Podcasts about cvs caremark

With the House and Senate still at odds over their tax plans, a new state budget likely won't be passed in time for the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. This week, the SEANC team discusses the implications of lawmakers leaving Raleigh at the end of the month without a deal in place. State functions and paychecks will continue without a new budget, but proposed raises will not be added until a deal is reached. House Speaker Destin Hall says they are committed to promptly getting state employees and teachers raises, so he's also keeping that in mind. We also look at the ongoing dispute between the State Health Plan and CVS Caremark.

We've got THREE big updates for our Plus SideZ Fam community — and we don't want you to miss a thing! 

Ralph speaks to Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank about the Trump Administration's path of destruction in our federal government. Then, Ralph welcomes legendary public interest lawyer Alan Morrison to discuss the President's authority to impose tariffs and other constitutional questions.Dana Milbank is a nationally syndicated op-ed columnist for the Washington Post. He also provides political commentary for various TV outlets, and he is the author of five books on politics, including the New York Times bestseller The Destructionists and the national bestseller Homo Politicus. His latest book is Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theories and Dunces who Burned Down the House.I shouldn't be amazed, but Mike Johnson never ceases to amaze me with the rapidity with which he'll just drop to his knees whenever Trump says something.Dana MilbankWe're going to know this shortly, but it does appear that Trump's honeymoon may be over in the House as the conservatives finally seem to be finding their backbones. But I've thought that might happen before and then only to find out that they, in fact, they could not locate their backbones. So I don't want to be premature.Dana MilbankTrump seems to be gambling (and the administration seems to be gambling) that ultimately the Supreme Court is going to a wholesale reinterpretation of the Constitution to grant these never-before-seen executive powers, and it's possible that he's right about that. We're not going to know that. There have been a couple of preliminary rulings that seem friendly to Trump, but none of those is final, so we can't really be sure of it.Dana MilbankMy guess is that Chief Justice Roberts is seeing his legacy heading toward the ditch after his decision of Trump v. United States, where he said that Presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted….My guess is he's going to unpleasantly surprise Trump in the coming months.Ralph NaderAlan Morrison is the Lerner Family Associate Dean for Public Interest & Public Service at George Washington Law School. He currently teaches civil procedure and constitutional law, and previously taught at Harvard, NYU, Stanford, Hawaii, and American University law schools. He has argued 20 cases in the Supreme Court and co-founded the Public Citizen Litigation Group in 1972, which he directed for more than 25 years.It's inevitable that even for a non-economist like myself to understand that [the costs of tariffs] are going to be passed on. Other than Donald Trump, I don't think there's anybody who believes that these taxes are not going to be passed on and that they're going to be borne by the country from which the company did the exporting.Alan MorrisonIt's an uphill battle on both the statutory interpretation and the undue delegation grounds, but our position is rather simple: If the Congress doesn't write a statute so that there's something that the government can't order or do, then it's gone too far. In effect, it has surrendered to the President its power to set policy and do the legislative function. Interestingly, Trump has trumpeted the breadth of what he's doing here. He calls it a revolution. Well, if we have revolutions in this country, my copy of the Constitution says that the Congress has to enact revolution and the President can't do it on its own. So we think we've got a pretty strong case if we can get it to court.Alan MorrisonOne of the things that I've been struck by is that laws alone cannot make this country governable. That we can't write laws to cover every situation and every quirk that any person has, especially the President. We depend on the norms of government—that people will do things not exactly the way everybody did them before, but along the same general lines, and that when we make change, we make them in moderation, because that's what the people expect. Trump has shed all norms.Alan MorrisonNews 4/9/251. Our top story this week is the killing of Omar Mohammed Rabea, an American citizen in Gaza. Known as Amer, the BBC reports the 14-year-old was shot by the Israeli military along with two other 14-year-old boys “on the outskirts of Turmus Ayya” on Sunday evening. Predictably, the IDF called these children “terrorists.” According to NJ.com – Rabea formerly resided in Saddle Brook, New Jersey – Rabea's uncle sits on the board of a local Palestinian American Community Center which told the press “The ambulance was not allowed to pass the checkpoint for 30 minutes, a denial in medical treatment that ultimately resulted in Amer's death…[his] death was entirely preventable and horrifically unjust. He was a child, a 14-year-old boy, with an entire life ahead of him.” The Rachel Corrie Foundation, founded in honor of the American peace activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer while protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home, issued a statement reading “Rabea's death…was perpetuated by Israeli settlers who act with impunity…We believe that if our own government demanded accountability…Rabea would still be alive.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has sent a letter to Attorney General Bondi demanding an investigation, but chances of the Trump administration pursuing justice in this case are slim.2. Meanwhile, President Trump seems to be driving the U.S. economy into a deep recession. Following his much-publicized tariff announcement last week – which included 10% tariffs on uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands – the S&P dipped by 10.5%, among the largest drops in history, per the New York Times. Far from making Trump back off however, he appears dead set on pushing this as far as it will go. After the People's Republic of China responded to the threat of a 54% tariff with a reciprocal 34% tariff, Trump announced the U.S. will retaliate by upping the tariff to a whopping 104% on Chinese imports, according to the BBC. Reuters reports that JP Morgan forecasts a 60% chance of a recession as a result of these tariffs.3. In more foreign affairs news, on Friday April 4th, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was officially removed from office by that country's Constitutional Court, “ending months of uncertainty and legal wrangling after he briefly declared martial law in December,” per CNN. The South Korean parliament had already voted to impeach Yoon in December of 2024. The court's decision was unanimous and characterized the leader's actions as a “grave betrayal of the people's trust.” Upon this ruling being handed down, Yoon was forced to immediately vacate the presidential residence. A new election is scheduled for June 3rd. Incredible what a political and judicial class unafraid to stand up to lawlessness can accomplish.4. Speaking of ineffectual opposition parties, one need look no further than Texas' 18th congressional district. This safe Democratic district – including most of central Houston – was held by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from 1995 until her death in 2024. According to the Texas Tribune, Lee planned to run yet again in 2024, triumphing over her 43-year-old former aide Amanda Edwards in the primary. However, Lee passed in July of 2024. Edwards again sought the nomination, but the Harris County Democratic Party instead opted for 69-year-old former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, per the Texas Tribune. Turner made it to March of 2025 before he too passed away. This seat now sits vacant – depriving the residents of central Houston of congressional representation and the Democrats of a vote in the House. Governor Gregg Abbot has announced that he will not allow a special election before November 2025, the Texas Tribune reports. This is a stunning Democratic own-goal and indicative of the literal death grip the gerontocratic old guard continue to have on the party.5. One ray of hope is that Democratic voters appear to be waking up the ineffectual nature of the party leadership. A new Data for Progress poll of the 2028 New York Senate primary posed a hypothetical matchup between incumbent Senator Chuck Schumer and Democratic Socialist firebrand Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – and found AOC with a staggering lead of 19 points. This poll showed AOC winning voters under 45 by 50 points, over 45s by eight points, non-college educated by 16 points, college educated by 23 points, Black and white voters by 16 points, and Latinos by 28. Schumer led among self-described “Moderates” by 15 and no other group. It remains to be seen whether the congresswoman from Queens will challenge the Senate Minority Leader, but this poll clearly shows her popularity in the state of New York, and Schumer's abysmal reputation catching up with him.6. Another bright spot from New York, is Zohran Mamdani's mayoral candidacy and specifically his unprecedented field operation. According to the campaign, between April 1st and April 6th, volunteers knocked on 41,591 doors. No mayoral campaign in the history of the city has generated a grassroots movement of this intensity, with politicians traditionally relying on political machines or enormous war chests to carry them to victory. Mamdani has already reached the public financing campaign donation cap, so he can focus all of his time and energy on grassroots outreach. He remains the underdog against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, but his campaign appears stronger every day.7. Turning to the turmoil in the federal regulatory apparatus, POLITICO reports Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has eliminated the Freedom of Information Act offices at the Centers for Disease Control, and other HHS agencies. An anonymous source told the publication that HHS will consolidate its FOIA requests into one HHS-wide office, but “Next steps are still in flux.” In the meantime, there will be no one to fulfill FOIA requests at these agencies. This piece quotes Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, who said this “sends a wrong message to the public on the administration's commitment to transparency.” Amey added, “I often say that FOIA officers are like librarians in knowing the interactions of the agency…If you don't have FOIA officers with that specific knowledge, it will slow down the process tremendously.”8. At the Federal Trade Commission, Axios reports the Trump administration has “paused” the FTC's lawsuit against major pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, related to “the drug middlemen…inflating the price of insulin and driving up costs to diabetes patients.” The case, filed against CVS Caremark, OptumRx and Express Scripts was halted by the FTC in light of “the fact that there are currently no sitting Commissioners able to participate in this matter.” That is because Trump unlawfully fired the two remaining Democratic commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter. In a statement, former FTC Chair Lina Khan called this move “A gift to the PBMs.”9. One federal regulatory agency that seems to be at least trying to do their job is the Federal Aviation Administration. According to the American Prospect, the FAA has “[has] proposed [a] rule that would mandate Boeing update a critical communications malfunction in their 787 Dreamliner plane that could lead to disastrous accidents.” As this piece explains, “very high frequency (VHF) radio channels are transferring between the active and standby settings without flight crew input.” The FAA's recommendation in is that Boeing address the issue with an update to the radio software. Yet disturbingly, in one of the comments on this proposed rule Qatar Airways claims that, “[they have] already modified all affected…airplanes with … [the recommended software updates] …However … flight crew are still reporting similar issues.” This comment ends with Qatar Airways stating that they believe, “the unsafe condition still exists.” Boeing planes have been plagued by critical safety malfunctions in recent years, most notably the 2018 and 2019 crashes that killed nearly 350 people.10. Finally, on a somewhat lighter note, you may have heard about Bryan Johnson, the tech entrepreneur dubbed “The Man Who Wants to Live Forever.” Johnson has attracted substantial media attention for his unorthodox anti-aging methods, including regular transfusions of plasma from his own son. But this story is not about Johnson's bizarre immortality obsession, but rather his unsavory corporate practices. A new piece in New York Magazine focuses on the lawsuits filed against Johnson by his all-too-mortal workers, represented by eminent labor lawyer Matt Bruenig. This piece relays how Johnson “required his staffers to sign 20-page NDAs,” and an “opt-in” document which informed his employees they had to be comfortable “being around Johnson while he has very little clothing on” and “discussions for media production including erotica (for example, fan fiction including but not limited to story lines/ideas informed by the Twilight series and-or 50 Shades of Grey.)” Bruenig says, “That stuff is weird,” but his main interest is in the nondisparagement agreements, including the one Johnson's former employee and former fiancée Taylor Southern entered into which has further complicated an already thorny legal dispute between Johnson and herself. Now Bruenig is fighting for Southern and against these blanket nondisparagement agreements in a case that could help define the limits of employer's power to control their workers' speech. Hopefully, Bruenig will prevail in showing that Johnson, whatever his pretensions, truly is a mere mortal.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

In this episode of the DeviceTalks Weekly podcast, Host Tom Salemi interviews Alan Lotvin, MD, the CEO and co-founder of Sequel Med Tech, a small company promoting another BIG idea from prolific inventor Dean Kamen. Lotvin, who was formerly a senior executive at CVS/Caremark and PBMs, explains how Twiist, the automated insulin delivery system, could be a game-changer for people with diabetes. Before the interview, we'll hear from Ivan Tornos, the CEO and president of Zimmer Biomet. Tornos, who is the opening keynote interview guest at DeviceTalks Boston on April 30 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center talks with Salemi and Joe Mullings about the the changes at Zimmer Biomet and in orthopedics. Register to see Tornos live at Boston.DeviceTalks.com. Use the code mentioned in the podcast to save 25%. Thanks for listening to the DeviceTalks Weekly Podcast. Subscribe to the DeviceTalks Podcast Network so you don't miss a future episode.

