In this episode of Listening (With Permission), Andréa Caballero of Catalyst for Payment Reform sits down with Swati Mathai—CEO and co-founder of XO Health—to explore how employers can finally move beyond the limits of legacy health plans. With more than 25 years of experience advising Fortune 500 employers, leading strategy at UnitedHealthcare and Anthem (now Elevance Health), and now building XO Health from the ground up, Swati shares why the only way forward is to start fresh.
Key Insights
A Blank-Slate Blueprint for Healthcare
Swati describes why renovating legacy health plans is like modernizing a century-old house: painful, costly, and never quite right. With XO Health, she started from scratch—designing a new “central nervous system” for health plans that prioritizes value-based care, modern administration, and member-centered experiences.
Why Employers Stay Stuck
Despite skyrocketing costs, most employers remain tied to traditional carriers and TPAs. Swati explains why the lack of viable alternatives, entrenched provider networks, and fear of switching costs keep employers in the status quo—and how XO is creating scalable options built for large enterprises.
From Point Solutions to Seamless Integration
Rather than bolting on point solutions that rarely deliver on their promise, XO Health embeds them deeply into its network and platform. The result: streamlined experiences where members access the right care at the right time—without managing a patchwork of disconnected services.
Tailored Paths to Change
Every employer’s starting point is different. Swati shares how XO Health helps organizations reprice claims data, map potential savings of 20% or more, and design a step-by-step path to transformation—without forcing one-size-fits-all solutions.
The Employer’s Role in Reform
Swati challenges employers to embrace pilots, experimentation, and co-creation with partners like XO Health. As she puts it, “We should be more afraid of the status quo than of the future.”