The first $1 trillion healthcare company?

“We think the biggest company in the world will be a consumer health tech company.” 

If that sounds crazy — and the Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) partners Daisy Wolf and Vijay Pande who made that bold prediction acknowledged it might seem that way — give it a second to sink in. It shouldn’t take long to recognize that it’s not only probable but actually could happen sooner than many people anticipate.  

But how, exactly, could a health tech company achieve the kind of growth previously only thought possible for the likes of Amazon, Alphabet, Apple or Microsoft? a16z laid out two distinct paths to $1 trillion: a vertically integrated payvider or a horizontal infrastructure marketplace. 

‘If UnitedHealth Group and Apple had a baby’

UnitedHealth Group (UHG) is forecasting nearly $360 billion in 2023 revenue. For an enterprise that size, doubling in the next five to 10 years is within realistic expectations. And with an aggressive M&A strategy, UHG could skyrocket closer to $1 trillion even more quickly. 

a16z’s first path toward a trillion dollars is a payvider with dominant marketshare via personalized consumer health experiences that generate brand loyalty. They describe it as: “Imagine if UnitedHealth Group and Apple had a baby, and that baby had the business model of UHG but the sleek consumer experience and brand loyalty of Apple.”

This consumer-focused strategy is not merely whimsical punditry. At UHG’s recent investor conference, executives made it clear that the company intends to become a “preeminent consumer organization. In every scenario, the American consumer has more influence in the future than today. We need to build and respond to that.” 

Healthcare CX for the 21st century

A combination of digital transformation and consumer experience will be key for any healthcare organization striving to grow into the trillion-dollar range. 

The second path a16z outlined centers on building a horizontal marketplace similar to Amazon or digital infrastructure similar to Visa. They outline this model as a “universal place people go to shop for healthcare services, insurance and drugs — with trusted reviews, quality metrics and price transparency.” 

This type of horizontal marketplace requires a tremendous amount of consumer experience expertise to seamlessly integrate multiple data sources into an innovation ecosystem that delivers trusted and personalized healthcare experiences at scale.

A little secret

Let me share a little secret with you: everyone in healthcare wants a version of the same thing — a consumer-centric, integrated healthcare experience that just works and can deliver personalization that drives better health outcomes and economics. There are many, many companies that share a16z’s thesis. Executives see the need to become a consumer experience-focused company, integrating across payor and provider lines. 

What the article glosses over is the challenge in execution. Realizing either scenario requires an incredible build, with significant execution risk. There are plenty of examples of healthcare organizations that have tried and failed. Then there are those leaders who have yet to make a move, kicking the can down the road.  

What if I told you there was a platform to accelerate the build, reduce the risk and rapidly transform the healthcare consumer experience?

The future is already here

In the immortal words oft-attributed to science fiction author William Gibson, “The future is already here, it’s just not very evenly distributed yet.”

That future, in fact, is a new tech stack including care, cloud and a purpose-built healthcare CX platform. The tech stack is open architecture that’s supported by an ecosystem of innovative customers, partners, ISVs, third-party developers — all enhancing the platform’s capabilities.   

That CX platform is League. 

It is already powering leading payers, payviders and providers recognizing the opportunity to build an industry giant and racing to transform the healthcare experience for all. 

The time has come for industry-wide CX transformation. Consumers are demanding more personalized healthcare. Executives are recognizing both the need to change and the business upside for engaging consumers and populations to unlock new revenue opportunities and reduce costs. 

Will the largest company in the world be a consumer healthcare company? With a platform like League accelerating transformation in healthcare, the race is on.