Podcast appearances and mentions of dale folwell

Few citizens understand how much the toxic alphabet soup of political ideologies such as ESG, DEI and CRT has burst out of academia into government and even financial markets. The first line of defense against this has been the states, particularly the formerly somewhat mundane offices such as Treasurer, Auditor General, Comptroller, Commissioner of Revenue, CFO. Woke politics in investing was a major theme in North Carolina's Treasurer election this year, and the people resoundingly chose Brad Briner to go into office and continue the task initiated by his predecessor Dale Folwell of cleaning ESG and DEI out of consideration in investment decisions. In Ep. 93, Briner joined Jerry on this episode to talk about that battle as well as the battle for federalism, to stop the federal government from forcing N.C. to finance sex change treatments in its already overloaded state health care program. Briner also talks about going into office to reduce its power and the business case against green energy mandates. Briner makes the case against the intrusion of both left wing and right wing politics into finance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Ep. 86, Dale Folwell, the outgoing (in both senses of the word) Treasurer of North Carolina talked to Jerry about his case before the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court case mandating that the state health plan pay for sexual transition treatments, including millions of dollars worth of surgical procedures. Folwell also talks about the true heroes of Hurricane Helene: the mountain people and local volunteer firefighters which were first at the scene. Finally, Folwell talks about the upcoming N.C. governor's race in which the scandal-ridden Republican candidate, Mark Robinson, is likely facing defeat, pointing out that Republicans need to stop choosing candidates based on who they hate rather than their ability to solve problems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Folwell reacts to news about Mark Robinson. The Triad Podcast Network is proudly sponsored by The Ginther Group Real Estate, Ashley McKenzie-Sharpe of Highlands Residential Mortgage, Dewey's Bakery, and Three Magnolias Financial Advisors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tune in here to this Friday edition of the Brett Winterble Show with Chad Adams filling in!   Brett is out of town and has Chad Adams taking over the mic, Chad kicks off the program by talking about what's coming up on today's show and Biden struggling in North Carolina polls.   We're joined by Lieutenant Governor candidate, Hal Weatherman, to talk about why he decided to run for Lieutenant Governor and the crisis at our Southern border.  Later in the show Chad talks about the upcoming Charlotte City Council vote on the Panthers' proposal and discusses how this vote will impact the people of Charlotte.  We're also joined by the North Carolina Treasurer, Dale Folwell, to talk about what he has achieved as Treasurer, the use of government vehicles for personal use and what his plans are for the future.   Jim Sterling from the Civitas Center for Public Integrity also joins the show to discuss Governor Roy Cooper's latest vetoes and how it help's political candidates such as himself.   Listen here for all of this and more on The Brett Winterble Show!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Wednesday, June 12th, 2024 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Paul Valone. Hunter Biden Guilty, Multi-city terrorist bust, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Wednesday, May 1st, 2024 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Jonas Du. College Protests Turn Violent, American Flag falls at UNC, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Review of the anniversary of Tricia Cotham switching to the Republican Party. Dale Folwell, Treasurer of NC , on the dangers of the healthcare system in NC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Thursday, April 4th, 2024 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Donna King. Confidential Voting Memo, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tune in here to this Monday edition of the Brett Winterble Show with Chad Adams filling in!   Chad kicks off the program by talking about Trump's strong support in North Carolina, he reminisces on NC States' March Madness runs in the 80's and his hopes for them this year.  Later in the show Chad discusses President Biden certifying the most important Christian holiday of the year as Transgender awareness day.  We're joined by Dale Folwell, North Carolina Treasurer and current candidate for Governor of North Carolina joins the show to talk about health insurance and taxes.   We're also joined by Michele Morrow, Republican candidate for NC Superintendent of Public Instruction, to talk about what gave her the upper hand in her race against the former NC Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt and the impact of Covid on education. Morrow also discusses how she plans to do to bring our kids back up to speed and beyond.   Listen here for all of this and more on The Brett Winterble Show with Chad Adams filling in!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Thursday, March 7th, 2024 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Donna King and Dale Folwell. Haley Drops Out, National Guard in NYC, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our ongoing Decision 2024 coverage, host Tim Boyum will sit down with the frontrunners vying to become the next governor of North Carolina. Last week, attention was on the Democrats. This week, the microphone is being passed to the Republicans. State Treasurer Dale Folwell and attorney Bill Graham join Tim to discuss their priorities, education, immigration, abortion and more. Lt. Governor Mark Robinson has chosen not to engage with our interview, a stance he has maintained throughout the campaign.

