Healthcare Matters

We are a nation of working, playing, and yes, even getting sick and injured at all hours of the day and night. That’s why it is so vital to have access to quality health care beyond the weekday, 9-to-5 paradigm that our system is set up for. In this episode, we explore a new study that points to the need for pharmacies and pharmacists to play a greater role in expanding access to health care. “Patients in low-income communities, especially seniors living in low-income communities, deserve better access to health care,” says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:38: Listeners’ comment 2:12: A deep dive into a study Robert was part of 2:22: The bottom line: pharmacies can play a valuable role in expanding immunization access and other access to health care 3:01: How low-income patients have a disadvantage in accessing quality health care 3:43: Conner describes trips to the ER as a child during off-hours 3:57: Robert recalls having to take his daughters to the ER for earaches on weekends 4:46: How to improve access to health care 5:50: The fallacy that if you have health insurance, your health care automatically improves 7:42: “Pharmacists, physicians and nurses need to work collaboratively,” says Robert 8:38: We must maximize the health care professional’s skill sets 8:48: Surprise findings in Robert’s study 10:05: Policies need to be implemented to expand pharmacies or pharmacist’s ability to provide more health care services Read to the GHLF study, funded by the American Disease Prevention Coalition, discussed in this episode Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biosimilars are equally as safe and effective as brand biologic medicines. Plus, they are less expensive, which means they save patients money. So why are there still hurdles for the U.S. health care system to adopt them? “Patients are saving money and the system is saving money. So what we need to do is introduce policies in the marketplace that really enhance the adoption of biosimilars,” says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:19: Listeners’ comment 2:33: What is a biosimilar? 3:15: How a biologic drug is created 3:44: One benefit of biosimilars is lower priced for patients 4:26: Why biosimilars are used more in Europe than the U.S. 5:27: States have different laws overseeing the substitution of biosimilars 5:40: The FDA has approved biosimilars and has found them to be of equal safety, efficacy, and purity 6:05: Pharmacists have the power to substitute biosimilars 6:36: Patients must be informed when a biosimilar is being used 6:53: Why are biosimilars cheaper? 7:50: How patients benefit from biosimilars 8:30: Barriers to biosimilar adoption in the U.S. market 9:27: The “regulatory malaise” of the FDA 10:35: The future of biosimilars Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mary’s story is familiar to far too many senior citizens who are living on fixed incomes. They have no choice but to pay thousands of dollars a year on medications that are not covered by insurance. What could be done to help them? In the Medicare program, "we tend to cover everything cheap, which is basically the generic medicines. When patients require more expensive drugs. the coverage becomes less and less,” says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at Global Healthy Living Foundation. “That means they're exposed to those prices more and more, which makes absolutely no sense because it goes against the premise of what insurance should be.” Among the highlights in this episode: 1:47: Listener review 3:05: Setting the stage: a senior citizen named Mary pays $200/month for a single heart disease pill 3:39: Why are seniors on fixed incomes forced to pay high costs for life-saving medications? 4:36: Describing the prescription drug coverage from Medicare Part D 5:44: Medicare and Medicaid recipients do not have access to patient assistance programs 7:24: In layman’s terms, the health care system covers cheap drugs and not expensive ones 9:24: The convoluted mechanism surrounding brand-name medications 9:56: How Mary ends up paying more for brand-name, life-saving medications 10:57: AARP’s conflict by having a partnership with the three large pharmacy benefit management companies 11:38: How we can help provide hope for Mary and other seniors on fixed incomes 12:36: Seniors need to vote to impact legislation Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting diagnosed and properly treated for a mental health condition is grueling enough without having to deal with non-medical switching, or having to change your medication for no other reason than money, says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. In the second of two episodes on this topic, we examine what can be done to change this practice of non-medical switching. "Diagnosis of mental health takes a while. It's a trial-and-error period…to find the best therapies. And simply, to change a formulary and substitute patients off a drug that has worked for them and force them to take something different — for the sole purposes of fattening the bottom line — is criminal,” says Robert. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:42: Listener review 2:12: How non-medical switching impacts patients with mental health conditions 2:36: A reminder of the definition of non-medical switching 3:14: How is this a growing problem for patients who suffer from mental health conditions? 