Why Self-Funded Employers Are Abandoning National Networks

Self-Funded · May 19, 2026 · 1h 14m

"If we can do it for Whole Foods, which is a very large organization, why can't we do this for other employers?"

Is the era of relying on national, opaque "BUCA" networks finally coming to an end?

My guests this week are Blake Allison, CEO of Employers Health Network (EHN), and Philip Eaves, from Ascension. Together, they break down the exact blueprint they used to build a direct-to-employer, high-performance network for Whole Foods - and how they are scaling that exact same model for self-funded employers across the country.

In this episode, we explore the hospital system's perspective on…