In this episode, SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins and Communications Director Jon Owens are joined by Government Relations Director Suzanne Beasley to discuss possible efforts to privatize the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, the upcoming primary election, and more. Dale Folwell received more votes than Donald Trump, Josh Stein, and Mark Robinson in statewide general elections in 2020. He also beat Trump and Stein in 2016. So why isn't he the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for Governor? We tackled that question and discussed our interview with State Treasurer candidate Wesley Harris. Plus, a few fun topics are thrown in there.

fFor the week of Feb. 26, 2024, podcast host and state Capitol bureau chief Dawn Vaughan shares outtakes from a recent interview with State Treasurer Dale Folwell, a longshot candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Folwell talks about his views on abortion restriction legislation, his primary opponent Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and what he thinks of former President Donald Trump. I also asked Folwell about how he would work with Republican legislative leaders as governor, and what he plans to do on primary Election Day and whatever happens after it. Stay tuned to the end for Dawn's pick for Headliner of the Week, which has to do with the governor's office and who has power when the leader is out of state. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guests: Dale Folwell Executive Producer: Laura Brache Interview recorded by: Travis Long Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It's sent to your inbox Tuesday to Friday and Sunday. Sign up here. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to The N&O. If you're already a subscriber, thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State Treasurer Dale Folwell joins a special Election 2024 episode to discuss his run for governor. SEANC Communications Director Jonathan Owens and Executive Director Ardis Watkins discuss his efforts for state employees and retirees as Treasurer and his unparalleled focus on pension and State Health Plan transparency. Folwell, who has been endorsed by EMPAC, SEANC's political action committee, for governor, shares his vision for North Carolina, touching on his approach to leadership — one grounded in conservatism, common sense, humility, and ethical decision-making. He contrasts his own style with Lt. Governor Mark Robinson and outlines his initiative to restore customer service culture within the state government.  

