Editor’s note: This article is courtesy of Ernie Clevenger, publisher of MyHealthGuide newsletter. Read the complete newsletter and subscribe for weekly updates here.

Source: Rob Gelb, CEO, Vālenz Health^®, interviewed by Ernie Clevenger, MyHealthGuide Newsletter, 6/3/2025

In a wide-ranging conversation between Valenz CEO Rob Gelb and MyHealthGuide Newsletter publisher, Ernie Clevenger, Valenz unveiled its next-generation solution, ValenzONE, aimed at transforming how self-funded health plans manage cost containment, member experience, and clinical efficiency.

“Valenz supports key industry organizations such as HCAA, SIIA, SPBA, and Health Plan Alliance,” said Gelb.  “If you’re going to optimize high-value healthcare and simplify the system, you must partner with groups aligned to that mission. We support these associations not out of obligation, but because they are helping lead the way.”

ValenzONE reflects this forward-looking philosophy. Unlike point solutions or traditional plan designs, the platform integrates a comprehensive suite of services — bill review, care management, specialty programs, and data-driven member engagement — under a new variable co-pay model. This design rewards members not only for initial provider selection but for consistent, cost-effective decisions throughout their entire care journey.

Empowering Smarter Healthcare Consumers

Healthcare is complex and confusing. It’s critical to meet members where they are. One important goal is to educate the employee before they become a patient — empowering them with the knowledge to make more informed decisions.

Valenz is communicating with members in an easy-to-understand manner. A sound and compassionate approach educates the employee early and continues along the journey as the employee/patient encounters medical providers, treatment, follow-up, and healing.

Variable Co-pay is Key

ValenzOne is an integrated “overlay” platform that brings together legacy cost-containment tools, new engagement models, and a variable co-pay plan design. This latest offering incentivizes members throughout their care journey — not just at the initial point of provider selection. ValenzOne walks with the member across diagnostics, surgeries, infusions, and pharmacy use — by reducing or eliminating out-of-pocket costs for smart healthcare decisions.

The innovation lies in what Gelb calls a “diminishing deductible.” Instead of one-time rewards, members receive ongoing financial benefits — such as waived or reduced co-pays and coinsurance — each time they make high-value choices. These are tracked and adjudicated through partnerships with innovative third-party administrators (TPAs), who help administer and measure the impact.

“Our new variable co-pay structure creates ongoing incentives,” Gelb explained. “It’s about making smarter choices every step of the way, resulting in better health outcomes and measurable cost savings.”

Savings Impact

Actuarial analysis indicates employers using ValenzOne can expect savings between 7% and 12% through variable co-pays and early member engagement with potential additional benefits from integrated services like surgical bundles and stop-loss underwriting. The platform aims to simplify healthcare while driving quality outcomes across all stakeholder groups: provider, patient, payer, and plan.

Both Gelb and Clevenger agreed that educating benefit consultants is key to dislodging employer reliance on traditional fully insured plans.

“Consultants are the glue,” said Gelb. “If we arm them with the right financial and behavioral insights, they can move the market.”

Looking ahead, Valenz plans to roll out ValenzOne with select TPAs and record a podcast with Spencer Smith to broaden awareness. A full-scale market debut is set for mid-year, with expansion into alternative network designs slated for future development.

“This is about redesigning the system,” Gelb concluded. “We want people who are comfortable spilling some milk to get to a better, smarter, more sustainable healthcare model.”

The conversation underscored a shared commitment to industry-wide change, aligning innovation with practical implementation to meet the evolving needs of employers, providers, and patients.

Click here to view an overview of ValenzONE.

About Vālenz Health^® 

Vālenz Health^® is the platform to simplify healthcare — the destination for employers, payers, providers, and members to reduce costs, improve quality, and elevate the healthcare experience. The Valenz mindset and culture of innovation combine to create a distinctly different approach to an inefficient, uninspired health system. With fully integrated solutions, Valenz engages early and often to execute across the entire patient journey — from care navigation and management to payment integrity, plan performance and provider verification. With a 99% client retention rate, we elevate expectations to a new level of efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency where smarter, better, faster healthcare is possible. For more information, visit valenzhealth.com.

Vālenz Health^® is pleased to announce that Heather Wiehe has been named Chief Legal Officer. 

Wiehe first joined Valenz as Vice President of Legal and Compliance in April 2024, bringing more than 15 years of experience navigating complex legal landscapes and providing strategic counsel to businesses in the healthcare and insurance industries. Her background in conducting due diligence for mergers, mitigating healthcare regulatory risk, contracting complex business deals, and implementing effective compliance programs has helped her address intricate legal challenges and generate positive outcomes for Valenz. 

