Alan Enthoven’s Vision and the Emergence of Episode-Based Plans at Oxbridge Health When Alan Enthoven introduced the theory of managed competition in the 1970s and 1980s, his vision was simple but radical: create a competitive marketplace where health plans would vie for consumer trust not by denying care, but by delivering value—high-quality outcomes at the lowest … Continued
…And Who’s Leading It Clayton Christensen’s legendary Innovator’s Dilemma explains why industry giants often fail to lead disruptive change. They protect the status quo because that’s where the margins are—until it’s too late. Healthcare is no exception. For decades, legacy insurers sustained a model built on fee-for-service payments, opaque pricing, and cost-shifting through higher deductibles and narrower … Continued
Uwe Reinhardt’s Warning and How Oxbridge Health Responds Executive Summary More than a decade ago, the late Uwe Reinhardt, one of the most respected health economists in the world, delivered a searing verdict on the American healthcare system: “It’s the prices, stupid.” With that blunt phrase, Reinhardt captured the core dysfunction of U.S. healthcare: we … Continued
Alan Enthoven’s Vision and the Emergence of Episode-Based Plans at Oxbridge Health Executive Summary When Alan Enthoven introduced the theory of managed competition in the 1970s and 1980s, his vision was simple but radical: create a competitive marketplace where health plans would vie for consumer trust not by denying care, but by delivering value—high- quality outcomes at the … Continued
A Case for Intelligent Consumerism in Oxbridge Health’s Episode Benefit Plans Executive Summary The Medicare Part D “donut hole” provision was originally implemented as a cost containment mechanism, shifting part of the financial responsibility for prescription drugs to the consumer once a certain spending threshold was reached. This feature created a powerful economic incentive for … Continued
Through Episode Advantage Applying Christensen’s Innovator’s Dilemma to Health Insurance Healthcare costs are rising ~5% yearly (far outpacing GDP)¹, and U.S. spending per capita is double that of other nations². Yet traditional insurers have mainly responded with cost-shifting (e.g., high deductibles) and narrow networks, moves that are reaching their limits¹. Episode Advantage by Oxbridge Health offers a … Continued
Executive Summary Episode-based health benefit plans, such as Oxbridge Health’s Episode Benefit Plans with the Episode Advantage shared savings feature, represent a significant shift from traditional health insurance models. By leveraging bundled payments, price transparency, and consumer incentives, these plans aim to improve cost control, foster consumer engagement, and promote value-based provider competition. This white … Continued
Lessons from Travel and Retail Introduction Consumerism has fundamentally reshaped entire industries, empowering individuals with choice, transparency, and cost-efficiency. The rise of e-commerce platforms has revolutionized retail, giving consumers unparalleled access to product reviews, price comparisons, and seamless transactions. Similarly, the travel industry has been transformed by platforms like Expedia and Airbnb, where customers can … Continued
How Consumer Demand Has Shaped Industries and the Future of Healthcare In today’s world, consumer demand for choice is more than a preference—it’s an expectation. Across industries, businesses that recognize and adapt to this fundamental shift have flourished, while those that resist are left struggling to keep up. From retail to travel and beyond, industries … Continued
Introduction As healthcare continues to shift toward consumer-driven models, functional transparency has emerged as a critical enabler of value-based decision-making. However, merely providing access to pricing data is insufficient. True functional transparency requires the integration of cost, quality, and outcome data in a manner that empowers consumers to make informed choices about their healthcare. This … Continued