This show aired on Wednesday, February 14th, 2024 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Max Ashworth. Dems flip seat in NY, Inflation rises in January, and House Impeaches Mayorkas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dale Folwell stops by the studio to share his beliefs and inform people about tonight's Gubernatorial Debate. The debate is sponsored by the North Carolina Forward Party and will start at 6 p.m. tonight. Folwell mentions that he will be the only conservative on the stage at tonight's debate + his resume that includes balancing North Carolina's budget as Treasurer of North Carolina + his ongoing battle against big pharma. Tune in here to get a better look at Dale Folwell, candidate for governor of North Carolina. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a full transcript of this episode, click here. Here's a quote from Ann M. Richardson, MBA. She wrote it on LinkedIn, and I love it: Quiet the noise that doesn't add value. Surround yourself with intelligent and respectful people who can deliver endless opportunities. Celebrate brilliance and new beginnings. Together, we've got this. Thanks for this beautifully stated call to action (I wish I would have written it myself) because it is also precisely the goal of Relentless Health Value and my hope for the Relentless Health Value Tribe—those of you who have connected with each other by way of this podcast vis-à-vis LinkedIn, or maybe you've met each other at an online or live event. For sure, subscribe to the weekly email to get notified of such goings-on. Now, this aspirational vision doesn't mean putting the onus on just any given individual to fix the systemic failings that get talked about on the podcast, but we can start somewhere. We can sit with ourselves; we can ask ourselves some big questions. We can decide the legacies we want to leave and what we want our life's work to add up to. That is what this show should, I hope, help you accomplish. And, yeah … together, we've got this. In this healthcare podcast, I am speaking with Peter Hayes; and we talk about five realities of 2024 for hospital chains, integrated delivery networks, health systems. Now, to make one thing very clear, as I have said many times on many Relentless Health Value shows: Not all hospital chains or hospitals are the same. There are large, consolidated, extremely rich, extremely politically and economically powerful organizations who are called health systems. And then there are rural or urban institutions that are barely scraping by and serving huge vulnerable patient populations. And despite the many aforementioned names for hospital chains and their associated outpatient facilities and owned physician groups and urgent care centers, all these names for these big care delivery entities are flabbergastingly meaningless because they do not separate the consolidated rich ones from the very desperately not rich ones. Today on the show, we're talking about the first kind of health systems: the big rich consolidated ones which are taking over every geography where there's money to be made. These are the ones where you read about their bad behavior in the New York Times or hear about them in YouTube videos like this one. Peter Hayes talks about the five things that these behemoth entities may really need to start thinking hard about, even in the face of their fierce and often-unrelenting market power and the political hold that they have over many local communities and all the regulatory capture that goes along with that. So, here's Peter's list in a nutshell—the five things to get real about: 1. Health systems need to get real about the CAA (Consolidated Appropriations Act) and its implications that plan sponsors only pay “fair and reasonable” prices for medical services. Now, before I dig in on this, jargon alert: When we say plan sponsors, that means entities such as self-insured employers—sponsors of health plans, if you will (the purchasers, the ones who are actually paying the bills). Peter explains the quick version of what the Consolidated Appropriations Act is in the show that follows, so do listen. But for more info on this really, really meaningful bit of legislation that is the law as of 2021, go back and listen to the episodes with Chris Deacon (EP342 and EP408) or check out the myriad of LinkedIn posts from Jeff Hogan. Also, others like Darren Fogarty, Justin Leader, Jamie Greenleaf, and others have some great words of wisdom that you will be able to find that really explain what the point is of the CAA, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and its sprawling implications. 2. To survive on reduced commercial reimbursements, health systems need to get real about becoming ruthlessly aggressive in driving administrative and technology efficiencies. 3. They need to get real about pivoting from fee-for-service reimbursement to episode-based care based on taking real downside risks for good clinical outcomes. They need to pivot from a mindset of maximizing patient revenue to maximizing patient health. They need to move from a sick care reimbursement model to a healthcare reimbursement model based on health. 4. They need to get real about being completely transparent and accountable in reporting how they are using the value of their tax-exempt status. Similarly, they need to account for and report how they're using the estimated $55 billion in net margins that they're realizing off the 340B drug program. 