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Welcome to The Healthy Bottom Line

A Podcast for Employee Benefits Professionals Focused on Better Health and affordability. Brent Smith’s journey into health care started when his first post-college employer offered an incentive to employees to complete their annual physical. Short on cash and buried in student loans—he went. That visit led to a diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome and changed the course of his life. It sparked a deep curiosity about health in America, a personal commitment to wellness, and the realization that an employer’s benefits strategy can change lives.

Welcome to The Healthy Bottom Line

Healthcare

Anthem and SurgeryPlus “Latern” Partnership

MarketScale
May 21, 2025
Anthem
Brent Smith
Dickon Waterfield
healthcare
+more

In this episode, Brent Smith welcomes Dickon Waterfield, President of SurgeryPlus (Employer Direct Healthcare), to discuss their innovative partnership with Anthem. They break down how SurgeryPlus builds high-quality, cost-effective surgical networks—delivering care that’s local, affordable, and outcome-focused. Dickon explains how their model drives savings for employers while eliminating out-of-pocket costs for members. He also shares how integrated case management with Anthem improves patient navigation and drives better outcomes. A compelling look at the future of value-based surgical care—and a surprising first job story involving antique billiard tables.

Recent Episodes

pcp
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PCP Attribution Analysis

Dr. Sam Ambewadikar, RVP and Medical Director at Anthem National Accounts, joins Brent to unpack the power of primary care attribution analysis—a tool he helped pioneer to spotlight the clinical and financial impact of members not having an established PCP. Drawing from his background as a practicing pediatrician and claims analytics leader, Dr. Sam shares…

sydney health
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Sydney Health Demo

In this episode, Christina Firouztash, Executive Advisor of Digital Solutions at Anthem, gives a dynamic walkthrough of the Sydney Health app—Anthem’s flagship digital member experience. Christina showcases how Sydney delivers personalized, simple, and equitable navigation across benefits, including virtual care, pharmacy, financial transparency, and social services access. From contextual chatbots and ID card access to…

pharmacy
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Pharmacy Part 1

In this episode, Brent chats with Katie Brennan, National Sales Director at CarelonRx, about making pharmacy benefits more accessible, consistent, and member-friendly. Katie spotlights Carelon new advanced home delivery model, which brings the pharmacy counter—and the pharmacist—into the member’s home. With fewer retail pharmacies offering extended hours and many patients lacking reliable transportation, CarelonRx is…

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