4:16: "We are embarking in an era where we are going to see a lot of mental health issues — especially with regard to depression and anxiety," says Robert 4:33: Conner gives an example of a patient who lives with a mental health condition, and how non-medical switching has impacted her 5:28: Robert explains who benefits from non-medical switching among mental health patients 6:32: What can be done for mental health patients when it comes to non-medical switching issues? 7:44: What kind of legislation is being considered? 9:43: Robert shares his final thoughts Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s frustrating for chronically ill patients, like those living with mental health disorders, when their proven drug therapies are switched or substituted—sometimes justifiably, other times for companies to make more money. In the first of two episodes on this topic, we examine what’s behind non-medical switching and how it could harm patients. "Non-medical switching is basically substituting one molecule for another for the sole purpose of an economic outcome that is favorable to the insurer or the pharmacy benefit management company," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:44: Listener review 3:12: What is generic substitution? 3:37: Looking at the difference between switching a medication and a substitution 3:55: The difference between therapeutic substitution and non-medical switching 5:07: Who benefits from non-medical switching? 5:40: Recognizing the importance of shared decision-making with patients 6:26: Conner speaks about how a patient was negatively impacted by non-medical switching, and how it increased this patient's costs 7:47: Robert discusses how changing the formulary causes patients to suffer 6:46: What legislation is being passed to protect patients? 10:12: Study: 60% of patients who experienced non-medical switching reported a medical complication 11:03: Robert shares his final thoughts Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Catch up on past episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the United States, data analytics are used to determine the price of drugs. But many patients don’t fit into neatly organized statistics, especially ones who have multiple diseases and, as a result, are denied therapies. In this week’s episode, we explore the method used in the U.S. to set drug prices, called the Cost per QALY or cost-effectiveness. "Data in health care has never been meant to be static. We need to provide even greater scrutiny concerning these models and how they’re applied and make coverage decisions for life-saving biopharmaceuticals,” says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:42: Listener review 2:15: Organizations that have global influence over patient care and access 3:30: How do these organizations define value in the marketplace? 4:07: A chronic patient doesn’t always benefit from this analytic approach to pricing drugs 4:35: “If the patient doesn’t fit the profile, they’re denied the therapy,” says Robert 5:00: Are these analytical tools misleading? 5:25: What happens if it ends up on a list in the U.S.? 6:18: From year to year, medications on these lists change 7:25: Robert shares his final thoughts Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Majority of insurance and pharmacy benefit management companies offer copay accumulator adjustment programs. However, for patients, what these programs do and what they mean is shrouded in mystery. In this week's episode, we break down copay accumulator adjustment programs, and how they impact you as a patient. "The patient is the one that is going to get stuck in the middle. And at some point, they are going to suffer- both financially and also in a way to be able to get care that is necessary to them," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:32: Listener review 2:05: What are copay accumulator adjustment programs? 3:17: How are these programs impacting patients negatively? 3:53: An explanation of how deductibles are still costing patients 4:40: Why do these programs still exist and who are they benefiting? 5:32: Which patients are most impacted by copay accumulator adjustment programs? 6:23: What these programs mean for patients living with chronic disease 8:19: A look at what's being done politically 9:58: How a large portion of patients are being impacted by this 11:22: Is there evidence that these bans in certain states are raising premiums? 11:55: Robert shares his final thoughts Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New treatments are being developed by the biopharmaceutical industry in collaboration with the government and FDA to help treat COVID-19 and new variants. In this week’s episode, we break down these new treatments and therapies, and discuss what they mean for patients. "It is important for us to have multiple therapies-even within those classes-to make sure that patients have choice and that physicians, pharmacists, and nurses have choices that can then appropriately treat the patient," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:32: Listener review 2:07: A look at the treatments and therapies that are being developed for COVID-19 3:38: What therapies are currently available? 4:34: Will these treatments stay effective as the virus changes into different variants? 5:46: What are some of the concerns about these treatments? 6:41: "Science evolves, and it's important to evolve our treatment choices as science evolves," says Robert. 7:16: Were these treatments developed specifically for COVID-19? 9:31: What have we learned from the COVID-19 vaccines to make the treatments more accessible? 