American healthcare is well known for its extreme cost and worst outcomes among industrialized (such as the 38 OECD member) countries, and beyond that to be remarkably opaque. The high cost of prescription drugs contributes, and little has been done to change that except for the government passing the Affordable Insulin Now Act at the end of 2022, enacted in 2023. But in January 2022 Mark Cuban launched Cost Plus Drugs that has transformed how many Americans can get their prescriptions filled at a fraction of the prevailing prices, bypassing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that control 80% of US prescriptions. That was just the beginning of a path of creative destruction (disruptive innovation, after Schumpeter) of many key components American healthcare that Cuban is leading, with Cost Plus Marketplace, Cost Plus Wellness and much more to come. He certainly qualifies as a master disrupter: “someone who is a leader in innovation and is not afraid to challenge the status quo.” Below is a video clip from our conversation dealing with insurance companies. Full videos of all Ground Truths podcasts can be seen on YouTube here. The current one is here. If you like the YouTube format, please subscribe! The audios are also available on Apple and Spotify.Transcript with External links to Audio (00:07):Hello, it's Eric Topol with Ground Truths, and I have our special phenomenal guest today, Mark Cuban, who I think you know him from his tech world contributions and Dallas Mavericks, and the last few years he's been shaking up healthcare with Cost Plus Drugs. So Mark, welcome.Mark Cuban (00:25):Thanks for having me, Eric.Eric Topol (00:27):Yeah, I mean, what you're doing, you've become a hero to millions of Americans getting them their medications at a fraction of the cost they're used to. And you are really challenging the PBM industry, which I've delved into more than ever, just in prep for our conversation. It's just amazing what this group of companies, namely the three big three CVS Caremark, Optum of UnitedHealth and Express Scripts of Cigna with a market of almost $600 billion this year, what they're doing, how can they get away with all this stuff?Inner Workings of Pharmacy Benefit ManagersMark Cuban (01:03):I mean, they're just doing business. I really don't blame them. I blame the people who contract with them. All the companies, particularly the bigger companies, the self-insured companies, where the CEO really doesn't have an understanding of their healthcare or pharmacy benefits. And so, the big PBMs paid them rebates, which they think is great if you're a CEO, when in reality it's really just a loan against the money spent by your sickest employees, and they just don't understand that. So a big part of my time these days is going to CEOs and sitting with them and explaining to them that you're getting ripped off on both your pharmacy and your healthcare side.Eric Topol (01:47):Yeah, it's amazing to me the many ways that they get away with this. I mean, they make companies sign NDAs. They're addicted to rebates. They have all sorts of ways a channel of funds to themselves. I mean, all the things you could think of whereby they even have these GPOs. Each of these companies has a group purchasing organization (I summarized in the Table below).Mark Cuban (02:12):Yeah, which gives them, it's crazy because with those GPOs. The GPO does the deal with the pharmacy manufacturer. Then the GPO also does the deal with the PBM, and then the PBM goes to the self-insured employer in particular and says, hey, we're going to pass through all the rebates. But what they don't say is they've already skimmed off 5%, 10%, 20% or more off the top through their GPO. But that's not even the worst of it. That's just money, right? I mean, that's important, but I mean, even the biggest companies rarely own their own claims data.Mark Cuban (02:45):Now think about what that means. It means you can't get smarter about the wellness of your employees and their families. You want to figure out the best way to do GLP-1s and figure out how to reduce diabetes, whatever it may be. You don't have that claims data. And then they don't allow the companies to control their own formularies. So we've seen Humira biosimilars come out and the big PBMs have done their own version of the biosimilar where we have a product called Yusimry, which is only $594 a month, which is cheaper than the cheapest biosimilar that the big three are selling. And so, you would think in a normal relationship, they would want to bring on this new product to help the employer. No, they won't do it. If the employer asks, can I just add Cost Plus Drugs to my network? They'll say no, every single time.Mark Cuban (03:45):Their job is not to save the employer money, particularly after they've given a rebate. Because once they give that loan, that rebate to the employer, they need to get that money back. It's not a gift. It's a loan and they need to have the rebates, and we don't do rebates with them at all. And I can go down the list. They don't control the formula. They don't control, you mentioned the NDAs. They can't talk to manufacturers, so they can't go to Novo or to Lilly and say, let's put together a GLP-1 wellness program. All these different things that just are common sense. It's not happening. And so, the good news is when I walk into these companies that self-insured and talk to the CEO or CFO, I'm not asking them to do something that's not in their best interest or not in the best interest of the lives they cover. I'm saying, we can save you money and you can improve the wellness of your employees and their families. Where's the downside?Eric Topol (04:40):Oh, yeah. Yeah. And the reason they can't see the claims is because of the privacy issues?Mark Cuban (04:46):No, no. That's just a business decision in the contract that the PBMs have made. You can go and ask. I mean, you have every right to your own claims. You don't need to have it personally identified. You want to find out how many people have GLP-1s or what are the trends, or God forbid there's another Purdue Pharma thing going on, and someone prescribing lots of opioids. You want to be able to see those things, but they won't do it. And that's only on the sponsor side. It's almost as bad if not worse on the manufacturer side.Eric Topol (05:20):Oh, yeah. Well, some of the work of PBMs that you've been talking about were well chronicled in the New York Times, a couple of major articles by Reed Abelson and Rebecca Robbins: The Opaque Industry Secretly Inflating Prices for Prescription Drugs and The Powerful Companies Driving Local Drugstores Out of Business. We'll link those because I think some people are not aware of all the things that are going on in the background.Mark Cuban (05:39):You see in their study and what they reported on the big PBMs, it's crazy the way it works. And literally if there was transparency, like Cost Plus offers, the cost of medications across the country could come down 20%, 30% or more.Cost Plus DrugsEric Topol (05:55):Oh, I mean, it is amazing, really. And now let's get into Cost Plus. I know that a radiologist, Alex Oshmyansky contacted you with a cold email a little over three years ago, and you formed Cost Plus Drugs on the basis of that, right?Mark Cuban (06:12):Yep, that's exactly what happened.Eric Topol (06:15):I give you credit for responding to cold emails and coming up with a brilliant idea with this and getting behind it and putting your name behind it. And what you've done, so you started out with something like 110 generics and now you're up well over 1,200 or 2,500 or something like that?Mark Cuban (06:30):And adding brands. And so, started with 111. Now we're around 2,500 and trying to grow it every single day. And not only that, just to give people an overview. When you go to www.costplusdrugs.com and you put in the name of your medication, let's just say it's tadalafil, and if it comes up. In this case, it will. It'll show you our actual cost, and then we just mark it up 15%. It's the same markup for everybody, and if you want it, we'll have a pharmacist check it. And so, that's a $5 fee. And then if you want ship to mail order, it's $5 for shipping. And if you want to use our pharmacy network, then we can connect you there and you can just pick it up at a local pharmacy.Eric Topol (07:10):Yeah, no, it's transparency. We don't have a lot of that in healthcare in America, right?Mark Cuban (07:15):No. And literally, Eric, the smartest thing that we did, and we didn't expect this, it's always the law of unintended consequences. The smartest thing we did was publish our entire price list because that allowed any company, any sponsor, CMS, researchers to compare our prices to what others were already paying. And we've seen studies come out saying, for this X number of urology drugs, CMS would save $3.6 billion a year. For this number of heart drugs at this amount per year, for chemotherapy drugs or MS drugs this amount. And so, it's really brought attention to the fact that for what PBMs call specialty drugs, whether there's nothing special about them, we can save people a lot of money.Eric Topol (08:01):It's phenomenal. As a cardiologist, I looked up a couple of the drugs that I'm most frequently prescribed, just like Rosuvastatin what went down from $134 to $5.67 cents or Valsartan it went down from $69 to $7.40 cents. But of course, there's some that are much more dramatic, like as you mentioned, whether it's drugs for multiple sclerosis, the prostate cancer. I mean, some of these are just thousands and thousands of dollars per month that are saved, brought down to levels that you wouldn't think would even be conceivable. And this has been zero marketing, right?Mark Cuban (08:42):Yeah, none. It's all been word of mouth and my big mouth, of course. Going out there and doing interviews like this and going to major media, but it's amazing. We get emails and letters and people coming up to us almost single day saying, you saved my grandma's life. You saved my life. We weren't going to be able to afford our imatinib or our MS medication. And it went from being quoted $2,000 a month to $33 a month. It's just insane things like that that are still happening.Eric Topol (09:11):Well, this is certainly one of the biggest shakeups to occur in US healthcare in years. And what you've done in three years is just extraordinary. This healthcare in this country is with its over 4 trillion, pushing $5 trillion a year of expenditure.[New CMS report this week pegs the number at $4.867 trillion for 2023]Mark Cuban (09:30):It's interesting. I think it's really fixable. This has been the easiest industry to the disrupt I've ever been involved in. And it's not even close because all it took was transparency and not jacking up margins to market. We choose to use a fixed margin markup. Some choose to price to market, the Martin Shkreli approach, if you will. And just by being transparent, we've had an impact. And the other side of it is, it's the same concept on the healthcare side. Transparency helps, but to go a little field of pharmacy if you want. The insane part, and this applies to care and pharmacy, whatever plan we have, whether it's for health or whether it's for pharmaceuticals, there's typically a deductible, typically a copay, and typically a co-insurance.Insurance CompaniesMark Cuban (10:20):The crazy part of all that is that people taking the default risk, the credit risk are the providers. It's you, it's the hospital, it's the clinics that you work for. Which makes no sense whatsoever that the decisions that you or I make for our personal insurance or for the companies we run, or if we work for the government, what we do with Medicare or Medicare Advantage, the decisions we all make impacts the viability of providers starting with the biggest hospital systems. And so, as a result, they become subprime lenders without a car or a house to go after if they can't collect. And so, now you see a bunch of people, particularly those under the ACA with the $9,000, the bronze plans or $18,000 out-of-pocket limits go into debt, significant medical debt. And it's unfortunate. We look at the people who are facing these problems and think, well, it must be the insurance companies.Mark Cuban (11:23):It's actually not even the insurance companies. It's the overall design of the system. But underneath that, it's still whoever picks the insurance companies and sets plans that allow those deductibles, that's the core of the problem. And until we get to a system where the providers aren't responsible for the credit for defaults and dealing with all that credit risk, it's almost going to be impossible to change. Because when you see stories like we've all seen in news of a big healthcare, a BUCA healthcare (Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), UnitedHealth, Cigna, and Aetna/CVS) plan with all the pre-authorizations and denials, typically they're not even taking the insurance risk. They're acting as the TPA (third party administrator) as the claims processor effectively for whoever hired them. And it goes back again, just like I talked about before. And as long as CMS hires or allows or accepts these BUCAs with these plans for Medicare for the ACA (Affordable care Act), whatever it may be, it's not going to work. As long as self-insured employers and the 50 million lives they cover hire these BUCAs to act as the TPAs, not as insurance companies and give them leeway on what to approve and what to authorize and what not to authorize. The system's going to be a mess, and that's where we are today.Academic Health System PartnershipsEric Topol (12:41):Yeah. Well, you've been talking of course to employers and enlightening them, and you're also enlightening the public, of course. That's why you have millions of people that are saving their cost of medications, but recently you struck a partnership with Penn Medicine. That's amazing. So is that your first academic health system that you approached?Cost Plus MarketplaceMark Cuban (13:00):I don't know if it was the first we approached, but it was certainly one of the biggest that we signed. We've got Cost Plus Marketplace (CPM) where we make everything from injectables to you name it, anything a hospital might buy. But again, at a finite markup, we make eight and a half percent I think when it's all said and done. And that saves hospital systems millions of dollars a year.Eric Topol (13:24):Yeah. So that's a big change in the way you're proceeding because what it was just pills that you were buying from the pharma companies, now you're actually going to make injectables and you're going to have a manufacturing capability. Is that already up and going?Mark Cuban (13:39):That's all up and going as of March. We're taking sterile injectables that are on the shortage list, generic and manufacturing them in Dallas using a whole robotics manufacturing plant that really Alex created. He's the rocket scientist behind it. And we're limited in capacity now, we're limited about 2 million vials, but we'll sell those to Cost Plus Marketplace, and we'll also sell those direct. So Cost Plus Marketplace isn't just the things we manufacture. It's a wide variety of products that hospitals buy that we then have a minimal markup, and then for the stuff we manufacture, we'll sell those to direct to like CHS was our first customer.Eric Topol (14:20):Yeah, that's a big expansion from going from the pills to this. Wow.Mark Cuban (14:24):It's a big, big expansion, but it goes to the heart of being transparent and not being greedy, selling on a markup. And ourselves as a company, being able to remain lean and mean. The only way we can sell at such a low markup. We have 20 employees on the Cost Plus side and 40 employees involved with the factories, and that's it.Eric Topol (14:46):Wow. So with respect to, you had this phenomenal article and interview with WIRED Magazine just this past week. I know Lauren Goode interviewed you, and she said, Mark, is this really altruistic and I love your response. You said, “how much f*****g money do I need? I'm not trying to land on Mars.” And then you said, “at this point in my life, it's just like more money, or f**k up the healthcare industry.” This was the greatest, Mark. I mean, I got to tell you, it was really something.Mark Cuban (15:18):Yeah.Eric Topol (15:19):Well, in speaking of that, of course, the allusion to a person we know well, Elon. He posted on X/Twitter in recent days , I think just three or four days ago, shouldn't the American people be getting their money's worth? About this high healthcare administration costs where the US is completely away from any other OECD country. And as you and I know, we have the worst outcomes and the most costs of all the rich countries in the world. There's just nothing new here. Maybe it's new to him, but you had a fabulous response on both X and Bluesky where you went over all these things point by point. And of course, the whole efforts that you've been working on now for three years. You also mentioned something that was really interesting that I didn't know about were these ERISA lawsuits[Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974.] Can you tell us about that?ERISA LawsuitsMark Cuban (16:13):Yeah, that's a great question, Eric. So for self-insured companies in particular, we have a fiduciary responsibility on a wellness and on a financial basis to offer the members, your employees and their families the best outcomes at the best price. Now, you can't guarantee best outcomes, but you have to be able to explain the choices you made. You don't have to pick the cheapest, but again, you have to be able to explain why you made the choices that you did. And because a lot of companies have been doing, just like we discussed earlier, doing deals on the pharmacy side with just these big PBMs, without accounting for best practices, best price, best outcomes, a couple companies got sued. Johnson and Johnson and Wells Fargo were the first to get sued. And I think that's just the beginning. That's just the writing on the wall. I think they'll lose because they just dealt with the big pharmacy PBMs. And I think that's one of the reasons why we're so busy at Cost Plus and why I'm so busy because we're having conversation after conversation with companies and plenty of enough lawyers for that matter who want to see a price list and be able to compare what they're paying to what we sell for to see if they're truly living up to that responsibility.Eric Topol (17:28):Yeah, no, that's a really important thing that's going on right now that I think a lot of people don't know about. Now, the government of the US think because it's the only government of any rich country in the world, if not any country that doesn't negotiate prices, i.e., CMS or whatever. And only with the recent work of insulin, which is a single one drug, was there reduction of price. And of course, it's years before we'll see other drugs. How could this country not negotiate drugs all these years where every other place in the world they do negotiate with pharma?Mark Cuban (18:05):Because as we alluded to earlier, the first line in every single pharmaceutical and healthcare contract says, you can't talk about this contract. It's like fight club. The number one rule of fight club is you can't talk about fight club, and it's really difficult to negotiate prices when it's opaque and everything's obfuscated where you can't really get into the details. So it's not that we're not capable of it, but it's just when there's no data there, it's really difficult because look, up until we started publishing our prices, how would anybody know?Mark Cuban (18:39):I mean, how was anybody going to compare numbers? And so, when the government or whoever started to negotiate, they tried to protect themselves and they tried to get data, but those big PBMs certainly have not been forthcoming. We've come along and publish our price list and all that starts to change. Now in terms of the bigger picture, there is a solution there, as I said earlier, but it really comes down to talking to the people who make the decisions to hire the big insurance companies and the big PBMs and telling them, no, you're not acting in your own best interest. Here's anybody watching out there. Ask your PBM if they can audit. If you can audit rather your PBM contract. What they'll tell you is, yeah, you can, but you have to use our people. It's insane. And that's from top to bottom. And so, I'm a big believer that if we can get starting with self-insured employers to act in their own best interest, and instead of working with a big PBM work with a pass-through PBM. A pass-through PBM will allow you to keep your own claims, own all your own data, allow you to control your own formulary.Mark Cuban (19:54):You make changes where necessary, no NDA, so you can't talk to manufacturers. All these different abilities that just seem to make perfect sense are available to all self-insured employers. And if the government, same thing. If the government requires pass-through PBMs, the price of medications will drop like a rock.Eric Topol (20:16):Is that possible? You think that could happen?Mark Cuban (20:19):Yes. Somebody's got to understand it and do it. I'm out there screaming, but we will see what happens with the new administration. There's nothing hard about it. And it's the same thing with Medicare and Medicare Advantage healthcare plans. There's nothing that says you have to use the biggest companies. Now, the insurance companies have to apply and get approved, but again, there's a path there to work with companies that can reduce costs and improve outcomes. The biggest challenge in my mind, and I'm still trying to work through this to fully understand it. I think where we really get turned upside down as a country is we try to avoid fraud from the provider perspective and the patient perspective. We're terrified that patients are going to use too much healthcare, and like everybody's got Munchausen disease.Mark Cuban (21:11):And we're terrified that the providers are going to charge too much or turn into Purdue Pharma and over-prescribe or one of these surgery mills that just is having somebody get surgery just so they can make money. So in an effort to avoid those things, we ask the insurance companies and the PBMs to do pre-authorizations, and that's the catch 22. How do we find a better way to deal with fraud at the patient and provider level? Because once we can do that, and maybe it's AI, maybe it's accepting fraud, maybe it's imposing criminal penalties if somebody does those things. But once we can overcome that, then it becomes very transactional. Because the reality is most insurance companies aren't insurance companies. 50 million lives are covered by self-insured employers that use the BUCAs, the big insurance companies, but not as insurance companies.Eric Topol (22:07):Yeah, I was going to ask you about that because if you look at these three big PBMs that control about 80% of the market, not the pass-throughs that you just mentioned, but the big ones, they each are owned by an insurance company. And so, when the employer says, okay, we're going to cover your healthcare stuff here, we're going to cover your prescriptions there.Mark Cuban (22:28):Yeah, it's all vertically integrated.Mark Cuban (22:36):And it gets even worse than that, Eric. So they also own specialty pharmacies, “specialty pharmacies” that will require you to buy from. And as I alluded to earlier, a lot of these medications like Imatinib, they'll list as being a specialty medication, but it's a pill. There's nothing special about it, but it allows them to charge a premium. And that's a big part of how the PBMs make a lot of their money, the GPO stuff we talked about, but also forcing an employer to go through the specialty mail order company that charges an arm and the leg.Impact on Hospitals and ProceduresEric Topol (23:09):Yeah. Well, and the point you made about transparency, we've seen this of course across US healthcare. So for example, as you know, if you were to look at what does it cost to have an operation like let's say a knee replacement at various hospitals, you can find that it could range fivefold. Of course, you actually get the cost, and it could be the hospital cost, and then there's the professional cost. And the same thing occurs for if you're having a scan, if you're having an MRI here or there. So these are also this lack of transparency and it's hard to get to the numbers, of course. There seems to be so many other parallels to the PBM story. Would you go to these other areas you think in the future?Mark Cuban (23:53):Yeah, we're doing it now. I'm doing it. So we have this thing called project dog food, and what it is, it's for my companies and what we've done is say, look, let's understand how the money works in healthcare.Mark Cuban (24:05):And when you think about it, when you go to get that knee done, what happens? Well, they go to your insurance company to get a pre-authorization. Your doctor says you need a knee replacement. I got both my hips replaced. Let's use that. Doctor says, Mark, you need your hips replaced. Great, right? Let's set up an appointment. Well, first the insurance company has to authorize it, okay, they do or they don't, but the doctor eats their time up trying to deal with the pre-authorization. And if it's denied, the doctor's time is eaten up and an assistance's time is eaten up. Some other administrator's time is eaten up, the employer's time is eaten up. So that's one significant cost. And then from there, there's a deductible. Now I can afford my deductible, but if there is an individual getting that hip replacement who can't afford the deductible, now all of a sudden you're still going to be required to do that hip replacement, most likely.Mark Cuban (25:00):Because in most of these contracts that self-insured employers sign, Medicare Advantage has, Medicare has, it says that between the insurance company and the provider, in this case, the hospital, you have to do the operation even if the deductibles not paid. So now the point of all this is you have the hospital in this case potentially accumulating who knows how much bad debt. And it's not just the lost amount of millions and millions and billions across the entire healthcare spectrum that's there. It's all the incremental administrative costs. The lawyers, the benefits for those people, the real estate, the desk, the office space, all that stuff adds up to $10 billion plus just because the hospitals take on that credit default risk. But wait, there's more. So now the surgery happens, you send the bill to the insurance company. The insurance company says, well, we're not going to pay you. Well, we have a contract. This is what it says, hip replacement's $34,000. Well, we don't care first, we're going to wait. So we get the time value of money, and then we're going to short pay you.Mark Cuban (26:11):So the hospital gets short paid. So what do they have to do? They have to sue them or send letters or whatever it is to try to get their money. When we talk to the big hospital systems, they say that's 2%. That's 2% of their revenue. So you have all these associated credit loss dollars, you've got the 2% of, in a lot of cases, billions and billions of dollars. And so, when you add all those things up, what happens? Well, what happens is because the providers are losing all that money and having to spend all those incremental dollars for the administration of all that, they have to jack up prices.Eric Topol (26:51):Yeah. Right.Mark Cuban (26:53):So what we have done, we've said, look for my companies, we're going to pay you cash. We're going to pay you cash day one. When Mark gets that hip replacement, that checks in the bank before the operation starts, if that's the way you want it. Great, they're not going to have pre-authorizations. We're going to trust you until you give us a reason not to trust you. We're not short paying, obviously, because we're paying cash right there then.Mark Cuban (27:19):But in a response for all that, because we're cutting out all those ancillary costs and credit risk, I want Medicare pricing. Now the initial response is, well, Medicare prices, that's awful. We can't do it. Well, when you really think about the cost and operating costs of a hospital, it's not the doctors, it's not the facilities, it's all the administration that cost all the money. It's all the credit risks that cost all the money. And so, if you remove that credit risk and all the administration, all those people, all that real estate, all those benefits and overhead associated with them, now all of a sudden selling at a Medicare price for that hip replacement is really profitable.Eric Topol (28:03):Now, is that a new entity Cost Plus healthcare?Mark Cuban (28:07):Well, it's called Cost Plus Wellness. It's not an entity. What we're going to do, so the part I didn't mention is all the direct contracts that we do that have all these pieces, as part of them that I just mentioned, we're going to publish them.Eric Topol (28:22):Ah, okay.Mark Cuban (28:23):And you can see exactly what we've done. And if you think about the real role of the big insurances companies for hospitals, it's a sales funnel.Getting Rid of Insurance CompaniesEric Topol (28:33):Yeah, yeah. Well, in fact, I really was intrigued because you did a podcast interview with Andrew Beam and the New England Journal of Medicine AI, and in that they talked about getting rid of the insurers, the insurance industry, just getting rid of it and just make it a means test for people. So it's not universal healthcare, it's a different model that you described. Can you go over that? I thought it was fantastic.Mark Cuban (29:00):Two pieces there. Let's talk about universal healthcare first. So for my companies, for our project dog food for the Mark Cuban companies, if for any employee or any of the lives we cover, if they work within network, anybody we have the direct contract with its single-payer. They pay their premiums, but they pay nothing else out of pocket. That's the definition of single-payer.Eric Topol (29:24):Yeah.Mark Cuban (29:25):So if we can get all this done, then the initial single-payers will be self-insured employers because it'll be more cost effective to them to do this approach. We hope, we still have to play it all through. So that's part one. In terms of everybody else, then you can say, why do we need insurance companies if they're not even truly acting as insurance companies? You're not taking full risk because even if it's Medicare Advantage, they're getting a capitated amount per month. And then that's getting risk adjusted because of the population you have, and then there's also an index depending on the location, so there's more or less money that occurs then. So let's just do what we need to do in this particular case, because the government is effectively eliminating the risk for the insurance company for the most part. And if you look at the margins for Medicare Advantage, I was just reading yesterday, it's like $1,700 a year for the average Medicare Advantage plan. So it's not like they're taking a lot of risk. All they're doing is trying to deny as many claims as they can.Eric Topol (30:35):Deny, Deny. Yeah.Mark Cuban (30:37):So instead, let's just get somebody who's a TPA, somebody who does the transaction, the claims processing, and whoever's in charge. It could be CMS, can set the terms for what's accepted and what's denied, and you can have a procedure for people that get denied that want to challenge it. And that's great, there's one in place now, but you make it a little simpler. But you take out the economics for the insurance company to just deny, deny, deny. There's no capitation. There's no nothing.Mark Cuban (31:10):The government just says, okay, we're hiring this TPA to handle the claims processing. It is your job. We're paying you per transaction.Mark Cuban (31:18):You don't get paid more if you deny. You don't get paid less if you deny. There's no bonuses if you keep it under a certain amount, there's no penalties If you go above a certain amount. We want you just to make sure that the patient involved is getting the best care, end of story. And if there's fraud involved as the government, because we have access to all that claims data, we're going to introduce AI that reviews that continuously.Mark Cuban (31:44):So that we can see things that are outliers or things that we question, and there's going to mean mistakes, but the bet was, if you will, where we save more and get better outcomes that way versus the current system and I think we will. Now, what ends up happening on top of that, once you have all that claims data and all that information and everybody's interest is aligned, best care at the best price, no denials unless it's necessary, reduce and eliminate fraud. Once everybody's in alignment, then as long as that's transparent. If the city of Dallas decides for all the lives they cover the 300,000 lives they cover between pharmacy and healthcare, we can usually in actuarial tables and some statistical analysis, we can say, you know what, even with a 15% tolerance, it's cheaper for us just to pay upfront and do this single-pay program, all our employees in the lives we cover, because we know what it's going to take.Mark Cuban (32:45):If the government decides, well, instead of Medicare Advantage the way it was, we know all the costs. Now we can say for all Medicare patients, we'll do Medicare for all, simply because we have definitive and deterministic pricing. Great. Now, there's still going to be outlier issues like all the therapies that cost a million dollars or whatever. But my attitude there is if CMS goes to Lilly, Novo, whoever for their cure for blindness that's $3.4 million. Well, that's great, but what we'll say is, okay, give us access to your books. We want to know what your breakeven point is. What is that breakeven point annually? We'll write you a check for that.Eric Topol (33:26):Yeah.Mark Cuban (33:27):If we have fewer patients than need that, okay, you win. If we have more patients than need that, it's like a Netflix subscription with unlimited subscribers, then we will have whatever it is, because then the manufacturer doesn't lose money, so they can't complain about R&D and not being able to make money. And that's for the CMS covered population. You can do a Netflix type subscription for self-insured employers. Hey, it's 25 cents per month per employee or per life covered for the life of the patent, and we'll commit to that. And so, now all of a sudden you get to a point where healthcare starts becoming not only transparent but deterministic.Eric Topol (34:08):Yeah. What you outline here in these themes are extraordinary. And one of the other issues that you are really advocating is patient empowerment, but one of the problems we have in the US is that people don't own their data. They don't even have all their data. I expect you'd be a champion of that as well.Mark Cuban (34:27):Well, of course. Yeah. I mean, look, I've got into arguments with doctors and public health officials about things like getting your own blood tested. I've been an advocate of getting my own blood tested for 15 years, and it helped me find out that I needed thyroid medication and all of these things. So I'm a big advocate. There's some people that think that too much data gives you a lot of false positives, and people get excited in this day and age to get more care when it should only be done if there are symptoms. I'm not a believer in that at all. I think now, particularly as AI becomes more applicable and available, you'll be able to be smarter about the data you capture. And that was always my final argument. Either you trust doctors, or you don't. Because even if there's an aberrational TSH reading and minus 4.4 and it's a little bit high, well the doctor's going to say, well, let's do another blood test in a month or two. The doctor is still the one that has to write the prescription. There's no downside to trusting your doctor in my mind.Eric Topol (35:32):And what you're bringing up is that we're already seeing how AI can pick up things even in the normal range, the trends long before a clinician physician would pick it up. Now, last thing I want to say is you are re-imagining healthcare like no one. I mean, there's what you're doing here. It started with some pills and it's going in a lot of different directions. You are rocking it here. I didn't even know some of the latest things that you're up to. This seems to be the biggest thing you've ever done.Mark Cuban (36:00):I hope so.Mark Cuban (36:01):I mean, like we said earlier, what could be better than people saying our healthcare system is good. What changed? That Cuban guy.Eric Topol (36:10):Well, did you give up Shark Tank so you could put more energy into this?Mark Cuban (36:16):Not really. It was more for my kids.Eric Topol (36:19):Okay, okay.Mark Cuban (36:20):They go hand in hand, obviously. I can do this stuff at home as opposed to sitting on a set wondering if I should invest in Dude Wipes again.Eric Topol (36:28):Well, look, we're cheering for you. This is, I've not seen a shakeup in my life in American healthcare like this. You are just rocking. It's fantastic.Mark Cuban (36:37):Everybody out there that's watching, check out www.costplusdrugs.com, check out Cost Plus Marketplace, which is business.costplusdrugs.com and just audit everything. What I'm trying to do is say, okay, if it's 1955 and we're starting healthcare all over again, how would we do it? And really just keep it simple. Look to where the risk is and remove the risk where possible. And then it comes down to who do you trust and make sure you trust but verify. Making sure there aren't doctors or systems that are outliers and making sure that there aren't companies that are outliers or patients rather that are outliers. And so, I think there's a path there. It's not nearly as difficult, it's just starting them with corporations, getting those CEOs to get educated and act in their own best interest.Eric Topol (37:32):Well, you're showing us the way. No question. So thanks so much for joining, and we'll be following this with really deep interest because you're moving at high velocity, and thank you.**************************************************Thank you for reading, listening and subscribing to Ground Truths.If you found this fun and informative please share it!All content on Ground Truths—its newsletters, analyses, and podcasts, are free, open-access.Paid subscriptions are voluntary. All proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. I welcome all comments from paid subscribers and will do my best to respond to each of them and any questions.Thanks to my producer Jessica Nguyen and to Sinjun Balabanoff for audio and video support at Scripps Research.FootnoteThe PBMS (finally) are under fire—2 articles from the past week Get full access to Ground Truths at erictopol.substack.com/subscribe

