Payers and providers agree on many of healthcare's most pressing challenges. Yet despite broad consensus around rising costs, workforce shortages and administrative complexity, operational friction continues to slow progress. Why? According to Yusuf Qasim, president of payments optimization at Zelis, alignment on the problem does not automatically create alignment on the solution.

In this episode of Podnosis, Qasim discusses findings from Zelis' State of the Healthcare Financial Experience Report and examines where collaboration opportunities remain untapped. He explains why the industry has no shortage of data or analytical capabilities, but often struggles to connect insights across organizations. The conversation explores persistent pain points, including payment reconciliation, claims processing, denials, appeals and administrative burden, while highlighting practical steps healthcare stakeholders can take to improve transparency and strengthen collaboration.

The discussion also looks at how organizations should evaluate new technology investments, why reducing manual work may be one of the most important success metrics, and where payers and providers can make meaningful progress over the next several months. For healthcare leaders focused on operational efficiency, stakeholder trust and financial experience, this episode offers a timely perspective on turning shared priorities into measurable results.