Raising Health

Josh Weiner left Meta to return to CVS Health with two painful realizations: consumers don't manage their health—they expect it, and the healthcare market fundamentally violates every principle of economics. In this conversation with a16z's Julie Yoo, the CVS Senior VP explains why 50% of Americans can't afford a healthcare emergency, how CVS is becoming a platform to solve structural healthcare problems, and why the future depends on consumers finally controlling their own health data. Timecodes: 0:00 The Healthcare Market Isn't Functioning 2:30 Consumers Don't Manage Health, They Just Expect It 3:39 Why Consumer Playbooks Die in Healthcare 5:41 Motion vs Progress: The Innovation Illusion 8:46 Platform Philosophy: "It Takes a Village" 11:38 The Vaccine Paradox Under One Roof 19:37 The 40% Hidden Reality: Healthcare Is Caregiving 21:04 The Deductible Comprehension Crisis 22:10 "This Does Have an Expiration Date" 24:40 The Health Passport Future Resources: Find Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshweiner2/ Follow Julie on X: https://x.com/julesyoo Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the Raising Health Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjb8YTzHDuPBgDXc3ElkR Listen to the Raising Health Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-health/id1529318900 Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the first time in human history, we can diagnose thousands of genetic diseases—often for under $1,000—but we still can't treat most of them. The problem isn't understanding what's broken; it's delivering the fix to the right cells. Eric Kelsic, CEO of Dyno Therapeutics, joins a16z's Jorge Conde to explain how AI-designed protein shells are solving gene therapy's delivery crisis. They explore why Huntington's patients can now get 15 extra years of healthy life, how Dyno inverted the liver-to-brain delivery ratio by 1000x, and why capsids evolved by nature are now being designed by machine learning models trained on millions of variants. Eric introduces the concept of genetic agency—humanity's first-ever ability to take action at the DNA level—and details why solving delivery for common diseases will make ultra-rare disease treatments economically viable. Plus: what happens when gene therapy requires neurosurgery today but could be a simple injection tomorrow, why recent deaths in clinical trials prove we need better technology now, and how genetic medicine could become as routine as surgery within our lifetimes. Resources: Follow Eric on X: https://x.com/ekelsic Follow Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBio Learn more about GATC 2025: https://www.dynotx.com/gatc2025 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cancer care in the U.S. costs over $250 billion each year, and nearly 2 million Americans receive a new diagnosis annually, yet too often the journey begins with silence: no call, no plan, no guide. In this episode, a16z’s Vineeta Agarwala and Jay Rughani talk with Thyme Care leaders Robin Shah (cofounder and CEO), Bobby Green, MD (president and CMO), and Brad Diephuis, MD (president and COO) about rebuilding oncology around the patient. They cover where the system breaks, how navigation plus value-based contracts align incentives, how AI can extend clinicians, and what scale looks like today, more than 83,000 active patients. A concise blueprint for truly patient-centered cancer care. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 1:47 Personal Stories & Early Days of Time Care 5:27 Building the Team & Mission 7:07 The Patient Journey: Where the System Fails 9:58 Why Tech Hasn’t Solved Cancer Care (Yet) 15:45 Scaling Impact: Growth & Partnerships 17:45 How Time Care Works: Value-Based Care Explained 23:15 Technology, AI, and the Human Touch 37:06 Building for the Future: Generational Impact Resources: Find Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-shah-8072bb35 Find Bobby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbobbygreen/ FInd Brad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdiephuis/ Find Vineeta on X: https://x.com/vintweeta Find Jay on X: https://x.com/JayRughani Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the Raising Health on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjb8YTzHDuPBgDXc3ElkR Listen to Raising Health on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-health/id1529318900 Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Julie Yoo and Jay Rughani are joined by Thatch cofounders Chris Ellis and Adam Stevenson to explore why ICHRA—a more recent policy innovation—might quietly revolutionize employer-sponsored health benefits. Unpacking the surprising history of how U.S. healthcare became entangled with employment, they make the case for a defined-contribution future that mirrors the rise of the 401(k) and HSA. Tailored especially for today’s distributed and fast-moving workforce, ICHRA allows employers to offer tax-free health dollars employees can spend how—and where—they choose. For healthcare entrepreneurs, the conversation provides a blueprint for navigating a rapidly shifting payer landscape, including insight into how fintech infrastructure, policy tailwinds, and carrier ecosystem integrations unlock market readiness. This episode was originally published in October of 2024. The conversation remains relevant today.