Leaders from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, CVS Caremark, Independent Health and Vori Health explore how healthcare leaders tackle members' weight management challenges by creating comprehensive programs that responsibly integrate GLP-1 medications while controlling costs.  Key Discussion Topics: Benefit Design and Prior Authorization Programs: Crafting strategies to balance access and affordability. Integrated, Whole-Person Care: Addressing weight management holistically to improve outcomes. Leveraging Bright Spots: Applying successful approaches from other areas to optimize GLP-1 management. Future Innovations: Exploring emerging opportunities to enhance weight management programs.   Panel:  Ryan A. Grant, MD, MS, MBA, FAANS, CEO and Co-Founder, Vori Health Martin Burruano, Vice President, Pharmacy Services, Independent Health Mark T. Jansen, M.D., Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield Ilona Smith, SVP of Employer, Government and Coalitions, CVS Caremark Bios: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/events/responsible-glp-1-strategies-structuring-benefits-for-economic-viability-and-proven-member-results Request Whitepaper To request the whitepaper, Integrating GLP-1s into the Future of MSK Care, from our partner Vori, please submit this form: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/request-a-copy-of-the-integrating-glp-1s-into-the-future-of-msk-care/   We'd love to hear from you! Send your comments, suggestions and ideas to hello@brightspotsinhealthcare.com

Leaders from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, CVS Caremark, Independent Health and Vori Health explore how healthcare leaders tackle members' weight management challenges by creating comprehensive programs that responsibly integrate GLP-1 medications while controlling costs.  Key Discussion Topics: Benefit Design and Prior Authorization Programs: Crafting strategies to balance access and affordability. Integrated, Whole-Person Care: Addressing weight management holistically to improve outcomes. Leveraging Bright Spots: Applying successful approaches from other areas to optimize GLP-1 management. Future Innovations: Exploring emerging opportunities to enhance weight management programs.   Panel:  Ryan A. Grant, MD, MS, MBA, FAANS, CEO and Co-Founder, Vori Health Martin Burruano, Vice President, Pharmacy Services, Independent Health Mark T. Jansen, M.D., Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield Ilona Smith, SVP of Employer, Government and Coalitions, CVS Caremark Bios: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/events/responsible-glp-1-strategies-structuring-benefits-for-economic-viability-and-proven-member-results Request Whitepaper To request the whitepaper, Integrating GLP-1s into the Future of MSK Care, from our partner Vori, please submit this form: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/request-a-copy-of-the-integrating-glp-1s-into-the-future-of-msk-care/   We'd love to hear from you! Send your comments, suggestions and ideas to hello@brightspotsinhealthcare.com

Dr. Graham Gardner is a visionary in healthcare innovation. He is the co-founder and CEO of Kyruus Health – Kairus Health, leading the development of a platform that revolutionizes patient access and provider data management, now serving over 425 thousand providers and 1,000 hospitals. Dr. Gardner's unique perspective is shaped by his background in cardiology and his entrepreneurial journey, which includes co-founding Generation Health, a genetic benefit management company that was acquired by CVS Caremark. His work with Kyruus has set new standards for patient-provider matching, significantly enhancing healthcare access and efficiency. In this episode, we discuss Dr. Gardner's transition from medicine to entrepreneurship, and how Kyruus is transforming healthcare access and efficiency. We also explore his thoughts on the future of healthcare technology and the importance of data-driven decision-making. Do you have any thoughts or guest suggestions? Please email us at hello@rosenmaninstitute.org.

