MedStar Insurance Agency· Steve Almeroth · 1 min read
Nationwide Employer Healthcare Strategy
Self-Funded nationwide employers are facing employee health plan budget problems. Healthcare costs are running unexpectedly high.
In the video, when Dr. Eric Bricker refers to “the network,” he is talking about the provider network of one of the major health insurance carriers. He states:
There’s really only one network out of the four major carriers that’s really worth anything…
He implies that among the four major national carriers,
- UnitedHealthcare (UHC)
- Anthem (now Elevance Health in some markets)
- Aetna (a CVS Health company)
- Cigna
…only one offers a provider network with competitive contracted rates — better than the others and even better than Medicare in some cases. He doesn’t name the carrier but strongly suggests that switching to or using that specific network is key to controlling employer healthcare costs.
I asked ChatGPT: “If you had to guess, which carrier is he talking about?”
Based on context and industry reputation, Dr. Bricker is most likely referring to UnitedHealthcare as the “one network” he considers worth switching to. UHC is often recognized for:
- Having one of the largest and most comprehensive national provider networks.
- Negotiating stronger discounts with providers.
- Competitive contracted rates that sometimes outperform other carriers.
He avoids naming the carrier, likely for neutrality, but UHC fits his description better than the others in most large employer plan comparisons.