“Heather has been an invaluable part of the Valenz team since joining us last year, and we are thrilled to have her leading the legal and compliance teams,” said Madeline Cashdollar, Chief People Officer at Valenz. “Her leadership and expertise have already driven meaningful progress, and we look forward to the continued significant contributions she will make as Chief Legal Officer.” 

A seasoned legal professional, Wiehe previously served as a legal counsel for brands including Collective Health and Superior Dental Care, the latter a Medical Mutual Company at which she documented and negotiated multiple contracts for a network of 250 vendors, 600 business associates, and 8,000 providers. She brings a personal passion for safeguarding organizations while simultaneously fostering a culture of integrity and compliance. 

Wiehe earned a doctorate degree in law from the University of Dayton School of Law and currently resides in the Dayton, Ohio, metropolitan area. 

Learn more about the Valenz executive team by visiting valenzhealth.com/about/leadership/. 

About Vālenz Health^®

Vālenz Health^® is the platform to simplify healthcare — the destination for employers, payers, providers and members to reduce costs, improve quality, and elevate the healthcare experience. The Valenz mindset and culture of innovation combine to create a distinctly different approach to an inefficient, uninspired health system. With fully integrated solutions, Valenz engages early and often to execute across the entire patient journey — from care navigation and management to payment integrity, plan performance and provider verification. With a 99% client retention rate, we elevate expectations to a new level of efficiency, effectiveness and transparency where smarter, better, faster healthcare is possible. For more information, visit valenzhealth.com.

Vālenz^® Health announces that four top leaders from Healthcare Bluebook™ have joined its executive team after the company’s recent acquisition: Mike O’Neil, Bill Kampine, Erik Nicholson and Zack Samples.

O’Neil assumes the role of Chief Strategy Officer at Valenz after 12 years with Healthcare Bluebook, most recently as Chief Executive Officer. Dedicated to driving change in healthcare for more than two decades, O’Neil remains committed to protecting patients by exposing the truth and empowering choice. He works closely with employers, providers and patients to deliver outsized gains in healthcare savings, safety and service to patients and their employers.

A highly respected thought leader in healthcare cost and quality transparency, Kampine brings 25-plus years in new venture development, mergers and acquisitions, strategy, and advanced analytics to his role as Chief Innovation Officer at Valenz. He oversaw healthcare economics, innovation and strategic growth initiatives in the same position at Healthcare Bluebook, which he joined in 2008 as co-founder.

Nicholson becomes Chief Information Officer at Valenz, the same position he held at Healthcare Bluebook. With more than 25 years leading the development and implementation of strategic IT plans, he provides deep experience in building and developing cross-functional teams and overseeing operations for major business units. At Healthcare Bluebook, he spearheaded enterprise-level technology projects and standardized development and operational processes across the enterprise.

After serving as Healthcare Bluebook’s Chief Operating Officer for more than 15 years, Samples joins Valenz as Chief Transformation Officer. Leveraging his data-centric expertise in business operations for the healthcare industry, Samples led the development of the provider and pricing analytics for Healthcare Bluebook’s successful market launch, then led ongoing coordination of implementations, product delivery, data science, corporate planning and project management. Nicholson and Samples are both founding members of Healthcare Bluebook.

“Mike, Bill, Erik and Zack served as the driving force of an outstanding team that made Healthcare Bluebook the industry’s leading healthcare cost and quality navigation platform. We are thrilled to now have them officially join Valenz executive leadership,” said Rob Gelb, Chief Executive Officer. “Leveraging the collective expertise, background and innovative spirit of this group, Valenz only grows stronger as the market’s most powerful offering for optimizing the utilization of high-value healthcare.”

Valenz acquired Healthcare Bluebook in July 2024, bringing together the companies’ complementary services as a one-of-a-kind member engagement and digital “front door” experience and payment integrity data platform. Providing full transparency through America’s largest cost and quality data set, Valenz ensures unprecedented access to highly comprehensive data for improved provider selection and healthcare decision making.

“The strength of the Valenz team is central to our tremendous momentum, as together we skate to where the puck is going – empowering ourselves to address the unmet needs of the industry, solve for the challenges ahead and turn them into market-moving change,” Gelb said.

Learn more about the Valenz executive team by visiting valenzhealth.com/about/leadership/.

About Vālenz^® Health

Vālenz^® Health is the platform to simplify healthcare – the destination for employers, payers, providers and members to reduce costs, improve quality, and elevate the healthcare experience. The Valenz mindset and culture of innovation combine to create a distinctly different approach to an inefficient, uninspired health system. With fully integrated solutions, Valenz engages early and often to execute across the entire patient journey – from care navigation and management to payment integrity, plan performance and provider verification. With a 99% client retention rate, we elevate expectations to a new level of efficiency, effectiveness and transparency where smarter, better, faster healthcare is possible. For more information, visit valenzhealth.com

Vālenz^® Health, a leading platform of integrated cost containment and payment integrity solutions, announces that its VPoint™ provider credentialing solution has attained SOC 2 Type II security certification. This demonstrates Valenz Health’s strong commitment to data security, verifying that the necessary internal controls and processes are in place to significantly minimize risk of data breaches and other costly vulnerabilities.