IntroductionLIVE from your ESG USB-C DIY LOL DEI Vape Pen, it's a Business Pants Friday Show here at October 18th Studios, featuring all of your favorites: AnalystHole Matt Moscardi! On today's weekly wrap up: Meta employees have acne but don't call CVS's Karen Lynch, meth-flavored TikTok, 3-headed CEOs, and even one-headed CEOs named Jamie that love to talk Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.Story of the Week (DR):CVS ousts CEO Karen Lynch, names Caremark head as new chief DR MMCVS Health Corp. named David Joyner as its new chief executive officer, ending a tumultuous tenure for current CEO Karen Lynch at the pharmacy giant.Longtime executive Joyner, 60, took over Thursday, according to a Friday release. The move comes after the company repeatedly missed earnings targets, setting off unrest among shareholders that spilled into public view in recent weeks.Last month, major CVS shareholder Glenview Capital began a significant push for changes at the company, CNBC previously reported.CNBC reported last month that CVS' board had engaged strategic advisors to weigh its options, including the potential of a breakup of its insurance and retail businesses.Joyner most recently oversaw the company's pharmacy services business as president of CVS Caremark, a similar position to the one Lynch held before she assumed the top job in February 2021. He began his career at Aetna in pharmacy benefit services and previously held the role of executive vice president of sales and marketing at CVS Health.“We believe David and his deep understanding of our integrated business can help us more directly address the challenges our industry faces, more rapidly advance the operational improvements our company requires, and fully realize the value we can uniquely create,” Chairman Roger Farah said in a statement.Lynch also stepped down from the company's board of directors this week, the company said Friday. Joyner will take a seat on the board, and Farah will assume the role of executive chairman.FFA: Karen Lynch (16%) vs. Roger Farah (16%)Meta fires staff for abusing $25 meal creditsMeta recently fired some employees for misusing a Grubhub meal perk.Roughly two dozen employees were terminated for abusing the company's meal credit system.The Grubhub perk is intended to support employees who work at locations where free meals aren't provided by a cafeteria or when employees work late and need food delivered to the office.Instead of purchasing meals, some Meta employees used the $25 credit to order other items, including laundry detergent, wine glasses, and acne pads, the person familiar with the situation said.The roughly two dozen staff were fired for a repeated pattern of misuseAmazon invests in nuclear energy, hot on the heels of Google and MicrosoftBig Tech continues to go nuclear as the artificial-intelligence boom drives energy demand to new heights.Amazon announced on Wednesday that it's anchoring a $500 million investment for X-energy to develop small, advanced modular nuclear reactors, which would provide carbon-free power for some of its data centers.Microsoft last month helped advance a plan to reopen the Three Mile Island plant, the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in US history, and Google on Monday announced a partnership in small-modular-reactor tech with Kairos Power.A Sam Altman-backed nuclear power stock soared 150% in a monthParamount Will Allow Its 3 Co-CEOs to Resign and Receive Severance If They Are DemotedWith Paramount Global poised to be taken over by Skydance Media in 2025, the three execs running Paramount as co-CEOs — George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins — now have an additional provision in their employment agreements that will let them quit and receive severance benefits if they are demoted from their co-CEO roles.In addition, Cheeks, McCarthy and Robbins were each awarded grants of $3 million worth of restricted share units Prior to securing the deal with Skydance, Paramount dismissed former CEO Bob Bakish and formed the three-member Office of the CEO effective as of May 1 comprising: George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS; Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks; and Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon.guaranteed severance payments equivalent to two times their annual base salary plus twice their annual target bonus amount, among other benefitsFor Bob Bakish last year that severance would have amounted to nearly $50MThe change in compensation comes at a time when Paramount is aiming to reduce annual costs by $500 million ahead of its merger with Skydance Media. As part of these cost-cutting measures, Paramount started job cuts in August and plans to lay off 15% of its U.S.-based workforce in three phases by the end of the year."US judge orders Boeing, DOJ to detail diversity policy before deciding on pleaA federal judge on Tuesday ordered Boeing and the U.S. Justice Department to detail the impact of diversity and inclusion policies on the selection of an independent monitor before he decides whether to accept the planemaker's plea deal.While ordering DOJ and Boeing to respond to a series of questions about the diversity and inclusion policy and how it might affect the selection of an independent monitor, he also pointed out that it was not a disputed facet of the plea agreement."Critically, Boeing did not voice any objection to this provision," the judge said in his order.O'Connor also wants the planemaker to detail how its existing diversity, equity and inclusion policies "are used in its current compliance and ethics efforts."U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor held a hearing Friday as he considers whether to approve Boeing's agreement to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud regulators. The deal would include oversight for three years by an independent monitor.Reed Charles is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. O'Connor has become a "go-to" favorite for conservative lawyers, as he reliably rules against Democratic policies and for Republican policies.Elon Musk is bringing lawsuits to Texas. A judge with Tesla stock keeps hearing themBillionaire Elon Musk seems to have found a new favorite federal judge: Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas.Musk's social media company X has filed two major lawsuits against groups he sees as antagonists, and O'Connor is presiding over both of them, even though none of the parties is based in Texas.So far, O'Connor has delivered stunningly pro-Musk decisions, which have gained widespread attention.What has garnered less attention: O'Connor's investment in Tesla, between “$15,001 and $50,000” of Tesla stock, according to his most recent publicly available financial disclosure filing.The order is the latest hurdle Boeing faces to avoid a potentially embarrassing trial and plead guilty to misleading the Federal Aviation Administration and violating a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement.Assholiest of the Week (MM):SEC charge hinges on director's lack of ‘social independence' DR MMYou're kidding SEC - on average, 20% of every US large cap board is connected inside two degrees JUST FROM OTHER BOARDSWe just covered Parker Hannifin on our show Proxy Countdown and found that 100% of the board worked within 250 miles of one another, and 40% of them were from Ohio!Where are the regulations on this? If you're policing social independence, barring directors from future directorships, just because it wasn't disclosed - NONE OF THEM ARE DISCLOSED!It can't be that a former employee of the company like Leslie Kilgore on the Netflix board, who worked under Reed Hastings AT NETFLIX from 2000-2012, can NOW be considered “independent” on a board… WITH FOUNDER REED HASTINGS… and not have a lack of “social independence”?Digital tobaccoTikTok knew its algorithm harmed kids, accidentally revealed internal documents show14 states are suing TikTok35 minutes from starting use of the app to addiction - that's faster than meth where dependency can take days to weeksMeta must face US state lawsuits over teen social media addictionVOTE EVERY DIRECTOR ON A DIGITAL TOBACCO COMPANY BOARD OUT OF EVERY OTHER BOARD THEY SIT ONThere are 40 directors of Alphabet, Meta, Snap, and PinterestThose directors have 72 directorshipsThere are 22 of them that have directorships on other boardsEliminate OTHER dual class asshole companies, and you have 15 directors to vote out - stop selling digital tobacco or you lose your jobUnited Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) Board of Directors Approves Share Buyback ProgramFour years ago we bailed out the airlines after UA posted a 6bn loss followed by a 1bn lossThe last year net income declined 15% to less than 1bnThe highest TSR performer on the board that approved this has a history of .488 batting average - meaning they are below average of .500 - and they are the HIGHEST ON THE BOARDOf the 13 bloated board members, two have earnings batting averages above .500 - the rest are all below .350!This is one of the worst performing, most interconnected boards in America - and they are spending over $1bn they don't have to grease the palms of investorsYou can send thank you notes to Vanguard (14% of shares) and Primecap (9% of shares) when they stop serving you hot food and force you to sit in an overhead binGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Teen tobacco use falls to 25-year low as fewer pick up e-cigarettesDR: Union petitions skyrocket under Biden, doubling for the first time in 50 yearsMM:Supreme Court Allows E.P.A. to Limit Power Plant EmissionsMM: JPMorgan's Dimon Says Economy ‘Remains Resilient'Headliniest of the WeekDR: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Says We Shouldn't Put Our Heads In The Sand, 'We Have To Find A Better Way To Help The People Who Get Hurt By AI'Jamie Dimon suggests he'll remain at JPMorgan for a very long time: "I intend to be doing what I'm doing — I almost guarantee I'll be doing this — for a long period of time, or at least until the board kicks me out"MM: JPMorgan CEO Dimon says cash is very valuable when the future looks ‘treacherous'Who Won the Week?DR: 3-headed CEOsMM: The Shareholder Primacy podcast with Mike Levin and Ann Lipton - Activist Investors Are Podcasters NowPredictionsDR: Disney's post-Iger succession planning is to replace him with six-headed CEO:Chadwick "Chaz" Van Buren III – The overly confident CEO who insists on golfing metaphors during board meetings.Reginald P. Throckmorton – Always talking about the "good old days" and using phrases like "back in my day."Wellington "Wells" Haverford – A CEO who embodies the old-school, silver-haired corporate type with a massive corner office.Bartholomew J. Wainscott – A pompous executive with a fondness for outdated business jargon like "synergy" and "paradigm shift."Milton C. Kensington – Known for his oversized suits, outdated tech skills, and resistance to change.Horace F. Farnsworth – The CEO who refuses to retire, always seen with suspenders and a comb-over.MM: Kids start playing a new game called “Jamie Says” in which a kid says something louder and louder and everyone else called “the reporters”, writes them down furiously

It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: Hurricane aid for people with diabetes, Medtronic safety warning, stem cell updates for type 1, new study about teens and young adults with type 1, and Ryan Reed returns to racing. Find out more about Moms' Night Out  Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom  Edgepark Medical Supplies Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens  Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Episode transcription with links: Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. XX Hurricane Insulin efforts XX Medtronic has notified customers that battery issues with its Minimed 600 and 700 series insulin pumps could cause the devices to stop delivering insulin significantly sooner than expected. A “low battery pump” alert, intended to signal up to 10 hours of remaining battery life, may be displayed on the device even if much less time is left. Medtronic told customers they could contact the company to determine the need for a replacement pump. Medtronic said it received 170 reports of hyperglycemia and 11 reports of diabetic ketoacidosis in the U.S., from January 2023 to September 2024, potentially related to the issue. Pump models including the Minimed 630G, 670G, 770G and 780G systems are affected by the notice. https://www.medtechdive.com/news/Medtronic-Minimed-insulin-pumps-recall-battery-life/729019/ XX A woman has undergone a stem-cell therapy made from her own cells, to treat her type 1 diabetes. Researchers in China discovered the woman did not need to use insulin 75 days after the procedure, and that the stem-cell derived islet cells she was injected with had been engrafted inside her abdomen. the case is the first of its kind, and two more people have been enrolled in the clinical trial in China since, researchers involved in the study told Medical News Today. Other stem-cell based therapies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes are also currently in development and in trials. For this case study, researchers based in Tianjin First Central Hospital, Nankai University, Tianjin, China took fat cells from a 25 year-old woman with type 1 diabetes, and chemically induced them to behave as pluripotent stem cells, a type of cell that can develop into other types of cell. They then used these to create islet cells, which typically exist in the pancreas and create insulin, a hormone that regulates levels of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. The patient in this case study had previously had two liver transplants and a failed pancreas transplant due to complications that had arisen due to her diabetes. The induced islet cells made from the patient's own cells were then injected between the skin and abdominal muscles. Researchers discovered that these successfully engrafted in the patient, including growing their own vasculature. Before the procedure she produced enough insulin to reach her target glycemic range 43.18% of the time, and 4 months later this increased to 96.2% of the time. She was also shown to have lower glycated hemoglobin, which indicated long-term systemic glucose levels at a non-diabetic level.   https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/stem-cell-therapy-reverses-type-1-diabetes-in-groundbreaking-case-study XX The state of Texas is accusing major pharmacy benefit managers and drug companies of colluding to raise the cost of insulin.   Texas alleged drug manufacturers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi raise the price of insulin and then pay an undisclosed amount back to PBMs Optum Rx, Express Scripts and CVS Caremark through a quid pro quo agreement. PBMs then give preferred status on its standard formularies to drugs with the highest list prices, the state said. Insulin costs $2 to produce and could be purchased for $20 in the 1990s but now costs up to $700, the Office of the Attorney General of Texas wrote in a news release. The filing goes so far as to describe a LinkedIn group these executives would use to discuss insulin pricing tactics. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently sued Optum Rx, Express Scripts and Caremark for rising insulin prices and anticompetitive practices. The PBMs reject the FTC's findings. Drug manufacturers were not included in the lawsuit. Texas' lawsuit also noted the consolidation in the PBM market, arguing it gives PBMs a “disproportionate amount of market power.” Nearly 40 PBM entities have now been consumed by UnitedHealth Group, Cigna and CVS Caremark. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/texas-sues-pbms-manufacturers-over-insulin-conspiracy XX Canadian teens and young adults living with diabetes face double the risk of hospitalizations and emergency room visits compared with younger children with the condition, say doctors suggesting changes to how care is organized for affected families. In the October issue of the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, Dr. Meranda Nakhla, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Montreal Children's Hospital, and her team used Quebec health administrative data to estimate the risk of gaps in regular diabetes care for complications in children under 10, and adults up to age 23.   "With adolescents and young adults, [the complication]  tends to be more related to an insulin omission and maybe just feeling burnt out from having diabetes and just not wanting to deal with it," Nakhla said. "They may stop taking insulin and a day later end up in the emergency room with diabetic ketoacidosis." Part of the challenge, Nakhla said, is for parents to take a step back from managing all aspects of their child's diabetes to a more supportive role that allows the child to have more autonomy. What's new about the Quebec findings is they highlight how gaps in diabetes care visits start at a younger age than previously looked at, said Dr. Rayzel Shulman, a pediatric endocrinologist at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. Since the brains of adolescents and young adults aren't fully developed, planning ahead, thinking about the consequences of their actions and controlling impulses differs from their parents. As part of an ongoing study, Shulman's team uses text messages to send adolescents and young adults appointment reminders as well as monthly diabetes messages. They recently added an artificial intelligence chat bot programmed with answers from trusted sources. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/diabetes-pediatric-1.7345526 XX A trade organization representing compounding pharmacies that make unbranded versions of the weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound has filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for declaring an end to the shortage, effectively halting the sale of “copycat” versions of these drugs.   On Oct. 2, the FDA announced that the nearly two-year-long shortage of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, had ended. This was after the agency said it had confirmed the manufacturer, Eli Lily, had a manufacturing capacity that “can meet the present and projected national demand.”     With the shortage over, the ability of compounding pharmacies to sell unbranded, replicated versions of these drugs came to a near halt. There are two types of compounding pharmacies: 503A and 503B. The Outsourcing Facilities Association (OFA) represents 503B compounding pharmacies, which can create prescription-specific compounded drugs as well as bulk orders.   The OFA and the compounding pharmacy North American Custom Laboratories filed their lawsuit against the FDA on Monday, alleging the agency was “abruptly depriving patients of much needed treatment and artificially raising drug prices.”   “Ignoring evidence that the shortage persists, FDA removed Tirzepatide from the shortage list without notice, without soliciting input from affected parties and the public, and without meaningful rationale,” said their complaint.   The evidence that the plaintiffs cited for the shortage persisting was that the FDA noted in its announcement that “patients and prescribers may still see intermittent localized supply disruptions as the products move through the supply chain from the manufacturer and distributors to local pharmacies.”   Eli Lilly made a similar statement after the shortage was declared over, saying, “Patients' experiences looking for a particular dose of medicine in their local pharmacies may vary. The supply chain is complex, especially for refrigerated medicines, and there may be many reasons why a particular pharmacy does not have a particular dose of the medicine in stock. ” https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4922234-trade-group-sues-fda-over-ending-mounjaro-zepbound-shortage/ XX New project in Europe to provide data to enable more people with diabetes who use insulin to work as commercial pilots and air traffic controllers. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency project focuses mainly on pilots and air traffic controllers, but the data being collected will apply to cabin crew and passengers with diabetes as well   currently only three countries in Europe — the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Austria — allow them to obtain a license that enables them to fly commercially, under a strict protocol that was first launched by the UK Civil Aviation Authority in 2012. The Irish Aviation Authority joined in 2015, and Austro Control followed in 2016.     https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/eu-program-aims-ensure-safety-pilots-who-use-insulin-2024a1000ia6 XX Edgepark commercial XX The two-time Xfinity Series winner was competing at Talladega in McAnally-Hilgeman Racing's No. 91 truck for his first start of the season. The last time Reed drove in a NASCAR event came last fall at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series, and his most recent Truck start came in the spring of 2021 at Darlington Raceway.   “I couldn't stop making mistakes early on,” Reed said. “The truck was so fast. I think more than anything I'm really proud of myself for being able to get out there and make aggressive pushes and be able to kind of rise to the occasion.”   See also Grant Enfinger Wins Talladega, Advances to Championship 4 Despite the speed, Reed's truck burst into flames shortly after crossing the finish line. Reed said he stared at the door of teammate Christian Eckes while he crossed the line in the middle of a multi-truck pileup.     “Gosh, we could go anywhere we wanted today,” Reed told Frontstretch. “I made a lot of mistakes, but we put ourselves in position at the end. I hate that Bill [McAnally] has torn up race trucks.”   Friday marked Reed's sixth start in the past six years in Truck and Xfinity equipment, something Reed said might have added some doubt.   “When you're sitting on the couch every weekend, you think you can do it,” he reflected. “I remember I used to race every single weekend, I know how to get around these plate tracks, but you don't know, right?   “It's really gratifying to come off the couch and remind myself, like ‘hey I can still do this,' at least at superspeedways. I think I can do it at other tracks too.”     The day ended in a combination of a career-best Truck Series finish and a ball of fire for Ryan Reed in his return to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition on Friday (Oct. 4).   https://frontstretch.com/2024/10/04/ryan-reed-scores-career-best-finish-in-truck-series-return/ XX Join us again soon!

