Jude Odu: From Waste to Value: AI, Transparency & Transforming Self-Insured Health Plans | Ep 1201

In this episode of The Digital Executive, Brian Thomas speaks with Jude Odu, Founder and President of Health Cost IQ, about the staggering $1.6 trillion in annual waste embedded in the U.S. healthcare system.

Drawing from his doctoral research, Jude explains how more than half of employer-sponsored health plan spending can be lost to overcharges, billing errors, inflated pharmacy costs, and fraud—often because waste is built into the business model. He shares how AI-driven claims auditing, predictive modeling, and pharmacy optimization can deliver immediate, measurable savings for self-funded employers.

Jude also introduces his upcoming book, Model Optimal Care, a framework built specifically for self-insured employers. Centered on transparency, accountability, integration, engagement, and technology enablement, the model empowers organizations to treat healthcare as a managed asset—not a fixed cost.

Looking ahead, Jude outlines three major shifts shaping the next decade: self-funding as the default model, fiduciary PBM reform, and operationalized price transparency. The message is clear—the tools exist. The question is who will lead.

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