The SOC 2 audit provides an independent, third-party validation that a service organization’s information security practices meet the high industry standards stipulated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). SOC 2 Type II reports are the most comprehensive certification within the SOC protocol.

The rigorous, long-term audit tests an organization’s non-financial reporting controls in relation to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of a system. The SOC 2 Type II report for VPoint, delivered by KirkpatrickPrice, verifies the suitability of the design and operating effectiveness of Valenz Health’s internal controls to meet the standards for these criteria as part of its high-quality client services.

“We are proud to attain this significant security certification, as it underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting sensitive customer and partner data,” said Srini Achukola, Chief Information Officer of Valenz Health. “In an increasingly data-driven healthcare industry, the SOC 2 Type II attestation is critical to establishing transparency and trust in today’s market.”

“The SOC 2 audit is based on the Trust Services Criteria,” said Joseph Kirkpatrick, President of KirkpatrickPrice. “With its VPoint solution, Valenz Health delivers trust-based services to its clients, and by communicating the results of this audit, its clients can be assured of their reliance on VPoint’s controls.”

About Vālenz^® Health

Vālenz^® Health is the platform to simplify healthcare – the destination for employers, payers, providers and members to reduce costs, improve quality, and elevate the healthcare experience. The Valenz mindset and culture of innovation combine to create a distinctly different approach to an inefficient, uninspired health system. With fully integrated solutions, Valenz engages early and often to execute across the entire patient journey – from care navigation and management to payment integrity, plan performance and provider verification. With a 99% client retention rate, we elevate expectations to a new level of efficiency, effectiveness and transparency where smarter, better, faster healthcare is possible.

About KirkpatrickPrice

KirkpatrickPrice is a licensed CPA firm, PCI QSA, and a HITRUST CSF Assessor, registered with the PCAOB, providing assurance services to over a thousand clients in North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. The firm has more than a decade of experience in information security by performing assessments, audits, and tests that strengthen information security practices and internal controls. KirkpatrickPrice most commonly performs assessments on SOC 1, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, HITRUST CSF, GDPR, ISO 27001, FISMA, and FERPA frameworks, as well as advanced-level penetration testing. For more information, visit www.kirkpatrickprice.com, follow KirkpatrickPrice on LinkedIn, or subscribe to the YouTube channel.

After two successful decades in Phoenix, Ariz., Vālenz^® Health announces the official relocation of its corporate headquarters to the suburban Philadelphia area of Radnor, Pa. The company’s new address is Five Radnor Corporate Center, 100 Matsonford Road, #5-444, Wayne, PA 19087.

Click the play button to hear more about the company’s corporate headquarters.

Through the acquisition of six companies since May 2022, including the recent addition of Healthcare Bluebook™, Valenz Health now has 600 team members throughout the US, with a significant presence in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, driving the need for a modern central location to support its continued and rapid growth. Valenz Health was recently featured on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the United States for the fourth time in five years.

“As we enter our fifth year as Valenz Health – with 20 years serving the self-insurance and health plan industry since our company’s founding in 2004 – this is already a time of celebration for all of us,” said Rob Gelb, Chief Executive Officer. “Our new headquarters speaks to our consistent success, and reaching these heights is just one more milestone. This move is key to further elevating our company’s operations and empowering us to do our very best work in simplifying healthcare.”

The executive team has occupied the expanded headquarters for the last few months. Many corporate officers and board members live in the East, and the Philadelphia-area location enhances access to a wide talent pool in the metropolitan and regional area to meet future staffing needs.

Valenz Health will continue to operate its Service Center in Phoenix with a team that manages accounting, finance and information technology projects. Accounts payable and invoicing will continue to be directed to the Service Center. Valenz Health also has offices and team members in Mechanicsburg, Pa.; Orange County, Calif.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Nashville, Tenn.

About Vālenz^® Health

Vālenz^® Health is the platform to simplify healthcare – the destination for employers, payers, providers and members to reduce costs, improve quality, and elevate the healthcare experience. The Valenz Health mindset and culture of innovation combine to create a distinctly different approach to an inefficient, uninspired health system. With fully integrated solutions, Valenz Health engages early and often to execute across the entire patient journey – from care navigation and management to payment integrity, plan performance and provider verification. With a 99% client retention rate, we elevate expectations to a new level of efficiency, effectiveness and transparency where smarter, better, faster healthcare is possible.