It's In the News! A look at the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. Top stories this week: The FTC sues PBMs over insulin pricing, a new CGM is approved in Europe, more news about GLP-1s but some research says it may not work as well for one population, diabetes camps are invited to apply for grants, and more! Find out more about Moms' Night Out  Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom  Edgepark Medical Supplies Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens  Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Episode transcription with links: Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. XX The U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued the country's three largest pharmacy benefit managers on Friday, accusing them of steering diabetes patients towards higher priced insulin in order to reap millions of dollars in rebates from pharmaceutical companies. The case accuses UnitedHealth Group Inc's (UNH.N), opens new tab Optum unit, CVS Health Corp's (CVS.N), opens new tab CVS Caremark and Cigna Corp's (CI.N), opens new tab Express Scripts of unfairly excluding lower cost insulin products from lists of drugs covered by insurers. The three companies said in statements that the suit was baseless and defended their business practices, saying that they had lowered insulin prices for businesses, unions and patients. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-ftc-sues-drug-gatekeepers-over-high-insulin-prices-2024-09-20/ XX A new study finds metformin, may slow aging. Previous studies on "lower order" species have found that it can delay the onset of age-related diseases.  Gotta say, this is only in animal studies right now, not people, human trials are next. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/diabetes-drug-metformin-aging/ XX New research from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine identifies a potential new approach to address the opioid overdose epidemic—which has devastated families and communities nationally.   The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, suggests semaglutide is linked to lower opioid overdoses in people with opioid-use disorder (OUD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).   Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) molecule that decreases hunger and helps regulate blood sugar in T2D, is also the active component in the diabetes and weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.   The research team—led by biomedical informatics professor Rong Xu—analyzed six years of electronic records of nearly 33,000 patients with OUD who also had T2D. The researchers used a statistical approach that mimics a randomized clinical trial.   They found patients prescribed semaglutide had a significantly lower risk for opioid overdose, compared to those who had taken any of eight other anti-diabetic medications, including other types of GLP-1R-targeting medications.   About 107,500 people died from drug overdoses nationally in 2023, mostly from opioids, according to the CDC. Despite effective medications to prevent overdoses from OUD, the CDC estimates only a quarter of those with OUD receive them and about half discontinue treatment within six months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-popular-diabetes-weight-loss-drug.html XX New research analyzing the effects of two drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes indicates a consistent lack of cardiovascular and renal benefits in Black populations. The drugs, called sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-Is) and glucogen-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs), are some of the newer treatments prescribed to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The research findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, show that for White and Asian populations, SGLT2-Is and GLP1-RAs have beneficial effects on blood pressure, weight control and renal function, and significantly reduce the risk of severe heart problems and kidney disease. However, the research shows no evidence of these beneficial effects in Black populations. ""Whether the differences are due to issues with under-representation of Black populations and low statistical power, or to racial/ethnic variations in the way the body and these drugs interact with each other needs further investigation," said Professor Seidu. "It is therefore important that prescribers don't hasten to deny these newer treatments to Black populations on the back of this research." https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240923/Research-reveals-disparities-in-diabetes-drug-efficacy-for-Black-populations.aspx XX If a woman is already in a "prediabetic" state in her teen or college years, her odds for a serious complication of pregnancy later in life rises, new research shows.   Ignoring prediabetes in teenagers "may represent a missed opportunity to avert pregnancy-related complications" later, said study lead author Katharine McCarthy. She's an assistant professor of population health science and policy, and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.   Her team published its findings Sept. 24 in the journal JAMA Network Open. Prior research has found that rates of prediabetes have tripled among Americans ages 12 to 19 over the past decade. In the new study, the Mount Sinai team tracked rates of prediabetes (using blood sugar tests) among a group of 14,000 New York City residents ages 10 to 24. None of these individuals had full-blown diabetes at the time they were tested.   Having prediabetes in youth was linked to a doubling of risk of gestational diabetes -- new-onset diabetes while pregnant. Tracking blood levels of hemoglobin A1c, a measure of a person's average blood sugar level over the prior three months, was very predictive of whether or a not a woman would get gestational diabetes, the team found.   Prediabetes in youth was also linked to an 18% rise in the risk for hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, or preterm delivery.   Measuring a teen girl's blood for signs of prediabetes might help protect her against trouble in a later pregnancy, McCarthy's group said. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-09-24/prediabetes-in-teens-could-raise-odds-for-complicated-pregnancies-later XX Is there a link between IBD and type 1? In a recent and very large study, researchers looked at more than 630-thousdan people and found that irritable bowel disease seemed to significantly increase the risk of type 1 diabetes and vice versa. Interestingly, patients with IBD were found to have a significantly higher probability of formerly having contracted T1D, validating the bidirectional associations between these comorbidities. The highest risk was observed in patients with ulcerative colitis (aHR = 2.02), highlighting a stronger association with this IBD subtype. Additionally, over 70% of the study cohort was followed for more than ten years, reinforcing the robustness of these findings. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240919/IBD-increases-type-1-diabetes-risk-revealing-a-bidirectional-link-between-the-two-conditions.aspx XX Roche plans to launch its first continuous glucose monitor (CGM) in Europe “in the coming weeks,” The Accu-Chek Smartguide has European approval for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Roche will roll out the CGM in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. Accu-Chek Smartguide can be worn for 14 days, and features predictive algorithms that Roche hopes will differentiate it from competitors Abbott and Dexcom. However, it also must be calibrated at first using a finger stick, which the other brands don't require.   Roche developed the CGM with three different prediction tools: A feature to predict the risk of low blood glucose within 30 minutes, a feature to forecast glucose levels over the next two hours, and a feature to predict hypoglycemia risk at night.   Pau Herrero, an algorithm and decision support tech lead at Roche, said the device provides a different picture than the trend arrows other CGMs use, which typically forecast glucose levels over the next 20 minutes. The predictions are based on multiple days of patient data using machine learning models. The company is in “active discussions” with the Food and Drug Administration on bringing Accu-Chek Smartguide to the U.S., Moreiras said, adding that he “cannot commit to any timelines.” https://www.medtechdive.com/news/roche-cgm-launch-europe/726863/ XX Exciting news! iLet users can now invite friends and family to join their Bionic Circle to see their diabetes data and receive alerts. By accepting the invite and downloading our new Bionic Circle App, loved ones can monitor an iLet user's CGM values, meal announcements, insulin doses, and alerts from anywhere.   To learn how to invite followers and accept an invite, visit: https://lnkd.in/ghigJKMt XX Diabetes Canada has unveiled the key findings of a first-of-its-kind national survey on how widespread stigma, judgement and discrimination is for those who live with diabetes and the impact of those social experiences on the quality of life for people with diabetes. The survey shows that diabetes can not only negatively impact a person's physical health but can also negatively affect their personal relationships, work or studies, leisure activities, financial situation, and emotional well-being.   In fact, nearly 90% of people living with type 1 diabetes and 70% of people living with type 2 diabetes experience shame and blame for having diabetes.   “As someone who lives with type 2 diabetes, I know first-hand how stigma can negatively impact the quality of life for people living with this condition in Canada,” says Laura Syron, President & CEO of Diabetes Canada. “We need to change the conversation around diabetes—the values, beliefs and language—so that people living with this condition can feel more accepted and understood. These feelings can dramatically improve the likelihood that people living with diabetes can receive the support and care they need to better their health outcomes and their quality of life.” In the survey, key findings show how people living with diabetes must deal with unfair assumptions about what they can and cannot do, judgements if they consume specific foods, and being blamed for having diabetes. 40% of people with T1D never or rarely ask for support to help manage their diabetes when they need it.   56% of people with T2D never or rarely ask for support to help manage their diabetes when they need it.   https://finance.yahoo.com/news/diabetes-canada-releases-first-kind-101300695.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJIrWwjdye-ehrLNDt-LIGb5qTXaKDTIa8NWwiT7fKwFFgjDMN2nnINis6YfFePWP2ZA2DVYWXEIZQqRlQ4aKLFrYWgvw1jdI-t1n9kO6NIzdBCMXQNNCVl_S-75lDNip2SysHDJQmyqSc4wLjfDya3v9wwTWU-KgE_OqrPCTnlu XX Edgepark commercial XX This is National Glucose Awareness Week. Dexcom and Beyond Type 2 are teaming up for the new designation to encourage people to learn about the importance of glucose and its significant impact on overall health, especially for people with diabetes. The news release says: National Glucose Awareness Week will feature a variety of educational resources about the importance of glucose health and information about new, cutting-edge glucose biosensing technology. That technology is CGM.. now available over the counter as Dexcom's Stelo. Get moving: Participate in a nationwide step challenge (invitation code: glucose) from Sept. 30 to Oct. 13 to help improve your glucose health.† Step challenge participants can register to participate from Sept. 23-29, 2024 and will have the chance to compete for prizes. Get resources: Close the glucose knowledge gap with key educational resources from Beyond Type 2. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240923896101/en/Dexcom-Beyond-Type-2-and-Retta-Establish-National-Glucose-Awareness-Week-to-Close-the-Glucose-Knowledge-Gap?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=bookmark   XX Attention diabetes camp organizers! You're invited to apply for financial support for your need based scholarships. This is the Type 1 Diabetes Camps Project: 2025-2027 Campership Initiative The initiative will also provide limited funds for selected camps to expand their revenue development efforts, funds for professional development and funds for low-income camper recruitment efforts and indirect costs. The initiative is supported by $6 million in grant funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and $900 thousand in funding from Eli Lilly and Company over the next three years. For more information about the RFP, please login and navigate to the publicly available RFPs: https://newventurefund.force.com/login XX Join us again soon!

Good morning from Pharma and Biotech Daily: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in Pharma and Biotech world.CDRH Director Jeff Shuren is set to step down after 15 years, with Michelle Tarver serving as acting director of the FDA's medical devices unit. Boston Scientific predicts strong growth for Farapulse following a successful launch. The top 5 medtech deals in the first half of 2024 include Johnson & Johnson's $13.1 billion takeover of Shockwave Medical. ICU Medical is closing a Minnesota facility and cutting 83 jobs, while Cook Medical plans to sell its reproductive health business to a private equity firm. Medline is exploring an IPO in 2025, Magenta securing $105 million for trials of the world's smallest heart pump, and robotic aid improving balance and gait in children with cerebral palsy.Transitioning to healthcare news, HCA reported $17.5 billion in revenue in the second quarter and raised its full-year guidance. Humana's Centerwell plans to open 23 primary care clinics at Walmart stores. Maternal health quality varies by state, with states with more restrictive abortion bans having fewer maternal health providers and higher maternal death rates. Pharmacy benefit managers, including CVS Caremark, Optum Rx, and Express Scripts, faced scrutiny from Congress over drug pricing policies. AI is being used to transform unstructured patient data into structured reports in healthcare systems.Moving on to updates in pharmaceuticals, Pfizer's hemophilia gene therapy met its late-stage study goal, but questions remain about the long-term potential of hemophilia treatments. Biogen's tremor drug, Sage-324, failed a key trial, and the FDA's medical device chief, Shuren, is stepping down after 15 years. Novartis is investing in bispecifics for cancer, while Autobahn raised $100 million for neuropsych drugs. Bob Langer steps down from Moderna's board, and PBMs are facing bipartisan scrutiny over drug pricing policies.In the biopharma sector, Biogen and Sage Therapeutics have discontinued a phase II trial for an investigational neuroactive steroid for essential tremor after it failed to significantly improve upper limb tremors. Pfizer's gene therapy for hemophilia A has shown positive results in a phase III trial. The FDA has raised concerns about potential overtreatment with AstraZeneca's Imfinzi for resectable non-small cell lung cancer. There is speculation about whether Merck should buy out Moderna to strengthen their partnership on Keytruda-cancer vaccine.Lastly, in marketing news, Google's ad revenue remains strong despite transitions in technology, with AI implementations and cookie changes. Albertsons' retail media business is incorporating AI and in-store technology to improve operations. Coca-Cola and Delta are 'olympicizing' their campaigns with NBCUniversal, as advertisers spend over $1.2 billion for the Olympics. Google has become the official search AI partner of Team USA, leveraging its products for NBCUniversal's Olympics coverage.The marketing landscape is evolving with a focus on technology, data-driven strategies, and partnerships between brands and media companies like NBCUniversal and Google.

What's preventing insurers from covering the specialized care of patients with nano-rare mutations, thereby expanding access to available treatment options? Is it the population size, cost, or perceived risk? Given that the initial discovery of nano-rare mutations is relatively recent, paving the way for this population requires a nuanced approach to overcome various obstacles. Alan Lotvin, M.D., CEO and co-founder of Sequel Med Tech, and former president of CVS Caremark, conceptualizes these hurdles.

In November 2023, Utah filed a lawsuit against insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly, Novo, Nordisk, and Sanofi, as well as pharmacy benefits managers CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum RX. The lawsuit claims that the companies charge too much for insulin due to their pricing scheme. Since filing, consumers have contacted our office and shared personal stories of their sacrifices to afford this crucial medicine. Mark Holliday from our office is the lead attorney on the case for the state. Legally Speaking welcomes him with an update and his perspective on the situation.

In this episode of the SEANC View podcast, we welcome an insightful conversation with Representative Donna White, a vocal advocate for state employees and a serving member of the North Carolina State House of Representatives. A former state employee and a registered nurse, Donna provides a unique perspective on the profound vacancy crisis currently befalling North Carolina. Donna describes her journey as a state employee working in various health departments and how her experiences have fueled her dedication to tackling recruitment and retention issues in the state's government workforce. Recognized as Legislator of the Year at the SEANC 2023 Convention, Donna illuminates the existing challenges and the impact of this worsening crisis on the delivery of essential public services. We also discuss the unexpected backlash from our interview with a representative from CVS Caremark.

In this episode, Paige Twenter, Assistant Editor at Becker's Hospital Review discusses a joust between Mark Cuban & David Joyner, the executive vice president of CVS Health and president of CVS Caremark, drug shortages hitting a 23-year high, and a recent survey looking into contributing factors nurses are leaving the profession.