5. They need to get real about quality and patient safety. We still have about 46% of our hospitals that have a C or lower Leapfrog rating. And, by the way, the chance of having a fatality on an avoidable error is 90% higher at a C or lower-rated Leapfrog entity versus a Leapfrog entity that has an A or a B. Now, some of you—and by some of you, I mean practically everybody listening—are thinking of reasons why any one of these “get real about” things is arguable or how one of the above is not holding up in some market. I think Peter would tell you the same thing that I would: You're not wrong. But trying to predict a zeitgeist or the next pet rock never works well because it's always a confluence of right time/right place where the whole is way more than the sum of its parts. Think about Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. It's about how small changes can have enormous effects if the context is right. So, now contemplate these five things that Peter brings up. All these forces are pushing in the same direction. Put it all into a stew where 48% of Americans have delayed or forgone care due to cost. Listen to the show with Wayne Jenkins, MD (EP358) for more on that. Or, you have the article John Tozzi just wrote in Bloomberg. Here's a quote: “In one California community, teachers have to pay an extra $10,000 a year to upgrade to insurance that covers the local hospitals. Teachers who can't afford it … give birth outside the county.” Meanwhile, insurers are making record profits, along with hospital CEOs and C-suites. At the same time, you know who I think is the third-biggest group with medical debt in this country? Yeah, it's people who work in hospitals—nurses, others. There's this frothing lack of trust for hospitals and what goes on there: 30% of physicians do not trust the leadership of their health system. And no wonder. There are examples of healthcare executives sitting up there in their palatial offices acting more like mobsters than the nuns they took over the hospital from. So, to orient your context, you are here. Peter Hayes is the newly retired former president and CEO at the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine. He is a national presence in healthcare strategy, innovation, and a keynote speaker. For more on the wild-ass problems with hospital pricing, check out this list of shows. But, spoiler alert, some of these are hair-raising. Encore! EP249: The War on Financial Toxicity in North Carolina as a Case Study Everybody Should Be Keeping Their Eye On, With Dale Folwell, North Carolina State Treasurer EP395: Consolidated Hospital Systems and Cunning Anticompetitive Contracts, With Brennan Bilberry EP390: What Legislators Need to Know About Hospital Prices, With Gloria Sachdev, PharmD, and Chris Skisak, PhD EP389: The Clapback When Hospitals Cannot Constrain Their Own Prices, With Mike Thompson EP346: How Did Health Systems Get Addicted to the Inflated Prices They Charge Employers and Some Patients? 2021 Update, With Peter Hayes, President and CEO of the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine EP394: Spoiler Alert: It Is Counterintuitive Which Hospitals Offer the Most Charity Care, With Vikas Saini, MD, and Judith Garber, MPP Also mentioned in this episode are Ann M. Richardson, MBA; Chris Deacon; Jeffrey Hogan; Darren Fogarty; Justin Leader; Jamie Greenleaf, AIF, CBFA, C(k)P; Wayne Jenkins, MD; John Tozzi; NASHP (National Academy for State Health Policy); Gloria Sachdev, PharmD; Chris Skisak, PhD; Leon Wisniewski; Cora Opsahl; Rik Renard; John Rodis, MD; Rob Andrews; Al Lewis; Eric Bricker, MD; Vikas Saini, MD; Judith Garber, MPP; Lown Institute; RAND Corporation; Dale Folwell; Brennan Bilberry; and Mike Thompson. You can learn more by following Peter on LinkedIn.   Peter Hayes recently retired as the president and CEO of the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine and formerly a principal of Healthcare Solutions and director of associate health and wellness at Hannaford Supermarkets. He has been recognized as a thought leader in innovative, strategic benefit design for the past 25+ years. He has received numerous national awards in recognition of his commitment to working collaboratively with healthcare providers and vendors in delivering health benefits that are focused on value (high-quality efficient care). He has been successful in this arena by focusing on innovative solutions for patient advocacy, chronic disease management, and health promotion programs. Peter has also been involved in healthcare reform leadership roles on both the national and regional levels with organizations like Center for Health Innovation, Care Focused Purchasing, and Leapfrog. He's also co-founder of the Maine Health Management Coalition and has been appointed by two different Maine Governors to serve on Health Care Reform Commissions to recommend public policies to improve the access and affordability of healthcare for Maine citizens.   08:04 Why do hospitals need to get real about the implications of the Consolidated Appropriations Act? 10:09 What is considered fair pricing for hospitals? 13:00 EP390 with Gloria Sachdev, PharmD, and Chris Skisak, PhD. 15:59 The medical transparency tool, Billy. 16:34 How does lowering prices become more challenging with consolidated hospital systems? 18:07 What is one of the solutions available to combatting this now? 19:31 Why do hospital systems need to get real about administrative and technology efficiencies? 22:27 EP373 with Cora Opsahl. 26:51 Why do hospitals need to get real about pivoting from fee-for-service reimbursement to episode-based care? 30:16 EP415 with Rob Andrews. 30:53 Why do hospitals need to get real about the 340B program and their tax-exempt status? 35:38 EP394 with Vikas Saini, MD, and Judith Garber, MPP. 38:19 What are the ethical and moral issues that are coming to a head with healthcare costs? 39:03 Why do hospitals need to reexamine their care quality and patient safety? 40:05 “We just need to make sure that the health industry is as accountable as some of our other industries.” 42:53 Why does Peter think it's going to take regulation to move the dial?   You can learn more by following Peter on LinkedIn.   @pefhayes discusses #hospitalsystems and what their executives need to do on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #pharma #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Joey Dizenhouse, Benjamin Jolley, Emily Kagan Trenchard (Encore! EP392), Cora Opsahl (Encore! EP372), Jodilyn Owen, Ge Bai, Andreas Mang, Karen Root (Encore! EP381), Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams, Dan Mendelson (Encore! EP385)

