower cost. And then you have systems within those that kind of operate in the frame of one of those two models, if you will.

You're making a choice upfront to come into a program with less options such that the penalty for going out of that set of options is high and theoretically comes at a lower cost. And then you have systems within those that kind of operate in the frame of one of those two models, if you will.

In the US, the PPO business has been growing significantly faster than the HMO business, back to the point around choice. Let's use the right word. It's more important than cost right now and has been more important than cost to consumers.

In the US, the PPO business has been growing significantly faster than the HMO business, back to the point around choice. Let's use the right word. It's more important than cost right now and has been more important than cost to consumers.

That's not to say that people aren't feeling the costs of healthcare increasing and the burden of healthcare costs increasing in the way that they're getting their healthcare, but they're choosing PPO more than not, the marketplace is speaking.

That's not to say that people aren't feeling the costs of healthcare increasing and the burden of healthcare costs increasing in the way that they're getting their healthcare, but they're choosing PPO more than not, the marketplace is speaking.

The simple answer on an example like Kaiser, Kaiser is largely a closed network health management organization where what you're doing is you're buying an insurance product through Kaiser. It's a not-for-profit that you're buying an insurance product through Kaiser, and you're agreeing to stay within their network of hospitals, doctors, etc.,

The simple answer on an example like Kaiser, Kaiser is largely a closed network health management organization where what you're doing is you're buying an insurance product through Kaiser. It's a not-for-profit that you're buying an insurance product through Kaiser, and you're agreeing to stay within their network of hospitals, doctors, etc.,

They have a physician group that is largely bilaterally aligned to them on an exclusive basis that's a for-profit entity, the physician group. And the two of them together produce a product that ought to cover the vast majority of your healthcare needs. And in theory, based upon that integration of care, you either get lower cost or better outcomes or both.

They have a physician group that is largely bilaterally aligned to them on an exclusive basis that's a for-profit entity, the physician group. And the two of them together produce a product that ought to cover the vast majority of your healthcare needs. And in theory, based upon that integration of care, you either get lower cost or better outcomes or both.

And again, I think the jury from a long-term perspective relative to other models is out, but it's innovative. It's worked in some places really, really well.

And again, I think the jury from a long-term perspective relative to other models is out, but it's innovative. It's worked in some places really, really well.

I mean, my personal example, my mother had a rare form of brain cancer. We had terrific oncologists at Kaiser who were incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable about oncologic care, who without hesitation sought expertise from UCSF. when they needed it for the more sophisticated parts of her care, including letting her go there.

I mean, my personal example, my mother had a rare form of brain cancer. We had terrific oncologists at Kaiser who were incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable about oncologic care, who without hesitation sought expertise from UCSF. when they needed it for the more sophisticated parts of her care, including letting her go there.