The North Carolina State Health Plan will end coverage of GLP-1 drug for weight loss drugs on April 1. In this episode of the SEANC View Podcast, hosts Jonathan Owens and Ardis Watkins, in conversation with Dr. Daniel Knecht from CVS Caremark, navigate the convoluted issues concerning obesity-related drugs, particularly GLP-1 drugs, and their high costs. The discussion expands to encapsulate how these innovative but hefty-priced drugs impact the financial ecosystem of healthcare and are a burden on the national economy, affecting millions of Americans who are grappling with obesity. Through a comparative analysis of drug pricing in the United States and Europe, industry professionals aim to unravel the pricing strategies, market dynamics, and economic modeling in the pharmaceutical sector. A notable focus is on the role of pharmacy benefits managers like CVS Caremark who are continuously engaged in price negotiations with drug manufacturers. The episode further scrutinizes government-run healthcare systems, the appealing lower drug prices they offer, and the concept of socialized medicine. In light of these issues, the importance of forcing hard negotiations with drug companies and the necessity of regulatory measures to control escalating drug prices are highlighted.

Good morning from Pharma and Biotech Daily, the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the Pharma and Biotech world. In today's episode, we have several news stories to cover. Let's dive right in.## Lawsuits and Mergers:UnitedHealth and its subsidiary OptumRx are facing a lawsuit by Osterhaus Pharmacy in Iowa over the use of "unconscionable" fees imposed by pharmacy benefit managers. The pharmacy alleges that these fees are contributing to the closure of independent pharmacies. Osterhaus Pharmacy is also suing CVS Caremark over similar issues.On the merger front, Jefferson Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network have announced their intent to merge, creating a 30-hospital health system serving Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Wisconsin's Froedtert Health and ThedaCare have also finalized their merger plans, with the combined system set to launch on January 1, 2024.Steward Health Care is facing a lawsuit under the False Claims Act for allegedly improperly billing Medicare for over 1,000 false claims. And approximately 1,800 healthcare workers at Prime Healthcare facilities in Southern California are planning a seven-day strike to protest staffing conditions.The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have finalized merger guidelines that could make it more difficult for healthcare mergers and acquisitions to be approved. These new guidelines are expected to give regulators more power to challenge vertical and cross-market deals.## Healthcare Tech and Research:In the healthcare tech space, hospitals are adopting advanced technologies like virtual reality and AI to improve staff burnout and enhance clinical decision-making. Additionally, researchers are exploring how to effectively leverage real-world data to optimize clinical trials and bring new therapies to market. There are also articles on increasing diversity in clinical trials, the development of cell and gene therapies, and the future of oncology research.## Biotech Deals and Intellectual Property:GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has signed a potential $1.7 billion antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) deal with China's Hansoh Pharma, allowing GSK exclusive rights to develop and commercialize certain ADC products in China. This deal is part of GSK's strategy to expand its presence in China and tap into the growing biopharmaceutical market in the country.Biogen has secured exclusivity for its multiple sclerosis therapy Tecfidera in the European Union until early 2025. This decision upholds exclusive marketing protection for Tecfidera, preventing generic competition until February 3, 2025.These developments highlight the ongoing efforts of pharmaceutical companies to secure partnerships and protect their intellectual property rights. Both GSK and Biogen are strategically positioning themselves in key markets to drive growth and maintain their competitive edge.## Marketing News and Insights:In the marketing world, brands are evolving their influencer strategies and shaping their approaches to popular culture. Pringles and The Caviar Co.'s partnership went viral on TikTok and Instagram, creating a new snacking occasion. Oreo's return to the Super Bowl after a decade is also highlighted, referencing their memorable response to a power outage in 2013.Zacapa Rum is featured in its first global campaign titled "Lips to Soul," focusing on female empowerment. The text mentions sponsored content about building community with Gen Z on social media and rising web traffic on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Oreo will be airing its second-ever in-game spot during Super Bowl LVIII.## Blockbuster Drugs and Predictions:The article discusses the current state of blockbuster drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, noting that COVID-19 vaccines like Pfizer and BioNTech's Comirnaty experienced a rapid rise in sales due to the pandemic. However, it is predicted that sales for COVID-related blockbusters will decline in the coming years.Merck &

Henrico County has filed a federal lawsuit against three manufacturers of insulin, three pharmacy benefit managers, and 12 subsidiaries of the companies, alleging that they conspired to artificially inflate the price of the medicine, which is used to treat diabetes. In the suit, filed Nov. 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Henrico alleges that insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis, U.S., LLC and pharmacy benefit managers CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx, and their subsidiaries, “have in tandem increased the prices of their insulins up to 1000%,” during the...Article LinkSupport the show

On this episode I travel down the path with one of my oldest colleagues and a huge influence on my life - Brad Holliday, Director Of Human Resources at SkillPath. We dive deep - and it's a very real and honest conversation about positive and negative learning experiences.  Brad and I go back to the CVS Caremark days (when it was still AdvancePCS), and we talk about where Brad got his start in HR, and how it shaped him into where he is today. Brad and I talk about challenges, and Brad shares some of the incredibly difficult moments personally that are always hard to share. We talk about how we show up as our authentic selves and how that can be challenged by some of these personal challenges. I hope that you enjoy this episode! Stacie More episodes at StacieBaird.com. Brad Holliday's LinkedIn page Skillpath Website

August News You Can Use - Pioneering Change, Precipitous Plunges and Parachute Pranks 1) Blue Shield of California shook up the status quo this month by dropping CVS Caremark as its sole pharmacy benefit manager 2) Babylon closes US business as rescue merger deal fails (no zebras were harmed in the recording of this episode) 3) Nurses lawsuit to demand they be allowed to call themselves Doctor 4) Epic Research - Cystic Fibrosis Patients Living Much Longer in 2022 Than in 2008 5) Epic Research - Reinforces "Medicare Effect" shows dramatic improvements in preventative screening related to simply having Medicare 6) Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled trial (the difficulty understanding statistics) To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

This episode features Jakob Emerson, Associate News Director at Becker's Healthcare. Here, he discusses Blue Shield of California dropping CVS Caremark and strained relationships between large health systems & payers over contract negotiations.

Good morning from Pharma and Biotech daily: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in Pharma and Biotech world.MilliporeSigma has introduced its optimized VirusExpress platform for the development and manufacturing of lentiviral vectors. The platform aims to provide industry-leading titers, robust recovery, streamlined workflows, and reduced development timelines. MilliporeSigma will be showcasing its VirusExpress platform at various events.MilliporeSigma is the U.S. and Canada life science business of Merck KGaA.The FDA panel has rejected Medtronic's renal denervation device, stating that the risks outweigh the benefits. Levita has received 510(k) clearance for its surgeon-controlled arm for magnetic procedures. Draeger's ventilator sound insulation has triggered an FDA class I recall due to concentrations of a potentially carcinogenic foam component being above acceptable levels. Recor has gained FDA panel backing for its high blood pressure device, although there are concerns over the long-term durability of the treatment.Cigna has announced that it will remove prior authorizations for 25% of its services, aiming to reduce administrative burdens and streamline healthcare process for patients.CVS has launched a new venture called Cordavis, which will work directly with manufacturers to market or co-produce low-cost biologic drugs. CMS has threatened to cut hospices from Medicare if they cannot prove their legitimacy.Pharmaceutical companies are preparing for the next wave of COVID-19 infections caused by new variants of the virus. Researchers are concerned about infectious strains like "eris," which have been detected in large cities in the United States. Public health leaders and the pharmaceutical industry are working to develop and distribute vaccines to combat the new variants.Royalty Pharma has made its first gene therapy deal by buying into Ferring's cancer treatment adstiladrin for up to $500 million. Startup Cellares has raised $255 million in funding, with investors pouring cash into cell therapy production. Agenus is set to lay off 25% of its staff and trim its pipeline in a push for cancer drugs. Roche's surprise study results have spurred new optimism for TIGIT drugs.Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are preparing for the next wave of COVID-19 infections caused by new variants of the virus. Public health leaders and the pharmaceutical industry are working to develop and distribute vaccines to combat the new variants.Apellis has discovered faulty needles in its probe of a rare side effect of its eye drug, Syfovre. Boehringer has filed a lawsuit to block Medicare's new power to negotiate certain drug prices, claiming it is unconstitutional. Regeneron has rebounded after winning FDA approval for its longer-lasting vision loss drug, high-dose Eylea. Dexcom and Abbott are ramping up direct-to-consumer marketing in their fight for a larger share of the growing diabetes market. The FDA has approved Pfizer's RSV vaccine, called Abrysvo, for use in pregnancy. Blue Shield of California has dropped CVS Caremark as its pharmacy benefit manager.The FDA panel has given its support to Recor's renal denervation device for the treatment of high blood pressure.

Auch am letzten Handelstag der Woche bleibt die Stimmung an der Wall Street negativ. Selbst solide Quartalszahlen können die Aktien kaum bewegen. Wir sehen bei Applied Materials trotz solider Ergebnisse und Aussichten ein nur leichtes Plus. Wie dem auch sei, konnte der Wert seit Jahresauftakt auch über 40% zulegen. Deere kann von robusten Zahlen und Aussichten gar nicht profitieren, mit dem Wert leicht im Minus. Bill, Estee Lauder, Keysight, Express und insbesondere die Aktien von Farfetch tendieren nach den Quartalszahlen teils deutlich schwächer. CVS Caremark hat für die Krankenversicherung Blue Shield of California 15 Jahre lang die Preise für verschreibungspflichtige Medikamente mit der Pharma-Industrie verhandelt. Die Vereinbarung wird zugunsten fünf anderer Anbieter beendet. Man wird fortan unter anderem mit Amazon Health und der Cost Plus Drug Company von Investor Mark Cuban arbeiten. CVS betont, dass der Schritt an den bisherigen Schätzungen für 2023 nichts ändern wird, mit langfristig nur geringen Auswirkungen auf die Ergebnisse. Nach dem gestrigen Einbruch tendiert die Aktie erneut etwas schwächer. Abonniere den Podcast, um keine Folge zu verpassen! ____ Folge uns, um auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben: • Facebook: http://fal.cn/SQfacebook • Twitter: http://fal.cn/SQtwitter • LinkedIn: http://fal.cn/SQlinkedin • Instagram: http://fal.cn/SQInstagram

Statt 4 Wochen können Sie jetzt 6 Wochen das digitale Handelsblatt für 1 € lesen. Zusätzlich verlosen wir unter allen Teilnehmenden zehn Amazon Gutscheine im Wert von je 500 €. Sichern Sie sich jetzt unser Sommerangebot – unter www.handelsblatt.com/sommer-special * Ein Podcast - featured by Handelsblatt. Helfen Sie uns, unsere Podcasts weiter zu verbessern. Ihre Meinung ist uns wichtig: www.handelsblatt.com/zufriedenheit Auch am letzten Handelstag der Woche bleibt die Stimmung an der Wall Street negativ. Selbst solide Quartalszahlen können die Aktien kaum bewegen. Wir sehen bei Applied Materials trotz solider Ergebnisse und Aussichten ein nur leichtes Plus. Wie dem auch sei, konnte der Wert seit Jahresauftakt auch über 40% zulegen. Deere kann von robusten Zahlen und Aussichten gar nicht profitieren, mit dem Wert leicht im Minus. Bill, Estee Lauder, Keysight, Express und insbesondere die Aktien von Farfetch tendieren nach den Quartalszahlen teils deutlich schwächer. CVS Caremark hat für die Krankenversicherung Blue Shield of California 15 Jahre lang die Preise für verschreibungspflichtige Medikamente mit der Pharma-Industrie verhandelt. Die Vereinbarung wird zugunsten fünf anderer Anbieter beendet. Man wird fortan unter anderem mit Amazon Health und der Cost Plus Drug Company von Investor Mark Cuban arbeiten. CVS betont, dass der Schritt an den bisherigen Schätzungen für 2023 nichts ändern wird, mit langfristig nur geringen Auswirkungen auf die Ergebnisse. Nach dem gestrigen Einbruch tendiert die Aktie erneut etwas schwächer. Abonniere den Podcast, um keine Folge zu verpassen! __________________________________________________ ► Zur Opening Bell+: https://bit.ly/3tUqoRm * ► https://www.instagram.com/kochwallstreet/ ► https://www.facebook.com/markus.koch.newyork ► https://www.youtube.com/user/kochntv ► https://www.markuskoch.de/ *Werbung

Plus: The Biden administration plans new tariffs on food-can metals. And Walmart raises its outlook after grocery-driven profit and sales growth. Danny Lewis reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The cost of prescription drugs can make up a significant part of your healthcare budget. Today, members of Congress examining the middlemen that negotiate drug costs between drug companies and the pharmacies that sell them. They're called Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs. Some of the largest PBMs are CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx. Lawmakers argue these companies are using various tactics that may be increasing costs for consumers. They will also hear directly from a Jacksonville (WJAX) pharmacist about the impact PBMs can have on patient care and smaller pharmacies. We breakdown what we can expect today and how this may impact your healthcare costs.

Experience is everything and it is a well-known fact that healthcare experiences can be absolutely horrendous at times. There is an ever-present need for all aspects of the healthcare Experience Ecosystem™ to work in sync with one another as our guest on today's podcast will point out.  In today's episode, Shawn Nason sits down with healthcare expert and longtime friend, Sid Stolz to talk about making experiences better for people who have given up on achieving wellness; what are some of the challenges facing healthcare today; and how Sid's company Blue Zones is incorporating the maverick-minded and human-obsessed mindset to ensure that people are better informed of the choices they have and the choices they can make.  In This Episode: (02:08) – Sid talks the best part about being at Blue Zones. (03:38) – The secret sauce for making healthcare experiences better for people. (07:45) – What other companies can learn from what Blue Zones is doing. (11:35) – On taking the leap from Economics to Health & Wellness and to Experience & Design.  (16:35) – Making people in healthcare more maverick-minded and human-obsessed. (20:16) – How does the new Blue Zones center incorporate the maverick-minded mindset? (22:43) – Sid's advice to people who are just starting out in this space. (25:11) – The Combustion Questions. What We Learned from Sid The original Blue Zones were created naturally by the environment and by the cultures such as Japan, Costa Rica, Italy and Greece, and even California. The key to having a good experience in wellness is to have a provider who understands where you are in the journey and then create a plan that is personalized to you rather than the masses. Simplify the experience. Don't make it complicated. Sid's friends constantly reach out to him about their healthcare situation or issues. Notable Quotes [04:25] – “The key to having a good experience of wellness is to understand where you are on the journey and to have a provider or a service organization that understands where you are in the journey and then create a plan that is personalized to you.” [12:12] – “It goes back to that purpose and impact. What do I get out of bed for everyday and then am I going to make my life better, your life better, or somebody else's life better. I love helping people.” [21:30] – “There is a lot of noise out there Shawn, in the marketplace. How do you know what's real? How do you know what's fake? How do you know what's helpful to your body and to your wellness journey and what's hurtful? And we have clinicians behind us who help us make that decision.” [23:48] – “I think it's making it simple and manageable so that people continue the experience. You need to make the experience positive, and I think the best way to make the experience positive is to simplify it and to make people understand it.” Our Guest Sid Stolz is the chief design and experience officer for Blue Zones, an organization that creates programs that transform wellbeing everywhere and at every level. Over his 35-year career, Sid has served in numerous companies such as United Health Group, CVS/Caremark, and Chip Rewards. He also serves on the board of Vesper Society, a nonprofit that focuses on health and justice in underserved communities. Resources & Links Sid Stolz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidstolz/ Shawn Nason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasonshawn/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manonfiresocial/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/manonfiresocial Website: https://shawnnason.com/ MOFI: https://www.mofi.co/ The Combustion Chronicles Podcast Website: https://shawnnason.com/combustion-chronicles-episodes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Insulin costs less than $2 per vial to make yet is sold for between $300-$700, according to a new court filing from Jackson County. The county is suing drugmakers like Eli Lilly and distributors like CVS Caremark for keeping the price of the life-saving drug artificially high.

Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks. Includes articles with these titles: “Health Care Stocks: Reviewing The Best Of The Industry”; “3 Biotech Stocks For Your October 2022 Watchlist”; “7 Topflight Green Energy Stocks Investors Need To Know For 2022”; “11 Best Alternative Energy Stocks to Buy Now”; “Best Infrastructure ETFs for Q4 2022.” And more Podcast: Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks Transcript & Links, Episode 91, October 7, 2022 Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 91 published on October 7, 2022, titled “Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks” — and presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Remember that you can find a full transcript, and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Now if any terms are unfamiliar to you, simply Google them. Also, just a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, nor do I receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal to you any personal investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief so that I can get as many companies covered as possible in the time allowed. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the actual articles where you'll find much more great company information. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks Now, almost all ethical and sustainable investors have health care stocks and or funds. So, I want to lead off with this article titled Health Care Stocks: Reviewing The Best Of The Industry. It's by Q.ai and appears on forbes.com. Here are some quotes from the article on each of the recommended stocks. “1) UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) UnitedHealth's stock has been a solid performer with strong growth over the past five years… The company provides health insurance policies for consumers and is expanding to offer policies through the ACA marketplace in many states. 2) Cigna (NYSE: CI) Cigna is one of the oldest health insurance companies in the U.S. It was founded in 1792 and continues to operate using solid operating principles that enable it to survive and thrive as a company… analysts agree this stock is currently undervalued. 3) Cardinal Health (NYSE: CH) Cardinal Health provides health care services across the U.S. and abroad. It seeks to provide affordable health care services. 4) Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ: ACHC) Acadia Healthcare focuses on providing mental health care to patients across the country… The company is poised for growth as the emotional toll of the pandemic drove more people to seek out therapy in large numbers. 5) Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN) The company is famous for its monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 and is engaged in further research to uncover more applications for the treatment… Its stock price shot up in the early days of the pandemic and has yet to lose significant value. 6) AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN) AstraZeneca is an international pharmaceutical company that makes drugs for the prescription and non-prescription markets. It manufactures the popular acid reflux medication Nexium and multiple medicines for the treatment of diabetes. AstraZeneca's focus on making medications for the long-term management of health care makes it an excellent stock to buy and hold. 7) Novartis (NYSE: NVS) Novartis is an international pharmaceutical company that researches and manufactures medication for treating serious illnesses… The company has been underperforming in the health care sector but is unlikely to go under any time soon. 8) Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) Bristol-Myers Squibb is a U.S.-based, multinational pharmaceutical company that researches and manufactures medication for use at the prescription and over-the-counter levels. It's a Fortune 500 company… founded in 1887 and has shown its capability to be a medical innovation leader. 9) Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) Abbott Laboratories is involved in developing and manufacturing medical devices, diagnostic tools, generic and branded medications and nutritional products. 10) AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) AbbVie split off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013 to focus on medical research. The company seeks to find ways to improve patients' lives through the use of pharmaceuticals in areas that include oncology, neuroscience, virology, women's health and eye care. 11) Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) Johnson & Johnson, also known as J&J, is a well-known brand that produces a wide variety of health care products at the consumer and medical industry levels. The company has been in trouble for different issues… Despite these issues, the company has gained almost 35% over the past five years. 12) Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) Pfizer made waves in the health care industry when it released its Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to help control the spread of the virus. The stock has trended higher in the past five years. 13) Merck (NYSE: MRK) Merck is a global pharmaceutical and health care company researching and producing human medications, biological therapies, vaccines and animal health medications and products. 14) Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX) Novavax is an American company that primarily produces vaccines for emergent and established viruses. It currently has an authorized COVID-19 vaccine and has multiple COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of clinical trials. It also has vaccines for Ebola, MERS and SARS in clinical trials. 15) CVS (NYSE: CVS) CVS is a retail pharmacy chain that operates the retail pharmacy chain CVS, (and) CVS Caremark, which manages pharmacy benefits, health insurance provider Aetna, and owns multiple brands. 16) Teladoc Health (NYSE: TDOC) Teladoc Health engages in telemedicine and e-healthcare services for patients unable to reach a physical health care location… Its stock price spiked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic but has given up its gains since the beginning of 2021.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks Continuing with the health care theme we have this article titled 3 Biotech Stocks For Your October 2022 Watchlist which is found on streetinsider.com. Here are some quotes from the article on each stock. “1) Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) … is a leading biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the development and commercialization of innovative medicines… (an) emphasis on HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. 2) BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) … develops and commercializes innovative therapeutics for patients with serious and life-threatening rare genetic disorders. 3) Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) (Yes, again!) Pfizer's primary businesses are pharmaceuticals, biologics and vaccines, consumer healthcare, and animal health.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks Now we turn our attention back to familiar ground with this article titled 7 Topflight Green Energy Stocks Investors Need To Know For 2022. It's again by Q.ai and also on forbes.com. Now some quotes from the article. Quote… “1) Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP) … generates electricity with hydroelectric, wind, solar and biomass sources. The company has a globally diversified portfolio of renewable power assets… They're also investing in emerging future technologies like green hydrogen. 2) Tesla Inc. (TSLA) Tesla also has a proven track record, and the company has been generating substantial profit from its regulatory credits. 3) First Solar Inc. (FSLR) … is one of the leading solar panel makers worldwide… manufactures thin-film solar panels… First Solar has been investing heavily to increase its solar panel manufacturing capabilities. 4) Stem Inc. (STEM) Stem is a global leader when it comes to AI-enabled smart energy storage. 5) Plug Power Inc. (PLUG) … provides an alternate energy technology by focusing on providing an end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem, from production to storage. 6) Clearway Energy (CWEN) … is one of the biggest operators and developers of clean energy in the US. The company is presently focused on solar and wind generation projects. 7) NextEra Energy (NEE) They're currently one of the largest wind and solar energy producers worldwide… They also announced a plan to eliminate carbon emissions totally from operations by 2045.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks So here's a second article on the green energy theme. It's titled 11 Best Alternative Energy Stocks to Buy Now. It's by Usman Kabir and found on insidermonkey.com. Here are some brief quotes from Mr. Kabir on each company. Starting at… “11) Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: OPTT) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 3      Ocean Power Technologies makes and sells systems that generate power by harnessing the energy of ocean waves. 10) Sunworks, Inc. (NASDAQ: SUNW) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 3      … markets photovoltaic and battery-based power and storage systems… The stock has benefited from the rising prices for solar cells in the past few months, partly because of supply chain problems that are also affecting other industries. 9) TPI Composites, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIC) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 12 TPI Composites manufactures and sells composite wind blades, and related precision molding and assembly systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company is one of the most prominent clean energy stocks to invest in. 8) Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 13       Canadian Solar designs, develops, manufactures, and sells solar ingots, wafers, cells, modules, and other solar power and battery storage products. 7) Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (NYSE: BEP) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19      Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. owns a portfolio of renewable power generating facilities primarily in North America, Colombia, Brazil, Europe, India, and China… (It) has an impressive dividend profile. 6) Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CWEN) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21    Clearway Energy operates as a renewable energy company in the United States. On June 28, the company announced that it had agreed to purchase a portfolio of operating wind projects from Capistrano Wind Partners… the portfolio consists of five utility-scale wind projects.” 5) Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) (Yes, again.) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26   Plug Power delivers end-to-end clean hydrogen and zero-emissions fuel cell solutions for various sectors… On September 8, the company announced that it had secured the largest multi-site electrolyzer order in Europe to date. 4) First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) (And again!) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26   First Solar provides photovoltaic solar energy solutions globally. It is one of the elite clean energy stocks to invest in. On September 19, the company announced that it had signed a deal to supply 600 MW of advanced thin film photovoltaic solar modules to Azure Power Global (NYSE: AZRE), an India-based firm. 3) SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEDG) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40     SolarEdge Technologies designs, develops, and sells direct current (DC) optimized inverter systems for solar photovoltaic installations worldwide. 2) NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) (Yes, a second time here.) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59   NextEra Energy transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The firm is among the best clean energy stocks to invest in… It has consistently paid a dividend to shareholders for the past thirty-two years. 1) Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) (Yes, and again.) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 72  Tesla designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells electric vehicles, and energy generation and storage systems. The company is one of the most prominent clean energy stocks to invest in.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks Also, a favorite for ethical and sustainable investors is infrastructure. Check out this article titled Best Infrastructure ETFs for Q4 2022. It's by Noah Bolton on investopedia.com. Now some very brief quotes from Mr. Bolton. “1) SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF (GII) (This ETF) tracks the S&P Global Infrastructure Index, an index comprised of the 75 largest infrastructure-related stocks based on float-adjusted market capitalization. 2) iShares Global Infrastructure ETF (IGF) (Like the first fund, this ETF) tracks the S&P Global Infrastructure Index. This fund is multi-cap and uses a blended approach, focusing its holdings on companies in developed markets. The utilities and transportation sectors comprise about 79% of the fund's holdings. 3) iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) (This ETF) tracks the NYSE FactSet U.S. Infrastructure Index, which tracks the performance of U.S. stocks in a broad range of areas including energy transport and storage, railroads, construction, and engineering services.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- UK articles – not in any order 1) Title: The best renewable energy funds to buy now on MoneyWeek.com. By Max King. 2) Title: Best ESG Funds In October 2022 on standard.co.uk. By Andrew Michael. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment Well, these are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips -- for this podcast: “Best Healthcare, Green Energy, Infrastructure Stocks.” Now, please be sure to click the like and subscribe buttons on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope in these deeply troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. Talk to you next on October 21st. Bye for now. © 2022 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

With business booming and its national footprint expanding like wildfire, CVS seemingly had it all. But the pharmacy giant wanted to make a more meaningful impact on the future of health, from removing all tobacco products from its shelves to solidifying its name (switching from CVS Caremark to CVS Health). In this episode, Siegel+Gale co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer Howard Belk explains how his agency helped CVS unify four service brands under one foundational identity, without losing its heart for health and people. To see the change of brand for yourself, visit achangeofbrand.com or follow us on Instagram @achangeofbrand.Produced by Matchstic (matchstic.com / @matchstichouse), hosted by Blake Howard, (@blakehoward), co-hosted by Tracy Clark, edited by Gabe Kitzman, fact-checked by Jill Jeffries, co-written by Pamela Henman, and artwork by Rachel Jackson.

Virtual care solutions have come to be just as important, if not, more important than physical care options. How can we work to meet that need with many challenges including, affordability, accessibility, etc? How can we pioneer a new approach to health care that meets every aspect of one's total health?CVS Health and Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark, Sree Chaguturu and his team are working diligently to enhance the quality, affordability, and accessibility of health services provided to millions of patients virtually and physically.Prior to CVS Health, Sree was a Chief Population Health Officer at Mass General Brigham and previously was a healthcare consultant at McKinsey and Company.On this episode of HLTH Matters, Sree joins hosts Dr. Gautam Gulati, Dr. Jordan Shlain and Patricia Bradley to explain exactly how CVS Health is providing a new approach to total health for people in all communities. Sree describes how the team is providing new and improved resources, improving health equity, and taking every step possible to improve the total health of members and patients. Listen in for Sree's insight on the future of retail and consumer health and how CVS Health is leading people to better health as the leading health solutions company.Topics CoveredWhat CVS Health is doing to reduce costs of pharmaceuticalsHow CVS Health prioritizes trust over cost with their customersHow CVS Health is leveraging their ecosystem for the future with Health AdvisorWhat Health Advisor is, the areas that it targets and the data behind itHow CVS Health works to provide accessible and affordable healthcare in marginalized communitiesThe surprising data shown in low income communities compared to high income communitiesHow Sree defines health as staying true to living out your own definition of “living” and how that is the goal for CVS customers and patientsHow Sree defines health care as the delivery of services in achievement of health Connect with Sree ChaguturuSree Chaguturu of CVS Health Connect with Dr. Gautam Gulati & Dr. Jordan ShlainHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shlain on TwitterDr. Shlain on LinkedIn ResourcesVirtual Care Solutions for CVS Health Introductory Quote[29:25–30:15]“We are the largest in home infusion provider. We have a home kidney care business. We have those capabilities across the country to be in patients' homes and then as we continue to grow, our clinical delivery services as an organization. We believe that it is going to be a combination of home, hub and hand. What I mean by that is, care at home, care in our health hubs, and in our retail stores and clinics, and care in hand, which is that virtual on the go. I'm really excited for our ability to bring virtual, physical care and that physical care can either be in our stores or at home. That is what's going to be exciting to talk about in upcoming conversations.”

It's "In the News.." got a few minutes? Get caught up! Top stories this week: The Federal Trade Commission probes the prescription drug middleman industry, once a week basal insulin moves forward, DIY insuln dosing systems get a thumbs up at ADA Scientific Sessions, Sernova's stem cell system releases great findings and more! Learn more about the T1D Exchange Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom! Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group! Sign up for our newsletter here ----- Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners! ----- Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!) Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! *Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD* *Click here to learn more about AFREZZA* *Click here to learn more about DEXCOM* Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. we go live on social media first and then All sources linked up at diabetes dash connections dot com when this airs as a podcast. XX In the news is brought to you by T1D Exchange! T1D Exchange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving outcomes for the entire T1D population. https://t1dexchange.org/stacey/ XX The Federal Trade Commission will launch an inquiry into the prescription drug middleman industry.. requiring the six largest pharmacy benefit managers to provide information and records. They're looking at PBMs such as CVS Caremark; Express Scripts, Inc.; OptumRx, Inc.; Humana Inc and more. The largest PBMs are now vertically integrated with the largest health insurance companies and wholly owned mail order and specialty pharmacies. In these roles, pharmacy benefit managers often have enormous influence on which drugs are prescribed to patients, which pharmacies patients can use, and how much patients ultimately pay at the pharmacy counter. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/06/ftc-launches-inquiry-prescription-drug-middlemen-industry?utm_campaign=https://www.ftc.gov/news-&utm_content=1654622484&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter XX Confirming what many of you have known for years.. an open-source automated insulin delivery system -- also known as a do-it-yourself system -- was both safe and effective for patients with type 1 diabetes. This is from the CREATE trial, designed to test DIY system, presented for the first time at the ADA Scientific Sessions. This system was made up of the OpenAPS algorithm from a version of AndroidAPS implemented in a smartphone, paired with the DANA-i insulin pump and Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor. The researchers previously published additional information in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders. https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/ada/99109 XX Stem cell study showing great results. Sernova says the first three patients of six total continue to be insulin independent following treatment. One of the patients has been insulin-free for more than two years, while the other two have been free of the need for medication injections for six months and three months, respectively. At this point, the other three patients in the study have not had the device long enough to determine measurable results. The first three all have A1Cs in a normal, nondiabetic range. Sernova's Cell Pouch is an implantable device that releases the primary donor islets. The device is implanted under the skin in a minimally-invasive procedure. We're talking to Sernova for next week's show; long way to go here but another good result for stem cells. https://www.biospace.com/article/sernova-cell-pouch-device-keeps-type-1-diabetes-patient-insulin-free-for-two-years/ XX Getting closer to once-a-week basal insulin. New study says Novo Nordisk insulin icodec achieved better results than Lantus in some aspects of the study and that overall it was – this is interesting wording – non-inferior. Another previous study showed it also matched well to Tresiba, but that Tresiba caused fewer lows than the once-weekly basal. This study was about type 2 diabetes but insuln icodec is in other trials for people with type 1. https://www.biospace.com/article/novo-nordisk-scores-phase-iii-insulin-win-strengthening-market-position/ XX New partnership between Diabeloop – which makes an automated insulin algorithm - and SOOIL which makes pumps. These are two French companies that have been working together since 2020 but this new announcement was delayed by COVID. They want to bring the product – Diabeloop's DBLG-1 I controller and SOOIL's Dana ACE Pump to the US, Europe and Korea. https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/diabeloop-sooil-automated-insulin-diabetes/ XX Civica continues to move ahead with the development of its affordable insulins. They've announced they'll partner with the German company Profil for the clinical trials. Civica plans to set a maximum recommended price to the consumer of no more than $30 per vial and no more than $55 for a box of five pen cartridges. Contingent on FDA approval, Civica anticipates that its insulins will be available for purchase beginning in 2024. https://www.healthcarepackaging.com/supplier-news/news/22262909/civicarx-civica-selects-profil-as-clinical-trial-partner-for-affordable-insulin-initiative XX New study out of Israel shows that obesity in teenagers may lead to type 1 diabetes a few years later. The study, of nearly 1.5 million Israeli teenagers, found that those who were obese were twice as likely to develop type 1 diabetes by young adulthood, versus those in the normal weight range. The senior researcher on the study says it's not clear why obesity would raise the risk of type 1. They think it may the a trigger in people with genetically susceptible. Obesity also has other effects — including vitamin D deficiency and alterations in the gut's bacterial makeup — that could impair immune function. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-06-06/obesity-in-teen-years-might-trigger-type-1-diabetes XX Right back to the news in a moment but first we've got a new sponsor. As I mentioned, The T1D Exchange Registry is an online research study, designed to harness the power of individuals with type 1 diabetes. It's a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. Personal information remains confidential and participation is fully voluntary. Once enrolled, participants will complete annual surveys and have the opportunity to sign up for other studies on specific topics related to T1D. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy Sign up at T1DExchange.org slash Stacey (that's S-T-A-C-E-Y). XX XX XX On this week's long format episode, you'll hear my conversation with Dexcom's CEO Kevin Sayer. We get more information about the G7 launch, after FDA approval of course and I asked him your questions about everything from IOS issues to airport scanners. Next week, Sernova joins me to explain their stem cell pouch technology Listen wherever you get your podcasts That's In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.