State Treasurer Dale Folwell has been the keeper of North Carolina's state purse during one of the most volatile times in modern history. Now, he's running for governor.

What will it take to restore your faith in elected officials in government? 

This show aired on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Jon Hardister. Harvard President Resigns, New North Carolina Laws and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Wednesday, December 6th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell, Nevin Carr, and Pete Wildeboer. College Hate Speech, Board of Education recap, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dale Folwell, Treasurer of North Carolina, discusses the state health plan and state pension plan, as well as drug pricing and the economy.

Dale Folwell, Treasurer of North Carolina, discusses the state health plan and state pension plan, as well as drug pricing and the economy.

This show aired on Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Mike Crews. Off Season Parking Starts, Downtown shooting, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell, Congressman David Rouzer, and Pete Wildeboer. McCarthy ousted as speaker, Project Grace passes Local Government Commission, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another state treasurer is taking on ideologically-captured Wall Street firms. Dale Folwell of North Carolina is publicly calling for Larry Fink to be fired because he is isn't doing his job. The job of asset managers is to manage assets, to put the financial returns of investors above all else. But what happens when the "invisible people…the people who work with their hands and their backs…the people who shower at the end of the day" lack the wealth and power to keep Wall Street firms from using their own money against their interests? Answer: the state officials whom they trust to look out for them should step up. Treasurer Folwell talks about how he has been fighting Blackrock and other entities that are politicizing finance, including rating agencies, which have been attacking local governments for not being politically aligned with the ESG movement. He also explains why he thinks that taxpayer money should not be going to elective surgery such as sex change operations, especially for minors. A video of oral arguments before Fourth Circuit can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/live/Cuc32k5BETw?si=aw89_bKII29Oz4ID  Don't miss the discussion about how unaccountable health care bureaucracies use lack of transparency to distort markets and take advantage of patients. https://www.shpnc.org/what-the-health/nc-hospital-price-transparency-report See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Read the ProPublica article here. The post National report highlights the cruelty of Treasurer Dale Folwell and the state health plan appeared first on NC Newsline.