11:13: Since COVID-19 is a virus that is likely here to stay, how important are treatments for the long-run? 12:08: Robert shares his final thoughts Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vaccinations have proven to reduce the severity of symptoms, hospitalizations, and death for people who contract COVID. But for some, the debate surrounding the vaccines has kept them from getting a booster, let alone the initial round of vaccinations. In this episode, we explore how the vaccines were developed so quickly, the differences between them, and how they work. "They're helping us every day. They're reducing hospitalizations and mortality and don't kid yourself: the chances of you being hospitalized or dying from COVID is much greater if you are not vaccinated. The data is very clear on that, and it has held up throughout this last twelve months," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:21: Listener review 1:54: What is the difference between early-use authorization and FDA approval in the U.S. market when it comes to vaccines? 3:02: Discussion about the Novavax vaccine 3:41: An explanation on how these vaccines for COVID-19 work 4:35: "The vaccine delivers a tiny piece of genetic code from the SARS-COVID2 virus to the host cells in the body, essentially giving those cells blueprints for making copies of the spike proteins," says Dr. Robert Popovian 4:49: An explanation on how the genetic code from the SARS-COVID2 virus works within the vaccines 5:18: How is this COVID-19 vaccine different than other vaccines on the market for the virus? 6:04: What is a protein adjuvant? 6:50: How can we put people's minds at ease that these are vaccines people can trust? 8:25: "Without a doubt, these vaccines were approved in a record time, but there was also very unusual circumstances where this country was going through. And the world was going through," says Dr. Robert Popovian 9:28: Looking at how many people were behind developing these vaccines, and what tools were used to develop them 10:25: Robert shares his final thoughts Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we start a new year and a new season, we take a look at how drugs are developed and why time is the most important part of the formula when it comes to biopharmaceutical research. In other words, the more we delay, the longer it takes for patients to get the treatment they need. "The researchers concluded that statin therapy, which is used everyday by patients toward lowering their cholesterol, reduced deaths by 40,000. There were 60,000 fewer hospitalizations and heart attacks and 22,000 fewer hospitalizations for strokes," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:13: Listener review 1:39: How do biopharmaceutical companies go about developing their drugs and what are the three most important steps in developing a drug? 2:04: Stage two for biopharmaceutical companies when developing a drug 2:51: Why time matters when it comes to developing a drug 3:16: The importance of time when it comes to analyzing the cost and value of the development of drugs 3:50: What's the definition of value when talking about drug development? 4:17: A look at how long it takes to get value from a drug 5:11: What does it mean for innovation when drug patents come to an end? 6:31: How does biopharmaceutical research evolve? 7:37: Robert shares his final thoughts on this legislation Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the start of 2022, there’s renewed hope that President Biden’s social spending and climate policy bill can survive in some form. In this episode, we explore three of the bill’s shortcomings and how it impacts patients. "Some estimates say that we spend more on administrative burden in the US marketplace than actually pay for pharmaceuticals in the US market, which is astounding to me," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Some highlights in this episode: 1:02: Listener review 2:58: What is rebate contracting and why is it important? 3:50: What else can be done about Medicare to help negotiate drug prices? 5:29: A big mess was the federal government not mandating audit rights to see where money is flowing in order to help patients 6:11: Transparency in the supply chain 6:47: What is outcome based contracting and why would it help patients? 7:17: Pharma companies need to explain their pricing models in a transparent manner 8:39: Examining administrative burdens in healthcare 9:09: “Some estimates say that we spend more on administrative burden in the US marketplace than actually pay for pharmaceuticals in the US market, which is astounding to me” says Robert Popovian 10:26: What the Build Back Better Act misses 10:53: Robert shares his final thoughts on this legislation. Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Senator has held up the passage of President Biden’s social spending and climate policy bill, known as Build Back Better. We examine how the current bill would help patients and where it stops short. "It is a major issue for consumers. Every day, patients through no fault of their own are not able to afford their medicines," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. “And it does cause complications down the road if they're not taking their medicines because of outrageous out-of-pocket costs that they’ll have to pay.” Some episode highlights: 1:09: Listener review 2:02: How would the Build Back Better plan help patients and the healthcare industry? 