Whole Foods' boss has grand plan for fixing US health care

Provided by Quartz Doing for health care what he did for groceries?

Whole Foods founder John Mackey is nearly as well known for making controversial statementsabout health care as he is for popularizing natural and health foods. Hes now putting his money where his mouth is, with an idea for a plan to improve the health of first his employees, then his customers, and then, well, how about all of America.

Health care is so broken in America, Mackey told Bloomberg Businessweeks Brad Stone. If we allow markets to work, if we allow entrepreneurs to get in here and do things like Im talking about doing, we will pretty much solve the health-care problem in a generation.

His planfocusesat leastin part on Americas diet, which he describes as terrible.

Step one, according to the Bloomberg piece, is openingWhole Foods Total Health Immersion program to more employees. Its a free weight loss retreat that includes medically supervised lab testing, cooking classes, and talks with nutritionists. And he wants to startoffering it to customers too, as a weekend getaway, in Austin first, and then in other major cities if it works

The next step would bea Whole Foods medical clinic, inspired by one started by Rosen Hotels & Resorts. It has an on site medical facility focused on nutrition and preventative care thatserves employees, which that companys founder says substantially reduced costs. Mackey was inspired to create something similar for his own employees, and potentially for his stores customers after touring the facility.

A Whole Foods spokesman Stone spoke to described these programs as mere brainstorms, but he says Mackey seems serious.

Mackeys not the first to propose internalclinics and wellness programs to reduce costs. But the track record of these programs is mixed, at best (paywall). Research has found some evidence ofcost savings from proactivedisease management, but only after several years, and has foundlittle long term gain from the sorts of wellness programs Mackey is touting.

Opening a clinic for customers faces potentially bigger hurdles. At his own company, Mackey can incentivize staffto participate in wellness programs orchoose his clinic. Thatll be tougher in a competitive health care market where his company has no particular expertise. Also, the average Whole Foods shopper is more likely to be higher income and health focused already, and less likely to need preventative or nutritional care.

As for Mackeys prophecies about diet, market-based solutions, and fixing health care in a generation, yes its true thatnutrition and preventative care are hugely important, but he ignores other massivedrivers of health care costs.