Healthcare Forward: Inside the Self-Funding Revolution

In this episode, we sit down with Embla Health to explore how employers can navigate the surge in GLP-1 demand without letting costs spiral. From smarter utilization strategies to a more guided, behavior-first approach, we unpack what’s broken in today’s model—and what it takes to deliver better outcomes at a sustainable cost.

Employers often focus on cutting healthcare costs, but the real drivers of spend go largely unaddressed. In this episode, Mike Schroeder sits down with Kyle Sell of Omada Health to unpack why managing risk is the key to long-term success. They explore how behavior change, engagement, and captive models work together to create a healthier population—and more sustainable costs over time. 

Cancer is one of the most expensive—and least effectively managed—drivers of employer healthcare spend. But what if the biggest opportunity isn’t in treatment… it’s in timing?
In this episode, Color Health sits down with Mike Schroeder to explore how early detection, clinical navigation, and end-to-end cancer care are redefining what cost containment looks like. From faster diagnoses to preventing avoidable high-cost events, this conversation breaks down how a new model of cancer care delivers measurable financial and human impact.

In this episode, Roundstone Founder and President Mike Schroeder sits down with advisor Frank Miotke to unpack the real issues driving poor outcomes in employee benefits. From short-term decision-making and price shopping to misaligned broker incentives and misunderstood transparency, they explore why the system keeps failing—and what it takes to break out of it.

Exploring how Steven Chavez, Vice President of Navigation Service Delivery at Rightway Healthcare, and his team are redefining care navigation through technology and human guidance—and why Roundstone partners with them to deliver real value for employers and employees.
 
 
 

A conversation with David Sylvan, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer at University Hospitals, on how University Hospitals is redefining what it means to be a “smart” healthcare system—leveraging AI, partnerships, and innovation to deliver better outcomes, streamline operations, and create values across the care continuum.
The conversation highlights lessons learned from pilots, the importance of payer-provider collaboration, and a future focused on efficiency, virtual care, and improving the patient experience.

In this episode, Mike Schroeder sits down with Brandon Cornuke, Senior Director of Innovation at University Hospitals, to explore how AI is transforming patient care, hospital operations, and cost management. From fall prevention and virtual nursing to AI-powered patient follow-up and a system-wide “problem engine” that elevates frontline insights, Brandon shares how University Hospitals is building smarter, safer, and more efficient care environments while addressing workforce shortages and rising healthcare costs.

In this episode of Healthcare Forward, Mike Schroeder sits down with Dr. Berry from Maple Health for a conversation on how Direct Primary Care reimagines the patient-provider relationship. They explore how the DPC model delivers more personalized, accessible care, real-world examples, and how this innovative approach fits into emerging healthcare strategies for employers.

In this episode, we sit down with Lisa Grobmyer, a current Roundstone Claims Review Nurse, to explore how her frontline experience in crowded operating rooms abroad and her current role intersect. Lisa shares how a sharp clinical eye can uncover unnecessary costs, spot missed opportunities, and ensure members receive better, more affordable care. From identifying red flags in claims to drawing lessons from resource-limited mission work, Lisa offers practical, human insights for employers and brokers who want to understand what really drives healthcare costs.

What separates a PBM that adds value from one that just adds costs? Host Mike Schroeder and guest Daniel Demyan dig into the traits of an effective PBM—transparent contracts, real-time data, clinical programs, and alignment with employer goals. Along the way, they unpack the impact of high-cost drugs like GLP-1s, share real-world examples of savings, and show how the right PBM strategy can lower costs without cutting care.