I would love to see your discussion of network effects continue. The first 3 articles in your the series were great.

It makes me think of account-driven healthcare plans, and wonder how that trend will be impacted by network effects. According to recent EBRI report, 4% of adult population has these; an additional 4% are eligible high deductible plan holders; and they are growing at about 1% of adult population per year.

These accounts all tie back to financial institution custodians, which have been grappling with network effects for a few more decades than the healthcare system. Sure, Mastercard is a success, and we get secure realtime financial data through a great many channels, but the drama continues in many respects.

Software vendors that run the core central information file control the nervous system of community financial institutions. Some are cloud-based, but API interconnectivity comes with a surcharge. Famous ones with names like Open Systems are anything but.

Ultimately the account data in account-based health plans is going to need to network with the broader healthcare system.