This show aired on Thursday, September 7th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Donna King. Rio Grande Barrier, Biden to cancel oil and gas leases in Alaska, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chad Adams fills in for Vince. North Carolina State Treasurer, Dale Folwell, joins the show to talk about important issues in NC and the upcoming NC Gubernatorial race. That and much more on The Vince Coakley Radio Program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Friday, August 25th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Donald Bryson. Donald Trump surrenders in GA, Voting lies from Roy Cooper and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Pete Wildeboer. Donald Trump indicted AGAIN, Board of Education recap, and moreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May I just take a moment and thank the Healthy economist for leaving a super nice review on iTunes? The title of the review is “Best podcast on the healthcare industry,” and the Healthy economist writes, “There's no one simple fix [for the healthcare industry], but [Relentless Health Value] contains valuable insights on what actions can be taken to make things better for consumers and patients.” Thank you, Healthy economist. In this summer short, I am talking with Brennan Bilberry; and we're talking about why everybody isn't suing health systems for behaving badly in sometimes pretty egregious ways. Why isn't anybody stepping in to prevent all of this consolidation that we all know, at this point, is pretty bad news? FTC, where are you? Brennan Bilberry cites three reasons for the way fewer antitrust lawsuits than you'd think would be going on: 1. A continuing lack of transparency. It's tough to sue someone when you aren't really sure what they're up to, and, even if you do, it's hard to prove because you can't get the data you need to prove it. 2. Political power of hospitals means legislatures have a hard time telling their major donors to kiss off and pass laws that actually enable legal recourse. 3. Turns out the FTC is a little toothless when it comes to those with tax-exempt (ie, nonprofit) status. Nobody expected nonprofits to act the way that some nonprofits are acting, and the laws haven't caught up with the reality of the situation. My guest in this healthcare podcast as aforementioned is Brennan Bilberry, who is a founding partner over at Fairmark Partners, which is a law firm litigating some of these antitrust lawsuits against some of these hospital chains. The original pod with Brennan (EP395) is entitled “Consolidated Hospital Systems and Cunning Anticompetitive Contracts.” Here's a link to an article I was thinking about while recording this show about Daran Gaus's hypothesis for how mergers will impact hospital prices. And here's a link to an article about how commercial prices for outpatient visits were 26% higher for patients receiving care at a health system than those visiting nonsystem physicians and hospitals. Covering some of the consequences of consolidation and what it tends to do in local markets is the show with Cora Opsahl (EP373) and also the encore with Dale Folwell, state treasurer in North Carolina. One last link is to the conversation I had with Scott Conard, MD (EP391), where the local hospital bought a local ACO (accountable care organization) physician organization and the community paid an additional $100 million to the hospital the following year.   You can learn more at fairmarklaw.com.   Brennan Bilberry is a founding partner of Fairmark Partners, LLP, a law firm focused on fair competition issues, especially in the healthcare industry. Fairmark has filed numerous antitrust cases against dominant hospital systems, seeking to tackle anticompetitive practices that lead to higher prices for businesses, consumers, and unions. Prior to founding Fairmark, Brennan worked as a policy consultant and political operative whose work included overseeing environmental public policy campaigns in numerous countries, providing international political intelligence for US investors, advising political campaigns around the world, and designing consumer and legal advertising. Brennan also worked on numerous US political campaigns, including serving as communications director for Terry McAuliffe's 2013 successful campaign for Virginia governor, serving as deputy executive director of the 2012 pro-Obama Super PAC Priorities USA, and developing research and policy communications for the House Democrats. Brennan is a native of Montana and South Dakota and has lived in Washington, DC, for the past 15 years.   00:23 Healthy economist's review of Relentless Health Value. 00:52 Why aren't more people suing hospitals? 01:16 How is the lack of transparency diminishing the number of lawsuits? 01:41 Why is the FTC a “little toothless” when it comes to nonprofits? 02:12 EP395 with Brennan Bilberry. 02:35 Why aren't there as many antitrust cases as there are instances of antitrust laws being broken? 03:10 Has consolidation of hospitals systems been good or bad? 03:45 What quirk in the law creates an impediment for FTC? 04:17 What are certificates of public advantage? 05:03 Why is private antitrust litigation important?   You can learn more at fairmarklaw.com.   @brbilberry discusses #hospital #antitrust cases on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Stacey Richter (INBW38), Scott Haas, Chris Deacon, Dr Vivek Garg, Lauren Vela, Dale Folwell (Encore! EP249), Eric Gallagher, Dr Suhas Gondi, Dr Rachel Reid, Dr Amy Scanlan  

This show aired on Thursday, July 6th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell and Donna King. More Gov Cooper Vetoes, Gang Shootout, and more,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning BT: Dale Folwell (06/28/2023)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Tuesday, June 20th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Lucille Sherman and Dale Folwell. NC House Speaker sued for alienation of affection, Wildfire Updates from N.C. Forest Service, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NC State Treasurer Dale Folwell is known as a fix-what's-broken political leader going back to his days serving in local government in Winston-Salem, his tenure in the General Assembly, and recent service in the executive branch.   Folwell is now focused on the Governor's Mansion in 2024, but he's in a three-person GOP primary with a herculean front-runner known for his fiery speeches and record breaking fundraising.  Can a proven problem solver win the Republican nomination?  Folwell says he's done it before and will do it again.   Skye and Brian also talk about Governor Cooper's proposed UNC System governance changes as Senate leaders move a pair controversial of election bills, transgender sports bill nearing final votes, the budget (and maybe adjournment) is delayed, #TOTW, and more.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, and the NC Pork Council. 

