Health Care Rounds artwork

Health Care Rounds

184 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 28 ratings

Health Care Rounds is a weekly podcast developed for health care leaders who are at the forefront of health care delivery and payment reform. Join Darwin Research Group founder and CEO John Marchica as he discusses the latest advancements in health care business news and policy developments, including interviews with dynamic leaders in health care. John is a veteran health care strategist and is leading ongoing research initiatives on health care delivery systems and value-based care.

Tags: health care, value-based care, healthcare business, healthcare management, accountable care organization, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, hospital, health system, telehealth, telemedicine, behavioral health, Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, market access, managed care, organized customer

Business Science john marchica marchica darwin research group healthcare health care idn integrated health systems aco home health management
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Episodes

#83: The Future of Health Care with Dr. Robert Pearl

January 10, 2020 07:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MB

It’s the question on everyone’s mind — at least those in health care — what’s wrong with our health care system and how do we fix it? This week, John sits down with Dr. Robert Pearl, host of the popular health care podcast, Fixing Healthcare, for a fascinating discussion. Dr. Pearl was formerly CEO of Permanente Medical Group, one of the largest physician practices in the U.S. and which consistently ranks in the top 10 programs for clinical quality by the National Committee for Quality Assur...

#82: Curing Medicare with the Running Doc Unhinged

November 15, 2019 07:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

This week, we close out Season 2 of Health Care Rounds with Dr. Andy Lazris. A board-certified internist, Dr. Lazris’ private practice, Columbia, Md.-based Personal Physician Care, is dedicated to providing individualized and comprehensive care for its patients. We found Dr. Lazris on YouTube where he’s better known as the Running Doc Unhinged. Listen today and learn about common sense medical practice reforms and why aging patients need to be cared for differently — and better — than they a...

#81: Our Take, November 11, 2019

November 11, 2019 07:00 - 9 minutes - 8.97 MB

Other briefs include: Stryker signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wright Medical Group. Amgen will pay $2.7 billion for a 20.5% ownership stake in BeiGene, a research-based, oncology-focused biotech company headquartered in Beijing. The University of Louisville announced that it has completed the acquisition of KentuckyOne Health’s Louisville-area assets from CommonSpirit Health. HealthPartners is closing its mail order and all 30 retail pharmacy locations, and will lay off 300 work...

#80: Our Take, November 4, 2019

November 04, 2019 07:00 - 9 minutes - 8.43 MB

Other briefs include: Insurers will receive $1.59 billion in unpaid subsidies if the federal government follows through on a judge’s order. California’s attorney general put the kibosh on the Adventist-St. Joseph merger. UPMC has begun building a network of hospitals in China. Fifteen drug companies settled an Illinois Medicaid fraud suit for $242 million. An Oregon insurer has filed an antitrust lawsuit against three health systems. Thomas Zenty, the CEO of Cleveland-based University ...

#79: Strategies for Health Care Innovation with Naomi Fried, Ph.D.

November 01, 2019 20:00 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MB

This week on Health Care Rounds, Darwin Research Group CEO John Marchica sits down with Naomi Fried, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Health Innovation Strategies. Dr. Fried brings a wealth of experience in understanding how companies affect change, from her tenure as vice president of innovation and external partnerships at Biogen to heading up innovation and technology efforts at Kaiser Permanente. Get In Touch Visit us Follow: Apple Podcasts Spotify Health Care Rounds on LinkedI...

#78: Our Take, October 28, 2019

October 28, 2019 07:00 - 8 minutes - 7.98 MB

In this week’s Our Take, we’re covering the latest events in Biogen, involving their second life for aducanumab. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here.   Other briefs include: California releases its first report on drug pricing, in an effort to improve transparency. Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance is collaborating with Fitbit for atrial fibrillation detection. Amazon is partnering with City of Hope to provide cancer support services to U.S. Amazon employees and their f...

#77: Our Take, October 21, 2019

October 21, 2019 07:00 - 8 minutes - 8.23 MB

In this week’s Our Take, we’re covering the latest events in the Sutter Health antitrust trial. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here.   Other briefs include:  California releases its first report on drug pricing, in an effort to improve transparency. Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance is collaborating with Fitbit for atrial fibrillation detection. Amazon is partnering with City of Hope to provide cancer support services to U.S. Amazon employees and their families. Hacken...

#76: High-performing organizations with Brian Klepper, EVP, The Valuation Institute

October 18, 2019 16:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

Everyone says that they are a high-performing organization, but which ones really are? Which health care organizations have proven to deliver better outcomes at lower costs? This week, John sits down with the dynamic Brian Klepper, Ph.D., executive vice president of The Valuation Institute. Brian offers examples of unusually high-performing health care organizations and the secrets to their success. Get In Touch Visit us Follow: Apple Podcasts Spotify Health Care Rounds on Li...

