Becker’s Healthcare Podcast: Building Strong Provider Partnerships for Value-Based Care

Release Date: February 4, 2026
Host: Scott King (B)
Guest: Christy Spencer (C), Vice President of Provider Partnerships, Elevance Health

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the evolving nature of provider partnerships in the context of value-based care. Christy Spencer, a leader at Elevance Health, discusses practical strategies for building strong, mutually beneficial relationships between health plans and providers, with an emphasis on actionable incentives, digital enablement, and simplification. The conversation addresses industry challenges such as cost pressures, workforce shortages, and administrative complexities, offering concrete examples and future-focused insights for health plan executives and provider organizations alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Christy Spencer’s Background and Perspective

• [01:03] Christy introduces her role at Elevance Health, highlighting her leadership in provider partnerships and value-based strategy across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial business lines.
• She brings multi-angle experience (hospital systems, primary care, health plans) and stresses the importance of practical, actionable, and supported value-based care.
• Quote:

  "Value based care only works when it's practical, when incentives are aligned, data is actionable and providers are genuinely supported and not overwhelmed."
  — Christy Spencer [01:35]

2. Evolving Provider-Health Plan Relationships

• [02:57] Relationships are shifting from transactional contracts toward pragmatic, interdependent partnerships.
• Key elements: effective engagement, well-designed incentives, and connected actionable data.
• Providers need friction reduced and clarity on what actions drive outcomes, not additional measures or reporting.
• Quote:

  "Providers don't need more measures or reporting requirements. What they need is help removing friction in their day to day operations, as well as clarity on what actually drives outcomes."
  — Christy Spencer [03:39]

3. Examples of Action-Driven Incentives

• [05:04] Elevance Health is expanding its pay-for-quality program:
  • Incentivizes providers to close quality care gaps and aligns/simplifies workflows.
• Quote:

  "We're beginning to expand our reach of inviting providers in to participate in our pay for quality program ... to close care gaps and aligns and simplifies the work."
  — Christy Spencer [05:12]

4. Bridging the Gap: Strategy vs. Execution

• [05:46] The industry is transitioning from fee-for-service to outcomes-based models.
• Elevance operates with value-based care at its core rather than as a pilot.
• Metrics:
  • In 2024, 65.5% of medical spend aligned to value-based care; 37% in shared risk (up from prior year).
  • Value-based providers in Medicare Advantage saw 3.9% lower MLR and improvement in 74% of STARS measures.
• Importance of integrating strategy into the provider’s workflow to reduce complexity.
• Quote:

  "The strategy is right, yet it really only works when it shows up simply and clearly. Ideally, it's directly within the provider's workflow..."
  — Christy Spencer [07:12]

5. High-Impact Investments & Initiatives

• [07:51] Partnerships—particularly with smaller and independent providers—are critical.
• Elevance’s national value partners extend capabilities to smaller groups: standardized data, closing care gaps, clinical prioritization.
• Focus is on ecosystem-wide improvement, not just larger providers.
• Quote:

  "The goal isn't to favor larger providers. It's really about lifting performance across the overall ecosystem to make value based care accessible and sustainable for providers of all sizes."
  — Christy Spencer [08:40]

6. Regulatory & Industry Practice Changes

• [10:03] Christy calls for simplification and standardization, especially in prior authorization and quality reporting.
• Administrative burden detracts from patient care; digital tools and AI are being adopted to streamline processes (e.g., claims review, provider data).
• Digital advances should remove, not introduce, friction.
• Quote:

  "I would simplify and standardize administrative requirements across the industry...particularly around two areas, prior authorization and quality reporting."
  — Christy Spencer [10:09] "We have enough adding to friction in the industry."
  — Christy Spencer [11:36]

7. Digital Tools Empowering Provider Partnerships

• [12:18] Elevance uses automation (e.g., post-call wrap-up summaries with issue detection and smart routing) to save time for associates and providers.
• Automation translates to roughly 1 million summaries a month, freeing up resources for patient care.
• Externally, these tools reduce provider administrative load.
• Quote:

  "Each month we're averaging about 1 million post call wrap up summaries, which translates into really meaningful time savings and better experience."
  — Christy Spencer [12:42]

8. Health Plan Margin Pressures & 2026 Strategy

• [13:46] Cost drivers: hospital prices, pharmaceuticals, technology, regulations.
• Elevance’s 2026 focus: optimize value-based portfolio, scale risk appropriately, deepen enablement, and drive outcomes and affordability through technology.
• Margin gains come from precise partnerships, calibrated risk, results-driven measurement—not just activity.
• Quote:

  "Margin improvement, from my view, comes from enabling the right partnerships at the right level of risk, with the right support, and measuring success by outcome and not activity."
  — Christy Spencer [15:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Value based care only works when it's practical, when incentives are aligned, data is actionable and providers are genuinely supported and not overwhelmed."
  — Christy Spencer [01:35]

• "Providers don't need more measures or reporting requirements. What they need is help removing friction in their day to day operations, as well as clarity on what actually drives outcomes."
  — Christy Spencer [03:39]

• "We're beginning to expand our reach of inviting providers in to participate in our pay for quality program ... to close care gaps and aligns and simplifies the work."
  — Christy Spencer [05:12]

• "The goal isn't to favor larger providers. It's really about lifting performance across the overall ecosystem to make value based care accessible and sustainable for providers of all sizes."
  — Christy Spencer [08:40]

• "I would simplify and standardize administrative requirements across the industry...particularly around two areas, prior authorization and quality reporting."
  — Christy Spencer [10:09]

• "We have enough adding to friction in the industry."
  — Christy Spencer [11:36]

• "Margin improvement, from my view, comes from enabling the right partnerships at the right level of risk, with the right support, and measuring success by outcome and not activity."
  — Christy Spencer [15:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:03] - Christy Spencer’s background and approach
• [02:57] - Changing landscape of provider-payer relationships
• [05:04] - Action-based incentive programs
• [05:46] - Operationalizing strategy; value-based care performance data
• [07:51] - Investment in partnerships, support for smaller providers
• [10:03] - Regulatory reforms: standardizing administration
• [12:18] - Digital automation tools and their impact
• [13:46] - Margin pressure drivers and strategic responses

Conclusion

This episode provides actionable insights into how health plans like Elevance Health are fostering deeper, data-driven partnerships with providers, using technology to reduce friction, and striving to align incentives and support across all provider types. The focus remains on outcomes, simplification, and scalability, moving the industry closer to a truly connected care ecosystem.