Brett Bingham, Chief Network Development Officer at Banner Plans and Networks

Summary

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Episode Summary: Brett Bingham, Chief Network Development Officer, Banner Plans and Networks Date: February 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast features Scott King in conversation with Brett Bingham, Chief Network Development Officer at Banner Plans and Networks. The discussion centers on the evolving relationships between health plans and providers, the challenges facing payers and providers amid industry-wide cost and workforce pressures, the slow march toward effective value-based care, and the leadership attributes needed in today’s healthcare landscape. Brett shares his perspective on aligning incentives, investing in long-term transformation, and the crucial role of transparency and collaboration.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Brett Bingham’s Background & Career Path

• [01:05] Brett describes his career trajectory, highlighting his time at Banner as “a fun ride,” with earlier roles at Yuma’s rural health system, UNC Health, and the Durham VA Medical Center. He appreciates working in a nonprofit integrated delivery system focused on connecting healthcare’s moving parts.

Changing Provider-Payer Relationships

• [01:58] Brett notes a shift from adversarial interactions toward more collaborative relationships due to mutual cost and workforce pressures.

  • Quote [02:00]: “Trust is something that’s really important right now as we’re all facing these pressures, and building that trust with providers is certainly critical.” – Brett Bingham

• The conversation is moving away from simple fee-for-service disputes toward addressing access, staffing, and other pressing operational challenges.

Collaboration as a Key to Progress

• [02:59] Both sides—payers and providers—are increasingly “coming together in more creative and innovative ways.”
  • Quote [03:01]: “Those that are focused on the collaboration are those that are really going to win in the long run.” – Brett Bingham

Gaps Between Strategy and Execution in Payer Organizations

• [03:27] Strategy is advancing faster than infrastructure within health plans, with most organizations having a value-based care blueprint but lacking the necessary data, contract terms, or operational support to make real progress.

Reshaping Health Plans: The Role of Payment Methodologies & Technology

• [03:59] While AI is a major talking point, Brett believes the priority should be different payment models that incentivize outcomes—not just compliance.
  • Quote [04:02]: “The biggest challenge is that with value-based care...reports and shared savings can be two years away. Getting leading indicator payments on annual wellness visits, care gap closures... not just clicking the button, but actually treating patients.” – Brett Bingham

Regulatory Changes for Affordability & Access

• [04:46] Brett advocates for greater consumer engagement in healthcare, emphasizing that outcomes improve when individuals are meaningfully involved in their care. The regulatory and industry focus, he suggests, needs to move beyond box-checking.

Leveraging Emerging Tech for Patient Engagement

• [05:31] Emerging technologies are crucial for streamlining patient and member experiences. Banner is investing heavily in this area, though Brett cautions that “moving large organizations forward can take time and effort.”

Margin Pressures and Investment Patience

• [06:07] Rising expenses are universal, and Brett highlights the value of organizational agility and the importance of letting strategic investments play out before pivoting.
  • Quote [06:32]: “Banner’s been really true to its course, and that’s been a great thing because it allows us to remain committed...without floundering when we see a hiccup or challenge.” – Brett Bingham

Long-Term Investments for Payers

• [07:06] Integration of care delivery and improved data connectivity at the point of care are cited as essential long-term investments. Success will come from deep partnerships—through vehicles like CINs (Clinically Integrated Networks), ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations), MSOs (Management Services Organizations), and advanced primary care models.

