AH100 - The End of the Age of Confusion, It's Time for Acceptance, with AJ Loiacono
Fri Feb 06 2026
For the 100th episode of Astonishing Healthcare, we welcomed AJ Loiacono, our co-founder and CEO, back to the show for a lively discussion about the evolution of our industry and business. What started as a transparent pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) in the "age of indifference" is now a more comprehensive health benefits manager (HBM), and we've entered the "era of acceptance." It's been an incredible 8+ years of growth, fueled by innovation and an unwavering commitment to our clients and delivering on our mission: to build the infrastructure our country needs to deliver the healthcare we deserve. But we had to endure an "age of confusion" to get here!
AJ explains why traditional healthcare giants are facing a "BlackBerry moment" - trying to emulate a conflict-free challenger when "it’s already too late." The balance of power is shifting away from the traditional PBMs, as the industry now demands full transparency - buyers of health benefits today are smarter than ever before. We also discuss how and why the U.S. wastes [at least] a trillion dollars annually by trying to deliver care using inefficient, fragmented systems; we built the infrastructure to stop it. This episode isn't just a retrospective; it’s a blueprint of sorts, and we've got the cultural DNA required to bring about sustainable change (vs. just daydreaming about it).
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For more information about Judi Health and this episode, please visit Judi Health - Insights.
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For the 100th episode of Astonishing Healthcare, we welcomed AJ Loiacono, our co-founder and CEO, back to the show for a lively discussion about the evolution of our industry and business. What started as a transparent pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) in the "age of indifference" is now a more comprehensive health benefits manager (HBM), and we've entered the "era of acceptance." It's been an incredible 8+ years of growth, fueled by innovation and an unwavering commitment to our clients and delivering on our mission: to build the infrastructure our country needs to deliver the healthcare we deserve. But we had to endure an "age of confusion" to get here! AJ explains why traditional healthcare giants are facing a "BlackBerry moment" - trying to emulate a conflict-free challenger when "it’s already too late." The balance of power is shifting away from the traditional PBMs, as the industry now demands full transparency - buyers of health benefits today are smarter than ever before. We also discuss how and why the U.S. wastes [at least] a trillion dollars annually by trying to deliver care using inefficient, fragmented systems; we built the infrastructure to stop it. This episode isn't just a retrospective; it’s a blueprint of sorts, and we've got the cultural DNA required to bring about sustainable change (vs. just daydreaming about it). Related Content Replay - Unifying Medical and Pharmacy Benefits: The Blueprint for Better Employee Health and WellnessJudi Health’s Capital Rx Surpasses Five Million Contracted PBM Lives as America’s Largest Employers, Unions, and Leading Health Systems Evolve Their Health Benefits StrategiesAH095 - What's in Store for the New Year? A Special Round-Robin Episode of Astonishing HealthcareHealth Benefits 101: Service Excellence & Scaling an Award-Winning Call Center Model For more information about Judi Health and this episode, please visit Judi Health - Insights.