The healthcare industry in the United States and the world is going to be transformed radically by technology. We will be speaking with Stuart McGuigan who has a long history of working on digital transformation in healthcare in several key companies including Medco Health Solutions, Johnson and Johnson, CVS Caremark and was recently the Chief Information Officer at the State Department.

Simi sits down with Dr. Sreekanth Chaguturu, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Health. Shortly after this episode was recorded, Sree ascended to this role, becoming CMO for all of CVS Health. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for CVS Caremark — the patient benefits arm of CVS Health that ensures that patients have access to safe and affordable prescriptions. Before joining the company in 2019, Sree was the Chief Population Health Officer for Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital. Sree completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he continues to practice internal medicine today. He also serves as a Lecturer at Harvard Medical School. After initially graduating from residency in 2007, Sree spent time as both a practicing physician and a healthcare consultant at McKinsey and Company, leading the firm's Hospital Institute. To date, his articles have appeared in publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, and Health Affairs. He received his B.A. in biology from Brown and also his M.D. from Brown University's Medical School. In this episode, we traverse Sree's unique positioning a leader who's operated from the industry's 3 critical vantage points: that of business leader, practicing physician, and distinguished academic.For more episodes, visit southasiantrailblazers.com.  Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Youtube.

Does your technology strategy help you retain talent? Today's conversation features DallasCIO Member Ajoy Kodali, SVP of CVS Health and CIO of CVS Caremark. Jonathan Frye, President of InspireCIO, had the pleasure of sitting down with Ajoy to discuss creating a culture and strategy to retain talent.If you are a CIO looking to grow your network of trusted peer relationships, please visit inspirecio.com/podcast to find a chapter near you.

The past few years may have been challenging but they've also brought about transformation in the pharmacy setting. Daniel speaks with Dr. Dan Knecht, the chief clinical innovation officer at CVS Caremark, about ways he's working to provide more integrative, individualized care for patients with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension — as well as behavioral health.

Over the holiday season here, we're running some of our favorite episodes from years past. This one is with Mike Schneider, who actually has taken another role since this show was recorded. Other than that, the information that Mike shares during this episode from 2020 is all good. So, let's do this thing. Disclaimer before we get started here: This show is probably a 300-level class in pharmaceutical/PBM relations. If you are tuning in for the first time and you aren't pretty familiar with the role of PBMs, I would go back and listen to, say, episode 241 with Vinay Patel or episode 166 with Tim Thomas from Crystal Clear Rx. OK, now that that's out of the way, if you're still with me, this episode is like a ride on a roller coaster. I talk with Mike Schneider. And we get into, you know, kinda deeply, the what and the why behind the “Big Three” traditional PBMs deciding that now might be a fantastic time to set up GPOs. PBMs are pharmacy benefit managers—there's three huge ones. GPO stands for group purchasing organization. Traditionally, these GPOs have purchased drugs and supplies for hospitals and other providers at, according to their marketing materials, volume discounts. So, the unfolding story here, in a nutshell, is that ESI (Express Scripts) set up a GPO called Ascent in Switzerland. Optum has had an Ireland operation going in full swing for a while. And now we have CVS Caremark setting up a GPO called Zinc. These GPOs are not like normal GPOs working with hospitals, but instead, these GPOs are the entity which is now going to negotiate with pharma companies. In the past, it was the PBM that was negotiating with the pharma company to get rebates. Now it's this GPO entity. “But wait,” you may say. “Wasn't there an executive order the other day requiring PBMs to, for example, pass through all of the rebates that they're collecting to patients?” Indeed, there was. And that rule doesn't say anything about GPOs having to do the same, especially GPOs in, let's just say, Switzerland. It's a tangled web we weave. You can learn more by connecting with Mike on LinkedIn.  Mike Schneider is an experienced healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical manufacturer, pharmacy benefit manager, and payer side of healthcare. He previously spent 9 years at CVS Caremark, where he was a director of industry relations with responsibility for trade strategy development, rebate negotiations, and contract execution for CVS Caremark's own Medicare Part D plans and that of its clients. He held a similar position at Universal American (UA) before it was acquired by CVS Health, where he also negotiated UA's commercial business. Mike has held various sales and market access roles with pharmaceutical manufacturers with increasing responsibility. Before entering healthcare, Mike began his career as a researcher at the Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati, where he worked on hair care product formulation development focusing on the key markets of China and Japan, and then moved on to work in drug development. Mike holds a BS degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Akron. 02:48 What does a GPO add to a PBM? 05:23 Rebates vs driving more revenue. 10:39 PBMs vs safe harbors. 12:25 The net impact on the commercial side. 14:07 PBMs vs pharmaceutical manufacturers. 14:54 How the “Big Three” PBMs compete with each other, and how employers would choose between them. 15:56 What the net-net is here. 18:06 How PBMs are shifting their models. 20:42 How GPOs may be making things even less transparent. 21:31 “The PBM world as a whole is not very transparent.” 25:00 “One of the biggest beneficiaries of this whole rebate [system] is the government.” 25:46 “The question is, ‘Who's paying those costs?'” 26:02 EP216 with Chris Sloan.27:00 A better way to move money from Pharma to employers and plan sponsors. 28:04 “Put your money where your mouth is.” You can learn more by connecting with Mike on LinkedIn.  Check out our newest #healthcarepodcast with Mike Schneider as he discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma What does a GPO add to a PBM? Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma Rebates vs driving more revenue. Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma PBMs vs safe harbors. Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma What is the net impact on the commercial side? Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma PBMs vs pharmaceutical manufacturers. Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma How do the “Big Three” PBMs compete with each other? Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma How do #employers choose between the “Big Three” PBMs? Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma What's the net-net here? Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma How are PBMs shifting their revenue models? Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma How are GPOs making things even less transparent? Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma “The PBM world as a whole is not very transparent.” Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma “One of the biggest beneficiaries of this whole rebate [system] is the government.” Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma “The question is, ‘Who's paying those costs?'” Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma A better way to move money from Pharma to employers and plan sponsors. Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma “Put your money where your mouth is.” Mike Schneider discusses #PBMs and #GPOs. #healthcarepodcast #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcarefinance #pharma Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Peter Hayes, Paul Simms, Dr Steven Quimby, Dr David Carmouche (EP343), Christin Deacon, Gary Campbell, Kristin Begley, David Contorno (AEE17), David Contorno (EP339), Nikki King, Olivia Webb, Brandon Weber, Stacey Richter (INBW30), Brian Klepper (AEE16), Brian Klepper (EP335), Sunita Desai, Care Plans vs Real World (EP333), Dr Tony DiGioia, Al Lewis, John Marchica, Joe Connolly, Marshall Allen, Andrew Eye, Naomi Fried, Dr Rishi Wadhera, Dr Mai Pham, Nicole Bradberry and Kelly Conroy, Lee Lewis

Sreekanth Chaguturu MD, Chief Medical Officer for CVS/Caremark, shares his perspectives on the future of care that incorporates physical and virtual care, as well as how CVS Health is uniquely positioned to provide hybrid/omnichannel care.

Raj is a real estate investor and a Syndication General partner. Engineer by training, has an MBA from university of Maryland and have spent over 20 years in the fortune-500 companies- FedEx, Walgreens, CVS Caremark, Johnson & Johnson etc. United States citizen. Married 20 years with two children. Homeowner, 825+ credit ratings and high net worth. God fearing, law abiding, tax paying and spiritual person. They have been investing in multifamily residential real estate since 2017 and now have 29 units across four multi-family properties in two states (PA and OH). He is also part of the Real Estate Syndication group.  >>>Interested in partnering with me on future opportunities? Connect with me at CanovoCapital.com. WE DISCUSS:·         How he transitioned from his corporate career into full-time real estate investor. ·         What caused him to continue real estate investing despite his 10-year experience as stock market investor. ·         What he learned from his mentor, Matt Faircloth and ho·         Why he invested in commercial realm and also small multi-family property. ·         What guidance he can give to those planning to move from corporate career to real estate investing.·         He explained what is "Safe Withdrawal Rate."·         How he found his most recent acquisition which is a hotel conversion. ·         What he sees in the future of his business. ·         The biggest mistake he made in his journey.·         His best advice to someone starting their apartment investing journey. KEY QUOTE: "Anything that's easy to do is probably not worth doing." "Things do break down relationships do break down, people do get sued, deal with it, learn from it, choose better partners move on. And anything that's easy to do is probably not washed away." CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:raj@bigleague-capital.com  CONNECT WITH US! ·         Visit our Website: https://www.canovocapital.com/podcast·         Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apartmentinvestingjourney/?modal=admin_todo_tour·         Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpmNIzpEzxGn5ZuNgjAVV-w/featured·         Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apartmentinvestingjourney/·         Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apartment-investing-journey/id1464256464LOVE THE SHOW? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, RATE, REVIEW & SHARE 

Next on the CEO Series with Alex: Stuart McGuigan. McGuigan is a trailblazing CIO that has led legacy organizations to digital transformation. In his most recent role, he served as the CIO for US Department of State, and Stuart has held the CIO role at Johnson & Johnson, CVS Caremark, and Liberty Mutual. He joins #MillenniumLive to talk his academic & career paths, technology strategy, and navigating the road ahead.

Although the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has had a successful start, major health inequities still exist in vaccine access for underserved communities and underrepresented minorities. 2 million Americans are being vaccinated a day, but less than 20% are underrepresented minorities. In this episode, guest host Claire Winiarek sits down with Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), and Dr. Sree Chaguturu, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark. Claire, Dr. Rios, and Dr. Chaguturu discuss the unique social determinants for why these inequities exist, why it's important to reframe COVID-19 vaccination campaigns for specific demographic groups, and how PBMs are working to educate underserved populations on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Daniel speaks with Dr. Sree Chaguturu, Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark about vaccine hesitancy — citing original research around common objections and physician best practices — as well as current vaccination rates, variants and boosters, and what we've learned as an enterprise from long term care (LTC) facilities and the federal retail pharmacy program.

Although the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has had a successful start, major health inequities still exist in vaccine access for underserved communities and underrepresented minorities. 2 million Americans are being vaccinated a day, but less than 20% are underrepresented minorities. In this episode, guest host Claire Winiarek sits down with Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), and Dr. Sree Chaguturu, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark. Claire, Dr. Rios, and Dr. Chaguturu discuss the unique social determinants for why these inequities exist, why it's important to reframe COVID-19 vaccination campaigns for specific demographic groups, and how PBMs are working to educate underserved populations on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Dr. Sree Chaguturu, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Caremark, joins hosts Matt Eyles and Laura Evans to discuss CVS Caremark's recent research on vaccine hesitancy and how that research will guide their vaccination efforts moving forward.

Dr. Sree Chaguturu, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Caremark, joins hosts Matt Eyles and Laura Evans to discuss CVS Caremark's recent research on vaccine hesitancy and how that research will guide their vaccination efforts moving forward.

Dr. Alan Lotvin, M.D. (Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President of CVS Caremark) joins us for a special episode of CareTalk, recorded “live” from the emids virtual Healthcare Summit 2020. In this episode John Driscoll and Dr. Alan Lotvin discuss CVS' efforts in kidney care, the need for home dialysis, preparing for a COVID-19 vaccine and much more.  About Dr. Alan Lotvin, M.D.Alan Lotvin, M.D., is executive vice president of CVS Health, and president of CVS Caremark, the company's pharmacy benefits management (PBM) business. In this role, Lotvin oversees all aspects of the PBM business including sales and account management, operations, mail service pharmacy, CVS Specialty, and CVS Kidney Care. Lotvin also drives PBM strategy, new business development and client relationship management and retention.Prior to his current role, Lotvin served as executive vice president and chief transformation officer of CVS Health, and before that executive vice president of CVS Specialty, the specialty pharmacy of CVS Health.Before joining CVS Health in 2012, Lotvin was president and chief executive officer of ICORE Healthcare, a Magellan Health Services company. Previously, Lotvin held multiple roles at Medco Health Solutions, including president of Medco Specialty Pharmacy Services and senior vice president of Manufacturer Contracting.Lotvin holds US Patent #6269819 Method and Apparatus for Circulatory Valve Repair. He is co-author of the book Live Better, Live Longer.Lotvin began his career as a practicing cardiologist in New Jersey. He holds a master's degree in Medical Informatics from Columbia University and a Medical Degree from the State University of New York Health Sciences Center in Brooklyn.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hseily4BSDM

Today on Health in 2 Point 00, Jess helps Matthew to celebrate his birthday Kylie Jenner-style. On Episode 140, Jess and Matthew discuss Humana investing $100 million in Heal, Lemonaid raising $33 million in a Series B, CVS Caremark announcing 5 new companies in their digital health platform—4 of which are about weight loss, and perplexing health intelligence company Sema4 raising $121 million in a seed round.

This episode is sponsored by Davwill Consulting Inc. - New online course!Susan Steinbrecher, an internationally acclaimed executive coach, speaker and author, is president and CEO of Steinbrecher And Associates, Inc. a management consulting firm that provides professional development services in the areas of executive coaching, group facilitation, and leadership training.Susan works with senior executives and their organizations to develop and implement innovative and profit-building solutions to address the challenges of leadership, operations, human resources and training. The company recently launched Meaningful Alignment -- a program committed to healing the social divide, one conversation at a time. Meaningful Alignment provides the tools and training to handle high stakes interactions when emotions run high, and viewpoints differ.Susan's expertise has positively impacted companies worldwide, including Aaron's, ABC Companies, Bank of America, BNSF Railway, Bell Helicopter, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Brinker International, BP, Capital One, Concentra, CVS/Caremark, Delta Airlines, Disney Worldwide Services, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott, Miraval Spa and Resorts, Hyatt, Raising Cane's, Seneca Gaming and Starbucks Coffee Company.Susan's Book - https://www.amazon.ca/Heart-Centered-Leadership-Lead-Well-Live/dp/0615891195--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/deb-crowe/message This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit debcrowe.substack.com