The Business of Healthcare Podcast, Episode 134: Employer-Focused Wellness

In this episode, host Dan Karnuta welcomes Kevin Kumler, president and general manager of Levanto, to discuss how the Baylor Scott & White Health-backed platform is redefining employer-sponsored wellness. Kumler explains that Levanto brings multiple health solutions — such as weight management, musculoskeletal care, mental health support and nurse triage — into one integrated app, reducing fragmentation and personalizing care across conditions and life stages. The goal is to extend trusted health system expertise beyond hospital walls and help employees stay healthy instead of waiting until issues become acute.

The conversation highlights Levanto's value to employers: lowering unnecessary costs, improving productivity and enhancing benefits offerings through a simple per-member-per-month model that works alongside existing insurance plans. Kumler also outlines how AI supports both operational efficiency and patient-facing tools, while emphasizing a blended "AI plus human" approach to care. Overall, the episode positions integrated, employer-focused wellness as a practical step toward a more sustainable healthcare system.

Karnuta is an associate professor in the Naveen Jindal School of Management's Organizations, Strategy and International Management Area as well as director of its Professional Program in Healthcare Management.