3:42: What this bill would and wouldn’t do to help the average patient 4:23: “Patients really care about what they pay out of their pocket when they show up to the pharmacy counter and this legislation does not address” 5:50: People react to funding research and development of drugs 7:11: 44% of patients skip filling prescriptions because of their high costs 7:42: How states and the federal government differ in data keeping and transparency 8:14: Priority one should be to contain out-of-pocket costs 9:26: This legislation, as is constructed, will negatively impact research and development 11:36: Robert shares his final thoughts on this legislation Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF: cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on your favorite podcast channel or on our website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has your insurer ever switched your drug without talking to you or your doctor? This is called a formulary exclusion. But what risk does this pose to patients suffering from chronic illness? "There is some action that can be taken to prohibit this type of practice. Or at least—for the minimum—to mandate that pharmacy benefit management companies and insurers that are doing, and implementing such policies, are held accountable," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:09- Listener review 1:41- What is a drug formulary exclusion? 2:16- Who implements these formulary exclusion policies and how do they benefit from it? 2:50- Which drugs are most likely to be excluded from formularies 3:26- The impacts formulary exclusions have on people with chronic illness 4:45- What it means when patients are forced to change medications 6:04- How the care of a patient is being taken away from doctors because of formulary exclusion 7:02- What are the incentives for pharmacy benefit managers to follow these exclusionary guidelines? 8:25- What's being done about this practice? 8:46- Robert shares the bottom line on personalized and precision medicine Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patients are not all the same, they’re individuals with different needs, different genetics, and different medical conditions. In this episode, we explore the benefits of the medical community using both personalized and precision medicine with patients. "One cannot exist without the other. But the most important thing is that it allows us to be able to really concentrate on the patient and bring the specific drug to the patient, which is the right drug to the right patient at the right time, says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:07- Listener review 2:17- What is personalized medicine? 3:58- What gets in the way of patients receiving personalized medicine? 4:19- What is precision medicine? 5:00- The rise in precision medicine 6:00- Why it’s important to patients to have both personalized and precision medicine 7:05- The positive benefits of using personalized and precision medicine tactics 8:05- How personalized and precision medicine provide better outcomes for patients 9:10- Robert shares the bottom line on personalized and precision medicine Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or your favorite podcast channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you were offered a financial incentive to change medications, would you do it? Many healthcare providers offer cash incentives to get their patients to switch to a new medication, but this quick cash practice can have serious, long-term health implications for patients. "Although this is not illegal, it is somewhat unethical because, again, it's blurring the lines between medical practice and insurance coverage,“ says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:28- How providers are offering cash incentives for patients to switch medications 2:31- What's driving providers to offer incentives 3:41- The negative outcomes of paying cash incentives to get patients to switch medications 5:33- Robert- “Instead of doing these gimmicky type of incentives...set up a system for patients to save money over time.” 7:42- What's being done to curb these "paying the patient" practices? 8:17- Robert- "Although this is not illegal, it is somewhat unethical because, again, it's blurring the lines between medical practice and insurance coverage." 9:18- What can patients do to know about providers paying patients to switch medications Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patients are the last to know how much their insurance premiums, pharmaceuticals and hospital costs will be. What will it take for the healthcare system to become more transparent so patients have more information to make informed decisions and save money? "It is just disturbing that the federal government, the largest payer of healthcare in the United States, does not have audit rights to go in, open up the ledgers of the pharmacy benefit managers and see where the money is going,“ says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:25- Why is transparency in our healthcare system important? 2:42- The 3 entities that benefit from the lack of transparency 3:30- How patients are harmed by the lack of transparency 3:55- Can too much transparency undermine the competitive marketplace? 6:01- Are federal or state governments doing anything to improve transparency? 7:51- What is the most effective legislation that will impact the most patients? 8:40- 8:53- "It is just disturbing that the federal government, the largest payer of healthcare in the United States, does not have audit rights to go in, open up the ledgers of the pharmacy benefit managers and see where the money is going." 