In this episode, Sprinter Health co-founders Max Cohen and Cameron Behar sit down with Julie Yoo to unpack how their home-based care model reaches underserved populations and reintegrates “the unengaged” into the healthcare system. From starting with blood draws in living rooms to scaling a high-complexity, tech-enabled logistics platform, they share how operations, empathy, and human connection power their success. The duo reflects on the constraints and regulatory nuance of healthcare, revealing how humility, intentional culture-building, and pragmatism give tech-native founders an edge. Listeners will walk away with tactical advice on balancing scrappiness with long-term scalability, architecting tech-clinical collaboration, and applying AI to augment—not replace—human-delivered care. For healthcare entrepreneurs navigating systems transformation without deep domain roots, this candid conversation is both roadmap and reality check. a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

In this episode, Tennr cofounder and CEO Trey Holterman sits down with a16z’s David Haber and Jay Rughani to unpack one of healthcare’s most overlooked pain points: patient referral logistics. When a patient is referred to a specialist and told that the specialist will follow up with them, what happens next? A convoluted system sometimes involving dozens of staff and multiple portals, all of which may or may not result in the specialist actually following up. Trey shares how Tennr leverages AI to automate the complex, unstructured workflows that delay patient care and burden frontline staff. Tennr's goal is to meaningfully increase patient conversions—ensuring more people get the treatment they need, faster. a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

What if one of healthcare’s most complex administrative challenges—revenue cycle management—was reframed as a data science problem? In this episode, Malinka Walaliyadde, cofounder and CEO of AKASA, joins Julie Yoo to unpack how large language models have the potential to transform hospital revenue by automating highly nuanced coding and billing workflows. Malinka discusses how AI is finally making it possible to extract simplicity from a sea of clinical complexity and unstructured data, simplifying the flow of dollars through the healthcare system and freeing staff to focus on patients. Plus: a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

What if we stopped trying to cure disease and started preventing it instead? In this episode, Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute and a cardiologist, scientist, and author, joins a16z general partner Vijay Pande to unpack the future of aging, prevention, and precision health—as explored in Eric's new book, Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity. Together, they discuss AI-driven risk prediction and next-gen immunotherapies — a roadmap for how we could eliminate age-related diseases before they begin. From the transformative potential of GLP-1 drugs to organ-specific aging clocks, this episode is about the innovations with the potential to expand healthspan, not just lifespan. a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

Arif Nathoo, cofounder and CEO of Komodo Health, joins Jorge Conde and Jay Rughani to explore the transformative potential of healthcare data in reshaping biotech and healthcare innovation. Arif reflects on a decade-long journey of unlocking the power of fragmented healthcare data, delving into Komodo Health’s “full-stack thesis” — a strategy that combines rich datasets, advanced analytics, and AI to enable life sciences companies, payors, and providers to make better decisions at scale. Together, the three also discuss leveraging predictive AI to identify undiagnosed patients and optimize care delivery. Arif also shares actionable advice for founders, from picking the right partner to staying steadfast in the vision. Plus: a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

Join a16z general partners Marc Andreessen, Julie Yoo, and Vijay Pande for an incisive exploration of what's driving—and stalling—transformation in healthcare. With the industry now consuming nearly 20% of U.S. GDP yet delivering poor outcomes relative to other developed countries, is technology the remedy or a red herring? This episode, cross-posted with the a16z podcast, dissects the inertia holding healthcare back, from regulatory bottlenecks to misaligned incentives, while offering actionable insights for entrepreneurs navigating this complex space. Plus: a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

Seth Hain, SVP of R&D at Epic, joins a16z Bio + Health general partner Julie Yoo to explore technology in healthcare. Reflecting on over two decades of industry shifts, Seth shares how Epic has transitioned from enabling integrated systems within health systems to driving cross-ecosystem collaboration and rapid innovations like generative AI. They also discuss orchestration of patient care across diverse settings, the transformative impact of AI on clinical workflows, and whether "electronic health record" is really the best term for clinical record-keeping software. a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

Elliot Cohen, cofounder of PillPack, joins Julie Yoo, a16z Bio + Health general partner. Together, they discuss Elliot's experience designing and building a consumer-first pharmacy alongside TJ Parker. Elliot's journey with PillPack began when he noticed his father struggling with a mail-order pharmacy that couldn’t get the simplest thing right: the correct version of a pill. Elliot shares the nitty-gritty of building a consumer-centric business in healthcare, including how they had to adapt CSV files and cake boxes to get their initial product off the ground, and how they balanced the needs of a healthcare system with the desires of their customers. a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

