WBUR's All Things Considered host Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with Ralph de la Torre, CEO of Steward Health Care, about the lower-cost health insurance plan for small businesses that Steward rolled out Friday. Steward, which runs the former Caritas Christi hospital network, says its plan will offer coverage that's 15% to 30% cheaper than Blue Cross Blue Shield or Harvard Pilgrim. The catch is that, for routine care, patients will have to go to Steward doctors and hospitals, which have been trying to shake off a reputation as second-tier. But they can go to Mass General or Brigham & Women's for more complicated care. The plan will be offered through Tufts Health Plan, and Steward says it can save money for small businesses and their employees.