This show aired on Wednesday, June 7th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell, Luke Waddell, and Pete Wildeboer. LGC approves financing for Thermo Fisher building purchase, Parents Battle Back, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, let's talk about North Carolina. What a weird outlier of the direction of other states getting active on their healthcare spend. I'm talking about Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin ... I'm naming so-called red states because the legislature in North Carolina is a Republican majority. Gotta say, normally I'm down for a little weird. I find it mostly charming. But with the information I have at present about what's going on in North Carolina, I don't love this for you. And when I say “you,” I pretty much mean any family who happens to live in North Carolina or any businesses in North Carolina trying to afford their employee health benefits right now. This whole shebang and the reason I'm covering this on Relentless Health Value is that it is also extremely relevant to anybody else in this country as a case study or a cautionary tale, depending on your point of view. So look, there's two pieces of legislation running through North Carolina's Senate and House right now, but both of these pieces of legislation—one that Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) is angling for and the other one that UNC, a big hospital chain in North Carolina is all hachi machi to get passed—both of these have precedents. Both of these things were done elsewhere, and the results were not great, to put it mildly. BCBS wants to be able to open up a holding company that is able to take BCBS policyholder payments and invest them in for-profit ventures—BCBS being a nonprofit and all. Here's a quote Chris Deacon mentioned on LinkedIn from an article on this topic: “A 2019 examination of the aftermath of 11 conversions of BCBS affiliates showed that fully insured premiums increased roughly 13 percent … suggesting a post-conversion exercise of market power. Significantly, rivals of these large converting insurers also raised their prices following the conversions.” And here's a link to a Health Solutions podcast with Cristy Gupton, Chris Deacon, and North Carolina Commissioner Mike Causey. So, that's one of the pieces of legislation on the docket. Then, on the hospital side of the equation, we also have a proposed bill that could give UNC Health Care a green light to expand and buy more physician practices and hospitals without as much oversight. Proponents of the bill say that this will better enable UNC to take over struggling rural hospitals in danger of closing. Considering that UNC has already taken over rural hospitals in danger of closing, not exactly sure how or why basically removing federal and state antitrust scrutiny is helpful here. I went around looking for evidence that if you reduce antitrust scrutiny and enable more unfettered consolidation and expansion that population health outcomes improve. I could not find any. I did find lots of great talking points, but all of them seemed a little light on the evidence. There is, however, an insane amount of evidence at this point that shows unfettered hospital chain consolidation harms local communities from a financial standpoint without improving the quality or outcomes of patient populations, especially when hospital chains, in conjunction with third-party payers, are not willing to share their pricing, even with their largest customer. But I'm getting ahead of myself, because this is exactly what I'm talking about in this 2019 interview with Dale Folwell, the state treasurer of North Carolina. And it is a doozie of a frustrating story, just to cut to the chase. Look, you might be able to hear I definitely have an opinion formed on this topic, and I don't want to sway yours until you look into all of this yourself. But I loved what Jeff Leston wrote the other day. He wrote, “The North Carolina Legislature proves that they report to the healthcare industry in the State, not the people who actually elected them.” Okay … teeing up the interview today, this whole thing started when the North Carolina State Employees Health Plan (SEHP) crafted a proposal to pay network hospitals based on a transparent pricing schedule. Considering that SEHP purchases benefits for 720,000 people in North Carolina at a cost to taxpayers of billions of dollars, this seems reasonable. When you're the fiduciary of thousands of dollars, let alone add six more zeros, it would seem to be nonnegotiable to actually see the numbers and not write a check to a black box. Nonetheless, a few of North Carolina's largest hospital chains disagreed. They wanted to bill whatever they wanted to bill shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. In this healthcare podcast, as I mentioned earlier, I am speaking with North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell. This is a rebroadcast from an interview in 2019 but still, somewhat sadly, completely relevant.   You can learn more at nctreasurer.com. You can also connect with Treasurer Folwell on Twitter at @DaleFolwell or on Facebook at Dale Folwell.     Dale R. Folwell, CPA, was sworn in as State Treasurer of North Carolina in January 2017. As the keeper of the public purse, Treasurer Folwell is responsible for a $100 billion state pension fund that provides retirement benefits for more than 900,000 teachers, law enforcement officers, and other public workers. Under Treasurer Folwell's leadership, the pension plan was rated among the top five highest funded in the country and won accolades for proactive management and funding discipline. In 2018, the state's coveted AAA bond rating was reaffirmed by every major rating agency, making North Carolina one of only 13 states in the country to hold that distinction. Treasurer Folwell also oversees the State Health Plan, which provides medical and pharmaceutical benefits to more than 720,000 current and retired public employees and is the largest purchaser of healthcare in North Carolina. Folwell was first elected to public office as a member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. He brought his problem-solving skills to the North Carolina General Assembly in 2004, where he served four terms in the House of Representatives, including one term as Speaker Pro Tempore. Treasurer Folwell began his career as a blue-collar worker and became a Certified Public Accountant and investment advisor after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting from UNC-Greensboro.   05:59 The North Carolina state spend on healthcare. 07:21 “In medical terms, why has this become acute?” 08:00 One week of work for starting North Carolina troopers and teachers out of every four is going to family healthcare costs. 09:14 The problem of health insurance vs healthcare. 09:59 “If they can do this to the largest customers in this state … imagine what they can do to them.” 10:20 “This is about the industry whose whole business model is based on secrecy.” 11:47 “We've already focused on the why, and now we're [focusing] on the how.” 12:46 “We're trying to attack a problem.” 15:46 What the Clear Pricing Project aims to do. 18:08 “We're not trying to be disruptive; we're trying to fix a problem.” 19:55 Why the Clear Pricing Project went the self-insured route and how that's worked for them. 24:14 Who's behind the institutions fighting transparent pricing in North Carolina. 25:15 Instances where the Clear Pricing Project could actually stand to help rural hospitals make more money. 27:29 Dale's advice for other states trying to do this. 28:49 Dale's message to healthcare providers out there who want to see this change to price transparency.   You can learn more at nctreasurer.com. You can also connect with Treasurer Folwell on Twitter at @DaleFolwell or on Facebook at Dale Folwell.   @DaleFolwell discusses #financialtoxicity in #healthcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #podcast #digitalhealth #hcmkg #healthcarepricing #pricetransparency #healthcarefinance   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Eric Gallagher, Dr Suhas Gondi, Dr Rachel Reid, Dr Amy Scanlan, Peter J. Neumann, Stacey Richter (EP400), Dawn Cornelis (Encore! EP285), Stacey Richter (EP399), Dr Jacob Asher, Paul Holmes  

State Treasurer Dale Folwell has the latest on the state health plan and how inflation impacts the state's finances.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell has the latest on the state health plan and how inflation impacts the state's finances.

