The Shift to Primary Care-Centered Health Plans – Making Care More Affordable: A Conversation with Ashok Subramanian, CEO and Founder of Centivo

It’s no secret the cost of healthcare has reached record highs, driving demand for better solutions for employers, employees, and families. Primary care is proven to improve health outcomes and lower care costs, which is why an increasing number of employers are turning to this important type of care.  

Premise Health is keenly aware of the challenges facing organizations and their people. In The Shift to Primary Care-Centered Health Plans: Making Care More Affordable, Ashok Subramanian, CEO and Founder of Centivo, joined Premise’s Derek Brochu, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, and Ryan Donnelly, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, to discuss the healthcare industry’s increased interest in direct healthcare — along with Premise’s partnership with Centivo to offer a primary care-centered health plan. Read more for some highlights from the webinar.  

Interested in learning more about the partnership between Centivo and Premise and the new health plan? Catch the full conversation on-demand. 

Trends Driving Interest  

Derek and Ashok shared some of the biggest trends they’re witnessing in the healthcare industry, along with what they’re hearing from their clients and members.  

Unprecedented cost increases

Employers are continuing to struggle with increasing healthcare costs. Many organizations are seeing double-digit healthcare premium increases on a year-over-year basis. This is, in part, due to a primary care supply demand imbalance. With a shortage of providers, there’s not enough access to care. As a result, employees aren’t getting the preventive care they need, leading to an overuse of reactionary care, like urgent care clinics, which drives up costs for employers. But organizations aren’t the only ones facing these cost increases. Many families can’t afford their healthcare anymore: in the last year, 1 in 4 Americans have missed out on healthcare because of cost.  

High interest in direct primary care

We are at a tipping point in the benefits industry. Now more than ever, many organizations are taking ownership over these cost and access problems. This has led to a greater interest — and bigger investment — in direct primary care. Direct healthcare is gaining popularity due to its ability to eliminate common barriers to care that individuals often encounter in the community, while also providing cost savings for employers. 

Demand for full-suite solution

Put simply: employers are tired of multiple point solutions that drive up healthcare costs and don’t improve the health of their employees. Because of this, a greater number of employers are interested in adopting holistic healthcare offerings. By investing in a full-suite model like advanced primary care, organizations can relieve point-solution fatigue for their people and start focusing on preventive care, leading to improved health, increased employee satisfaction, and reduced costs. 

A Solution to Healthcare’s Biggest Challenges  

Premise is evolving with the healthcare industry to provide a solution, and the answer lies in encouraging more people to get more primary care. Through a partnership with Centivo, Premise is offering a primary care-centered health plan that will launch for the 2026 benefits year centered around the advanced primary care model. It aims to offer members an affordable plan option that provides the comprehensive coverage they need to care for themselves and their families. Those who select this plan will have access to excellent primary care and high-quality specialists when necessary, all while saving money through low premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.  

By pairing Premise’s advanced primary care with Centivo’s high-value network, this partnership is providing employers and members with a better healthcare choice. With 60 years in the healthcare business, we know that when people engage with Premise, they have better healthcare experiences, which leads to higher preventative care utilization, improved healthcare outcomes, and keeps people out of expensive downstream care settings. Both employers — and their people — save money along the way. 

How Does the New Health Plan Work for Employees? 

The health plan is simple. Once someone chooses this plan during annual enrollment, they’ll then need to choose a Premise provider as their attributed provider. Enrollees will get a free annual physical from that provider to check in on their health and free primary care visits for any concerns throughout the year. If a member needs to see a specialist for non-urgent care, their designated PCP will refer them through a high-value contracted network.  

The Premise advanced primary care model consistently improves outcomes and reduces costs, but it only works if people use it. By building this system of incentives, in the form of a plan, more people will be encouraged to engage with the high-quality care available to them. 

Interested in learning more about Premise Health and this primary care-centered health plan? Reach out to us here.