Episodes
May 25, 2023
Patients Vulnerable to PBM Tactics
On Wednesday, 19 bills were set to be marked up including the PATIENT Act of 2023, and a 340B transparency bill; the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing to investigate PBMs; and Patients Rising Now…
May 23, 2023
Action Needed Against Alternative Funding Vendors
The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee planned to markup 17 bills, but instead, the subcommittee only worked on six; Federal Trade Commission expands its probe into pharmacy benefit managers and group purchasing o…
May 18, 2023
Healthcare Worker Shortage Far From Over
Dr. Clive Fields, Co-Founder of VillageMD, discusses the current healthcare worker shortage and some possible solutions; the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee holds a hearing to improve access to rural healthcare; the …
May 16, 2023
Senate HELP Addresses PBMs
Erin Callahan, Chief Operating Officer for the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition and the Diabetes Leadership Council, recaps what she noticed from the Senate HELP Committee Hearing on PBMs and Insulin; the Senate HELP Comm…
May 11, 2023
Crises in Drug Shortages + Medical Supplies
Dr. Marion Mass, a pediatrician, explains how Group Purchasing Organizations play a large role in drug and medical supply shortages; the House E&C’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee is hosting a hearing about the ro…
May 9, 2023
Accessible Air Travel for Patients
Paul Melmeyer, Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, previews the organization’s Hill Day which focuses on Accessible Air Travel; Demeshia Montgomery, President of the new Patie…
May 4, 2023
What’s Happening in the States
Keyla Caba (MA-03), a member of Patients Rising Now and a patient living with Crohn’s Disease, testifies before the Massachusetts State Legislature about Copay Accumulator Programs and high deductibles; Rich Pezzillo, Execut…
May 2, 2023
Copay Accumulators - A Detailed Report & RI Fighting Back
Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, co-authors a comprehensive report for the Pioneer Institute on the impacts of PBMs and Copay Accumulator programs; the Senate HELP Co…
April 27, 2023
Liver Disease Patients at ICER, Healthcare Congressional Focus
Donna Cryer, CEO of the Global Liver Institute, previews liver disease patient advocates’ testimonies ahead of an ICER meeting on two new treatments; the House Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee holds a hear…
April 25, 2023
PBM Lawsuit; How QALYs Discriminate
A new book from Dr. Bill Smith of the Pioneer Institute outlines how quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) discriminate against patients and threaten rare disease innovation; Antonio Ciaccia breaks down Ohio’s lawsuit against …
April 20, 2023
Alzheimer’s Treatments Restricted, Expanding Primary Care
The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee considers extending several bills, including those that would bolster primary care services; Sue Peschin, the President of the Alliance for Aging Research, examines how CMS h…
April 18, 2023
Medicare Part B Meeting, 340B Implications
MedPAC, a group advising Congress on Medicare issues, held a vote on 3 recommendations to reduce prices for accelerated approval drugs covered under Medicare Part B; David Balat, Healthcare Policy Director for the Texas Publ…
April 13, 2023
Alternative Funding Vendors: A New Middleman
Kelly Maynard, President of the Little Hercules Foundation, discusses the growing trend of alternative funding vendors and how their practices are leaving patients to foot the bill; Dr. Mark Lopatin, a rheumatologist, unders…
April 11, 2023
PBMs & VBMs Becoming Mainstream Issues
Rachel Derby, Executive Director of Patients Rising Now, analyzes how PBM issues have become front and center in Washington; Dr. William Reynolds, a member of the American Optometric Association Board of Trustees, warns us a…
April 6, 2023
Discriminatory Health Metrics, Inclusive VA Healthcare
Neal Masia, Health Economist and Columbia University Professor of Business and Economics, discusses how the QALY discriminates against rare and chronic disease patients and calls for a more patient-focused health technology …
April 4, 2023
Accelerated Approval Pathway for ALS Drug, Copay Accumulators Under Review
Rich Brennan, Vice President of Federal Affairs for the ALS Association, explains the approval pathway for Tofersen, a new ALS drug, and what that means for patients; Peter Pitts, President and co-founder of the Center for M…
March 30, 2023
Healthcare Policy Pop Trailer
Every Tuesday and Thursday, catch the five-minute Healthcare Policy Pop, a news show covering federal and state health policy updates that impact the chronic and rare disease community. Listen to the first episode on Tuesday…