This show aired on Monday, April 24th, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell. Offshore Wind Warning Ignored,Mark Robinson Running for Governor, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Carolina's treasurer says the state's largest healthcare companies are cartels disguised as non-profits. Why is the state's chief banker going after healthcare CEOs? Dale Folwell explains why he's so passionate about the issue, especially when it comes to rural healthcare.

This show aired on Friday, March 31st, 2023 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell. Donald Trump Indicted, ILM to offer flights to Tampa and West Palm Beach, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks, shurx, for this review on iTunes entitled “Prepare to Learn.” Shurx wrote: “[RHV] provides key insight from experts that you won't find anywhere else. It paints the picture of how our healthcare is tangled, and who benefits because of it. Whether it's drug pricing, PBM shenanigans, hospital billing, or market trends that are challenging the status quo, this podcast is worth your time. I've shared many of the episodes with my pharmacy colleagues who have replied, ‘I didn't know that's how it worked.' Now they do thanks to Stacey and her team.” I wanted to kick off this particular show with this review because today we are again digging into the business of hospital care in this country. That's actually how Sanat Dixit, MD, MBA, FACS, put it on LinkedIn recently. He said some of the hospitals these days aren't in the healthcare business; they're in the hospital care business. And when I say some hospitals, I mean some people in decision-making roles at some hospitals. There was an opinion piece in the New York Times the other day by Eric Reinhart, and here's my highlight from his essay. He writes, “But the burnout rhetoric misses the larger issue in this case: What's burning out health care workers is less the grueling conditions we practice under, and more our dwindling faith in the systems for which we work.” Relentless Health Value is here so that our Relentless Tribe has the information that you need to influence what goes on in some of the boardrooms where some of these decisions are being made. With that, let's move on. You know why my guest, Brennan Bilberry, got into his current line of work battling hospital chain anticompetitive practices? He got into it because this behavior, which is normalized in healthcare, would never be tolerated in any other sector of the economy. No one would get away with it because these anticompetitive practices are, hey, anticompetitive. They spell the death of functioning markets. We kick off our conversation, Brennan and I, going through the typical hospital system consolidation playbook and how anticompetitive practices are kinda part of the typical gig here. It's quite clever, by the way, for hospital system executives to think this way. I mean, it's illicit and, some would say, unethical but clever if your main metric is revenue maximization. Anticompetitive contract terms are, after all, a flywheel. You consolidate to get enough market power to effectively force everyone to sign your anticompetitive contracts. And then step two: After that, you break out your anticompetitive contract terms spatula and you scrape out any remaining competition from your area. Which leads you to step three: Rub your hands together and raise prices and donate to politicians so legislation becomes even less likely. And then step four: Continue to raise your prices. Don't you love it when a plan comes together? In this healthcare podcast with Brennan Bilberry, we talk about four contract terms that any self-respecting anticompetitive hospital contract should include and how each of them restricts competition unfairly and causes higher prices for communities, taxpayers, patients, employers … basically everybody, including people who work at the health system, who wind up needing medical care. In a nutshell, here's the four anticompetitive contract terms that we dig into in this episode: All-or-nothing contracting, wherein a hospital system says if you want us in your network, you must include every single facility that we have in your network and at the monopoly-level prices we demand, even in areas that might be competitive. There is a reason why a hospital system might be all hachi machi to buy a rando not super profitable hospital in a rural area. The payer must include that hospital in their network then because of network adequacy or whatever. And then from then on, all of their care settings are now in network—even the lower-quality ones—and all of them at the highest prices. And there's no price negotiation that's possible after that. Anti-steering and anti-tiering clauses: This means that a payer/ASO (administrative services organization)/TPA (third-party administrator)/plan sponsor cannot steer members to lower-cost or higher-quality hospitals, nor can it offer benefit designs that have tiers (ie, lower co-pays if a member goes to specified high-value hospitals). So, any chance of using consumerism or navigation as a way to get members to better places is just eviscerated by this little move. Pricing gag clauses: It's when contract terms prohibit an ASO/TPA from telling its plan sponsor customers or members what the price of services are before (or sometimes even after) the service is rendered, claiming it's important to not let employers or patients know these costs because revealing actual prices will [checks notes] cause hospital prices to go up. I'm speechlessly mystified by this logic, but OK … I only have a bachelor's in economics. Contract terms that restrict other providers in the market: So, a dominant hospital uses admitting privileges or referrals or other leverage to effectively control other providers in the market, including providers who are ostensibly independent. So, while the market may look dynamic, it is really not. Some links to interesting articles and posts and other episodes related to this topic: Definitely listen to the shows with Mike Thompson (EP389) and also the one with Chris Skisak and Gloria Sachdev (EP390). We talk about market dynamics and hospital legislation in these two shows, which are, frankly, the best ways to get rid of hospital systems' ability to hold their communities and other local providers hostage with some of this strong arming. Here's a link to an article I was thinking about while recording this show about Daran Gaus's hypothesis for how mergers will impact hospital prices. And here's a link to an article about how commercial prices for outpatient visits were 26% higher for patients receiving care at a health system than those visiting non-system physicians and hospitals. Another episode I mentioned when Brennan and I discussed the consequences of some of these anticompetitive contract terms is the one with Cora Opsahl (EP373). I also reference the episode with Dale Folwell, treasurer in North Carolina (EP249). One last link is to the conversation I had with Dr. Scott Conard (EP391), where the local hospital bought a local ACO (accountable care organization) physician organization and the community paid an additional $100 million to the hospital the following year. My guest in this healthcare podcast as aforementioned is Brennan Bilberry, who is a founding partner over at Fairmark Partners, which is a law firm litigating some of these antitrust lawsuits against some of these hospital chains. You can learn more at fairmarklaw.com.  Brennan Bilberry is a founding partner of Fairmark Partners, LLP, a law firm focused on fair competition issues, especially in the healthcare industry. Fairmark has filed numerous antitrust cases against dominant hospital systems, seeking to tackle anticompetitive practices that lead to higher prices for businesses, consumers, and unions. Prior to founding Fairmark, Brennan worked as a policy consultant and political operative whose work included overseeing environmental public policy campaigns in numerous countries, providing international political intelligence for US investors, advising political campaigns around the world, and designing consumer and legal advertising. Brennan also worked on numerous US political campaigns, including serving as communications director for Terry McAuliffe's 2013 successful campaign for Virginia governor, serving as deputy executive director of the 2012 pro-Obama Super PAC Priorities USA, and developing research and policy communications for the House Democrats. Brennan is a native of Montana and South Dakota and has lived in Washington, DC, for the past 15 years.   06:16 What happens after a hospital consolidates? 07:23 What does an anticompetitive system look like when a hospital consolidates? 10:13 Tricia Schildhouse on LinkedIn. 10:35 What are some anticompetitive “tricks” that hospitals employ? 12:37 The Sutter case in northern California. 14:50 What can you do if you're forced to engage in an all-or-nothing contract with a hospital system? 18:31 The Atrium case in North Carolina. 19:36 EP373 with Cora Opsahl. 21:33 What are price gag clauses? 23:08 How are legacy gag clauses designed to prevent scrutiny in litigation? 24:04 EP249 with Dale Folwell. 26:08 How do hospital restrictions on other providers create an anticompetitive environment? 27:23 EP391 with Scott Conard, MD. 29:48 EP389 with Mike Thompson or EP390 with Gloria Sachdev and Chris Skisak.   You can learn more at fairmarklaw.com.   @brbilberry discusses #hospital #anticompetitive practices on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #hospitals #hospitalsystems #anticompetitivepractices Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Dr Vikas Saini and Judith Garber, David Muhlestein, Nikhil Krishnan (Encore! EP355), Emily Kagan Trenchard, Dr Scott Conard, Gloria Sachdev and Chris Skisak, Mike Thompson, Dr Rishi Wadhera (Encore! EP326), Ge Bai (Encore! EP356), Dave Dierk and Stacey Richter (INBW37), Merrill Goozner, Betsy Seals (EP387), Stacey Richter (INBW36), Dr Eric Bricker (Encore! EP351), Al Lewis, Dan Mendelson, Wendell Potter, Nick Stefanizzi, Brian Klepper (Encore! EP335), Dr Aaron Mitchell (EP382), Karen Root, Mark Miller, AJ Loiacono, Josh LaRosa, Stacey Richter (INBW35), Rebecca Etz (Encore! EP295), Olivia Webb (Encore! EP337), Mike Baldzicki  

NC Treasurer Dale Folwell returns to update listeners on the state of North Carolina's economy, his ongoing fight with hospitals, and he will chime in on Attorney General Josh Stein's decision to run for Governor. The Triad Podcast Network is presented by The Ginther Group Real Estate, Ashley McKenzie-Sharpe with The Sharpe Mortgage Team and Three Magnolias Financial AdvisorsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning BT: Dale Folwell (12/14/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning BT: Dale Folwell (11/30/2022)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Wednesday, November 16th, 2022 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell. The Bladen County Sheriff's Office says that two people were found dead, Trump announces 2024 Presidential run, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Monday, September 26th, 2022 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Dale Folwell. Two murders in Wilmington this weekend, Project Grace, and Trump in Wilmington.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dale Folwell, North Carolina State Treasurer, talks State unclaimed cash, pandemic-era federal hospital monies, medical debt affecting credit scores, and more.