10:30- Is there hope to see changes? 10:13- Robert’s story of how surprise billing impacted his hospital visit 11:52- The goal is to strive for better information for patients so they can make more educated decisions 12:17- Conner and Robert's takeaways from this episode Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we are looking at how benefit design in Medicare creates vaccine design inequity. Even small out-of-pocket costs can deter some communities from getting the right vaccines and treatment they need. "Any type of a policy that reduces the access to vaccination, most definitely will impact patients and will increase this wasteful spending,“ says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. "Vaccines should be regarded as—and are regarded as—the most cost-beneficial intervention in healthcare." Among the highlights in this episode: 2:06- What is benefit design in Medicare? 2:41- How wasteful spending in healthcare impacts vaccine care 3:51- Robert discusses the differences between Medicare Part B and D for senior citizens 5:10- The evidence on people being discouraged or inhibited from getting vaccines 6:39- Robert cites research of the racial inequity surrounding out-of-pocket costs for vaccines 7:35- Impact of removing out-of-pocket costs for vaccines? 8:23- “Vaccines are regarded as one the most cost beneficial interventions in the healthcare system” 8:47- Legislation being debated to remove out-of-pocket costs for vaccines for seniors 9:31 - Conner and Robert's takeaways from this episode Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we look at the major flaws in fail first, or step therapy, which mandates that a patient must fail on one or more less expensive drugs before “stepping up” to another drug. "Anything that we do from a policy perspective, and this is the mantra of Global; Healthy Living Foundation, policies, legislations, anything that passes, the patient has to directly benefit from them,“ says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 1:46 - What is step therapy and why it's harmful to patients 3:03 - How the bottomline impacts treatment decisions and overall health outcomes 4:06- How step therapy can set patients back on their treatment 5:30 - Is there a better adherence to their drug treatment plan? 6:31- What is being done about this legislatively? 8:29 - An explanation of "Safe Step Act" 9:40 - Robert discusses his latest op-ed about how insurers should also take the oath healthcare professionals are required to take 10:58 - Conner and Robert's takeaways from this episode Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we look at how the federal government can work in a bipartisan manner to improve our healthcare system. “Bipartisan initiatives are extremely important in healthcare because, at the end of the day, no physician, patient chart, hospital admissions record ever asks you about your political platform before you get treatment. And I truly believe that there is a bipartisan opportunity here. Patients are waiting and we need to help them out. They can no longer go on the way things are currently set up," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 2:08 - President Biden's framework to reduce drug costs 3:11 - Why is bipartisan healthcare policy so difficult to achieve? 6:11- Robert’s study of medicare money going directly to the patient 7:13 - Is there a bipartisan model to improve healthcare? 8:43- The problem with pharmaceuticals 9:49 - Holding pharmacy benefit managers and the insurers accountable for out of pocket patient costs 10:49 - Robert and Conner’s big takeaways from this episode Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we explore the history of vaccines, how the COVID-19 vaccines work, and what other vaccines are being developed. “We're developing vaccines not only for infectious diseases, but we're developing vaccines for oncology cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, HIV, AIDS. So if we are going to be so hesitant about vaccines, we're not going to be able to defeat some of these long term chronic illnesses that affect people," says Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation. Among the highlights in this episode: 2:09 - Why the COVID-19 vaccines are critical vaccines 3:30 - The mNRA technology behind the COVID-19 vaccines 5:30 - How do we reach vaccine hesitant communities? 8:11 - How does that reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine compared to other vaccines in history? 9:50 - What are the long term consequences of misinformation of the COVID-19 vaccine? 11:24 - What can we do to curb COVID-19 and prevent it from coming back? 14:00 - What are the takeaways from this episode? Contact our hosts: Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, rpopovian@ghlf.org Conner Mertens, Patient Advocate and Community Outreach Manager at GHLF, cmertens@ghlf.org We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself to Healthcarematters@GHLF.org. Listen to all episodes of Healthcare Matters on your favorite podcast channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Healthcare Matters! In this podcast, we talk about 'matters' in healthcare and why it matters to you! Our host Conner Mertens will speak with our talented Chief Science Officer Robert Popovian. And together, we will take on some pretty complex topics and distil them, so everyone can understand what is happening in the world of healthcare. The show is brought to you by the Global Healthy Living Foundation. www.ghlf.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.