Leadership Evolution in Healthcare

• [07:58] Brett identifies transparency, collaboration, and a people-first mindset as the most important leadership qualities today.
  • Quote [08:05]: “If you burn your relationships for some kind of a quick win, those never recover...Just being transparent and straightforward with the challenges that we all face, and then being willing to kind of hear the voices of lots of different individuals...that’s how you navigate.” – Brett Bingham

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Collaboration Over Adversity:
  “Our relationships with providers are really more moving more into a shared interest and aligned incentives aspect...” – Brett [01:58]
• Infrastructure Lag:
  “Strategy is very much so outpacing the infrastructure across the industry.” – Brett [03:29]
• Outcomes-Focused Payment:
  “It’s not just clicking the button, but actually treating patients for the conditions they have...” – Brett [04:16]
• Patience in Investment:
  “Organizations that can really focus on their agility and rely on the time...are really important.” – Brett [06:16]
• Leadership Wisdom:
  “As we continue to kind of work together and focus on our greatest asset, our people, then we’re going to be able to get through it.” – Brett [08:29]

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Important Timestamps

• [01:05] – Brett’s career background
• [01:58] – Evolution of provider-payer relationships
• [02:59] – Rising collaboration amid industry pressure
• [03:27] – Strategy vs. operations gap
• [03:59] – Impactful investments: AI, payment methodologies
• [04:46] – Policy change wish: Engage the consumer
• [05:31] – Embracing emerging tech for patient experience
• [06:07] – Main margin pressures and response strategy
• [07:06] – Need for patience and long-term thinking in payer investments
• [07:58] – Leadership evolution and key attributes

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Tone and Conclusion

Brett’s tone is pragmatic, thoughtful, and candid—emphasizing long-term thinking, genuine collaboration, and the critical importance of relationships and people in the healthcare system. This episode is particularly valuable for healthcare leaders interested in payer-provider dynamics, operationalizing value-based care, and building resilient, people-centered organizations.

Transcript

[A]

This is where health insurance leadership comes together. Becker's 4th Annual Spring Payer Issues Roundtable brings together over 400 payer and health plan executives and more than 100 speakers to Chicago, April 13th and 14th. This year's event includes keynote conversations with the industry's top leaders and former President George W. Bush. For the full agenda and event details, visit Beckershospitalreview.com and click on the Events tab in the upper right. We're looking forward to hosting you here in Chicago.

[B]

Hello everyone and welcome to Becker's Healthcare Podcast. I'm Scott King, thrilled today to be joined by Brett Bingham, Chief Network Development Officer, Banner Plans and Networks. Brett, how you doing today? Thanks so much for joining us.

[C]

Thanks for having me. It's a great day.

[B]

Certainly is some parts of the world. We were talking weather earlier Chicago suffering. But despite all that, we, you know, we have a lot of big topics and, and news to get to with health plans and with healthcare in general. Before we do that, I was wondering if you could please just tell us a little bit about your background and your career journey.

[C]

Sure, I'd be happy to. So I've been with Banner for about five years now and I get to lead our provider networks. Really enjoy the role with Banner as an integrated delivery system that's not for profit. It's very focused on connecting the right pieces of healthcare and it's fun to align with such a great organization. Before this, I got to spend some time with a rural sole provider health system down in Yuma, so about 420 beds there on Vita Health and then did some work with UNC Health, a small apaco, the Durham kind of VA Medical center and some other things before that. So it's been a fun ride.

[B]

Appreciate you sharing that background info. Definitely interesting career you've had so far and a great perspective on things. How are your relationships with providers changing as both sides face cost pressures and workforce shortages?

[C]

You know, this is really interesting. I think in the industry we're seeing a lot in the media of potential adversarial situations and that's something to be very cautious of. Our relationships with providers are really more moving more into a shared interest and aligned incentives aspect that we think that trust is something that's really important right now as we're all facing these pressures and building that trust with providers is certainly critical. One of the challenges that we're kind of seeing is the dynamic of shifting away from more fee for service rate fights to more focus around solving access, staffing and other aspects that are a Big challenge for providers.

[B]

So Brett, do you think kind of like across the board, certainly now with a lot of the regulatory pressures and some you just touched on, are both sides just kind of maybe a little more so coming to the table and willing to collaborate? Because they both know, look, you're up against xyz, I'm up against X, Y, Z. Let's try to get something done.

[C]

Yeah, I think you're exactly right. Many providers and payers are coming together in more creative and innovative ways and I applaud that. We're also seeing some providers or payers taking a different approach, which is a bit tougher because those that are focused on the collaboration are those that are really going to win in the long run.