In this episode, Slingshot AI cofounders Daniel Cahn and Neil Parikh join a16z Bio + Health general partner Julie Yoo to explore how their mission to transform mental health care with AI took shape. Drawing from their unique journeys—Daniel as the son of a psychologist and Neil as a former medical student-turned-entrepreneur—they discuss the challenges and opportunities of building AI models to model psychological processes and how this could expand access for subclinical mental health support. Listen for candid reflections on Slingshot's innovations, visions for AI's role in preventative care, and a future where technology empowers therapists and patients alike. More in "The Opportunity for Healthcare in a Post-LLM World": An Ironman Suit for Doctors with Muthu AlagappanVoice AI: Solving Healthcare's Workforce Challenges with Ankit JainSuper Staffing in Healthcare with Munjal ShahPlus: a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

Muthu Alagappan, founder and CEO of Counsel Health, joins Julie Yoo, a16z Bio + Health general partner, to dive deep into the company's vision for revolutionizing healthcare through AI-powered asynchronous care. Together, they unpack how Counsel enables on-demand access to real doctors for instant medical guidance, lessening patient reliance on Google and alleviating system inefficiencies and physician burn-out. Muthu also explores the duo of efficiency and scale that large language models bring to clinical workflows, making its “clinician cockpit” a superhuman support system for physicians. More in "The Opportunity for Healthcare in a Post-LLM World": Voice AI: Solving Healthcare's Workforce Challenges with Ankit JainSuper Staffing in Healthcare with Munjal ShahTransforming Clinical Trials with Alexander Saint-AmandPlus: a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

Ankit Jain, CEO and cofounder of Infinitus Systems, Inc, joins Julie Yoo, a16z Bio + Health general partner, to discuss Infinitus's work in solving one of healthcare's most pressing challenges: workforce shortages. Leveraging LLMs and AI voice agents, Infinitus automates repetitive tasks, such as benefits verification and prior authorization, freeing up human talent for higher-value roles. Ankit reflects on the company’s journey—from early proof-of-concept calls to scaling over five million patient-centric interactions—and shares their approach to mitigating the risks of AI errors through layered guardrails. More in "The Opportunity for Healthcare in a Post-LLM World": Super Staffing in Healthcare with Munjal ShahTransforming Clinical Trials with Alexander Saint-AmandPlus: a16z Bio+HealthRaising HealthLinkedInX

Alexander Saint-Amand, cofounder and CEO of Topography, reflects on his journey from leading Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), a pioneer in expert networks, to tackling systemic barriers in clinical trials at his current company, Topography. Inspired by personal experiences, Alexander’s mission centers on democratizing access to clinical research by transforming community-based practices into thriving hubs for trials. Alongside a16z Bio + Health general partner Julie Yoo, he discusses the pervasive challenges in enrollment, physician participation, and the inefficiencies plaguing the current model. Alexander also talks through Topography's hybrid approach—combining technology, services, and AI—and its potential to lower the barrier to entry for providers, improving patient access.

Rajaie Batniji, MD, PhD, Afia Asamoah, JD, and Sanjay Basu, MD, PhD, cofounders of Waymark, join Vineeta Agarwala, MD, PhD, a16z Bio + Health general partner, to discuss their transformative approach to Medicaid care delivery. This episode dives into their rising risk signal prediction framework, where cutting-edge machine learning predicts patient needs and enables community-based care teams to reduce preventable ER visits and improve health outcomes at scale. The team recently published their real-world results—including a 23% reduction in unnecessary acute care—in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst. Additional resources: Supporting Rising-Risk Medicaid Patients Through Early InterventionThe Body Economic

Hippocratic AI cofounder and CEO Munjal Shah joins a16z Bio + Health general partner Julie Yoo to explore the incredible potential of generative AI in transforming healthcare delivery. Together, they discuss the emerging "voice renaissance" in healthcare, the nuances of designing safe and empathetic AI interactions, and how Hippocratic AI is addressing safety concerns with innovations like multi-LLM architecture and rigorous training with thousands of nurses. This episode also discusses a shift toward viewing AI tools as an opportunity for healthcare "super staffing," and strategies for integrating AI into complex healthcare systems.

Jeff Margolis, founder of TriZetto, joins Julie Yoo, a16z Bio + Health general partner, to share the journey of building an iconic company in healthcare infrastructure. From the early days of managed care to creating a three-pronged platform uniting computing power, software, and data analytics, Jeff reflects on TriZetto’s groundbreaking model that reshaped payer-provider transactions and set industry standards. Together, they also delve into the strategic importance of scaling through acquisitions, aligning with industry standards, and crafting innovative pricing models.

In this episode, Matt Wilsey joins Jorge Conde to share the profound personal story of his daughter Grace's diagnosis with NGLY1 deficiency and how it catalyzed his journey to founding a biotech startup, Grace Science, aimed at developing a cure for his daughter’s condition. Matt emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships, like his collaboration with Nobel laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, and sheds light on the search for gene therapies for rare diseases. Check out our previous episode with Carolyn Bertozzi here.