Episode 336- "The Power Of And" In Health Care. With Matt Elliott

Health care gets blamed on villains, but the harder truth is that most people are reacting to the incentives right in front of them. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Matt Elliott, founder of Blue Lake Ideas and former president of Bank of America Michigan, to ask the question that quietly reshapes every other debate: who is the customer in health care? Matt brings a leadership lens he calls the “Power of And” thinking that refuses to collapse decisions into either-or. If Michigan wants a stronger future, we have to execute today and invest for tomorrow. We have to take care of people and still deliver results. That mindset matters when the state is facing what many leaders describe as a “house on fire” moment: slipping educational and economic outcomes, rising cost pressure, and real threats to access, especially for rural hospitals that often serve as the largest employer in town. We also get concrete about health care cost transparency and pricing signals. Patients rarely see the real price of care, there often isn’t a usable price sheet, and even providers can be constrained by contracts and regulation. We talk about how benefit design and tax policy shape behavior, why clarity has to come before solutions, and what “winning” should mean if we want a health care system that works for patients and communities. Subscribe, share this conversation with someone who debates health care policy, and leave a review with your answer: who do you think the customer really is? Support the show Engage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!