Why is it so hard to disrupt health insurance?
I’m reeling from a critical take from short-selling specialist Hindenburg Research, which was published today on Clover Health. Clover, if you’re not familiar, is a health insurance player backed by notable investor Chamath Palihapitiya. Clover’s shares tumbled off the back of the report. I won’t delve too deeply into that, in part because Clover hasn’t yet responded to the allegations.
But I did want to take a step back and reflect on the crop of companies trying to disrupt the health plan market.
For context on that, I turned to Ari Gottlieb, principal at A2 Strategy Corp, who specializes in health insurance. Gottlieb pays close attention to the slew of venture-funded health plans, including Oscar Health, Bright Health, Clover Health and Devoted Health, including by poring over state filings. Between them, these start-ups have raised tens of billions of dollars from investors.
`Upcoming Sessions
Live conversations with the people shaping healthcare.
Verifying AI in Medicine: Is Healthcare AI Actually Ready for Deployment?
Is AI ready for real-world clinical care? Dr. Zak Kohane and Protege’s Engy Ziedan debate what it takes to safely trust AI in diagnosis and treatment, from benchmark performance and clinical evidence to whether we’re holding AI to a higher standard than humans.
Why Are Hospitals Hiring Chief AI Officers?
As AI moves from pilots into day-to-day healthcare operations, health systems are having to decide who should actually own the
Where are AI Agents Actually Working in Healthcare, and Why?
While the healthcare industry remains locked in a high-level debate over the theoretical potential of artificial intelligence, a select group of
Top Employers Share What Healthcare Startups Need to Know in 2026
As enterprise health purchasers face volatile medical cost trends and tightening operational margins, the standard vendor pitch of "improved clinical efficiency&
Peptide Therapy: Where Do We Go From Here?
Watch the full webinar Peptide therapies have moved from niche biohacking circles into mainstream medicine, reshaping conversations around weight management, metabolic health,
Not everyone can access the top 1% of physicians. Will AI change that?
Historically, top-tier medical expertise was limited by wealth and geography. As AI reshapes healthcare delivery, a vital question emerges: can it democratize intelligence to give everyone access to the caliber of care typically reserved for the top 1%?
Privacy AI and the Future of HIPAA
Watch the Full Webinar As AI reshapes healthcare and more patient data flows beyond traditional clinical settings, the rules governing privacy, access,
What will AI do for employer healthcare and benefits?
Employer healthcare may be one of the most practical — and overlooked — proving grounds for AI.
Hospitals as the new go-to-market, lessons from the trenches
Watch the Full Webinar Health systems are entering a new frontier, one where innovation isn’t optional, and meaningful change requires creativity,