[B]

Absolutely. Brett, where do you see the biggest gap today between payer strategy and operational execution?

[C]

You know, this is a really good question. I think that strategy is very much so outpacing the infrastructure across the industry. Some organizations that are more vertically integrated are definitely farther along. But I think one of the pieces here is everybody has some kind of value based care strategy, but very few have the data, the contract terms or the operations set up in a way that they can actually achieve things.

[B]

What's one investment or initiative you believe will most reshape how health plans operate?

[C]

I mean, everybody's hitting AI pretty hard. I think health plans that really invest on a different payment methodology are those that are going to win. The biggest challenge is that with value based care and actually incentivizing for the outcomes that we need to, the data latency is just so long reports and shared savings can be two years away. Getting leading indicator payments on annual wellness visits, care gap closures, fully addressing and not just clicking the button, but actually treating patients for the conditions they have?

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. Let me ask you, if you could change one regulatory or industry practice tomorrow so very soon to improve affordability and access, what would it be and why?

[C]

That's a really good question. I think there's a lot of struggle around checking the box with some of the different pieces that are out there. As we think about how we engage the consumer more, I think that is a missing piece. We know that incentives and things like that to the actual patient or member, there's a real delicate line to be walked there. But ultimately, if we can engage individuals more meaningfully in their health, I think that they find better outcomes.

[B]

Brett, do you do that by embracing a lot of the things that emerging tech have given to health plans? Because like you said, the consumers expect things easier. They expect to be met do you do that through emerging tech?

[C]

Yes. I think that there's all sorts of different pieces around that Banner has invested very heavily and how we're working with our consumers, especially in the realms of patient experience, member experience, and. And just making healthcare easier so life can be better. The big challenge with all this is moving large organizations forward can take time and effort, but Vayner's certainly been very committed to that cause.

[B]

That's great to hear. What issue is putting the most pressure on health plan margins right now, and how will you respond differently this year in 2026 to that?

[C]

You know, that's a really good question. I think we've seen a lot of increases in expenses across the board. And so I think there's just multiple pieces coming together at the same time. And organizations that can really focus on their agility and rely on the time that it just kind of living out their investments that they've made and making sure they have the time to kind of see those through is really important. I think we've seen a number of players in the industry shift strategies too quickly. They'll be partway through an endeavor, and then they maybe shift before they finish it. Banner's been really true to its course, and that's been a great thing because it allows us to remain committed on the pieces that we're well grounded in without floundering when we see a hiccup of challenge.

[B]

What are some investments, Brett, that you think either Banner or all payers just have to kind of be a little patient with in terms of seeing them through and seeing them pay off?

[C]

Yeah, that's another good question. A big piece on that one is more deeply integrating care delivery capabilities. So as we think about the historical payer landscape, it's very contractually based. I think the organization that focus on. Focuses. I think the organizations that focus more on the actual integration of pieces and getting the data to connect at point of care and then allowing for flexibilities for different payers to kind of work with advanced models, CIN, ACOs, MSOs and just other type of engagement vehicles with primary care is really important.

[B]

The last thing I want to ask you, Brad, you know, I think leadership is so important now in health care, you know, probably more than ever before with everything going on. Just wanted to ask how you've evolved as a leader.

[C]

Yeah, that's another good thought. I think the biggest thing is transparency and collaboration. It's a big industry, but at the same time it's really small. And if you burn your relationships for some kind of a quick win, those never recover. And so as we think about working with teams, no matter how big or small they are, just being transparent and straightforward with the challenges that we all face, and then being willing to kind of hear the voices of lots of different individuals to navigate through things in the right way. We're all doing the best that we can. It's a challenging time, but as we continue to kind of work together and focus on our greatest asset, our people, then we're going to be able to get through it.

[B]

Brett, thanks so much for joining us on the podcast. It was a great conversation and really looking forward to having you speak at the Spring Payer Issues Roundtable.

[C]

Hey, thank you. I've definitely enjoyed it.