#75: Our Take, October 14, 2019

October 14, 2019 07:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MB

In this week’s Our Take, we’re covering the proposed rules to ease restrictions imposed by Stark Law, anti-kickback statute. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here.   Other briefs include: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health and GraniteOne Health signed an agreement to merge. Walmart is testing new health benefits to help employees receive appropriate care. ICER pulled a draft evidence report it released in late September on three new rheumatoid arthritis drugs. UPS is set to expand ...

#74: Our Take, October 7, 2019

October 07, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.4 MB

In this week’s Our Take, we’re covering the latest results from the Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO data, just released last week. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here.   Other briefs include: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health and GraniteOne Health signed an agreement to merge. Walmart is testing new health benefits to help employees receive appropriate care. ICER pulled a draft evidence report it released in late September on three new rheumatoid arthritis drugs. UPS is set ...

#73: Our Take, September 30, 2019

September 29, 2019 21:00 - 10 minutes - 9.85 MB

In this week’s Our Take, we’re covering the antitrust trial for Sutter Health, and implications for future health system mergers. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here. Other briefs include: Lafayette General Health to merge with Ochsner Health System. CMS finalized a rule for implementing Medicaid DSH payment cuts. Connecticut is working to create the state’s first network of Centers of Excellence. Amazon is piloting a virtual health clinic called Amazon Care. RWJBarnabas ...

#72: Reinventing the PBM Model with A.J. Loiacono

September 27, 2019 20:31 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MB

Several weeks ago we reported on Capital Rx, a new PBM with a “clearinghouse model” designed to eliminate spread pricing and price variability — and promote greater transparency. This week, John sits down with A.J. Loiacono, a veteran entrepreneur and CEO of Capital Rx. Listen in and learn about what’s wrong with pharmaceutical pricing and how A.J. intends to fix it. Speaker Bios A.J. Loiacono, CEO, Capital Rx A.J. is a successful entrepreneur, with 20 years of experience in pharmacy benefi...

#71: Our Take, September 23, 2019

September 23, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.8 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, we discuss hospital market concentrations and their association with DOJ investigations and inpatient prices. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here. Other briefs include: Novo Nordisk announced that Rybelsus has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. NUW Medicine, MultiCare Health System, and LifePoint Health have partnered to form a clinically integrated network known as Embright. Sanofi and Abbott are collaborating to int...

#70: Our Take, September 16, 2019

September 16, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, we review value-based payment models in oncology. If this is your field, this episode is one you don’t want to miss.  To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here. Other briefs include: Capital Rx, a startup pharmacy benefit manager, launches its Clearinghouse Model. The owners of Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, tentatively agreed to pay $3 billion to settle opioid-related lawsuits. Cigna introduced a new program to make expensive gene therapies more ...

#69: Our Take, September 9, 2019

September 09, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.62 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, here’s the lead: “A judge ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million to Oklahoma for creating a ‘public nuisance.’ The state had sought $17.5 billion in a lawsuit against J&J, contending that the company had engaged in misleading marketing and contributed to the opioid epidemic that has claimed the lives of more than 6,000 Oklahomans. J&J plans to appeal, and the company’s shares rose in after-hours trading on the day of the ruling, suggesting that investors b...

#68: Our Take, August 26, 2019

August 26, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.43 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, here’s our lead story: Good Neighbor Pharmacy tops the list of chain drugstores in customer satisfaction, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates. The network of independent pharmacies received the highest overall score among brick-and-mortar chain store pharmacies, with a score of 914 out of 1,000 possible points, followed by Health Mart (893), Rite Aid Pharmacy (865), Walgreens (840), and CVS (834). To sign up for the weekly email brief, click he...

#67: Our Aging Crisis with Bob Roth

August 22, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.4 MB

This week, Bob Roth returns to Our Take to discuss America’s growing aging population and implications for ignoring what he calls the Aging Crisis. Bob’s passion for caring for the elderly stems from his personal experience with his own mother, which led to the creation of Cypress HomeCare Solutions, the Roth family business. Listen to the elder care issues Bob is calling out—and what we need to do about it. Speaker Bios Bob Roth, Managing Partner, Cypress HomeCare Solutions Bob Roth foun...

#66: Our Take, August 19, 2019

August 19, 2019 07:00 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, we discuss Commercial Accountable Care Organizations, including updates on programs from UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, and Anthem. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here. Other briefs include: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan have signed a definitive agreement to merge. Humana files a lawsuit against Mallinckrodt plc. The FDA has approved Pretomanid Tablets, a game changer in the treatment of treatment-resistant tuberculo...

#65: Our Take, August 12, 2019

August 12, 2019 00:00 - 9 minutes - 8.33 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, “The FDA announced Tuesday that Novartis submitted the drug application for Zolgensma, the company’s novel gene therapy treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, with manipulated data. The FDA said it is assessing the matter and ‘remains confident’ that the gene therapy will continue to be available to patients.” To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here. Other briefs include: Allscripts Healthcare Solutions reached a tentative $145 million settlement agre...

#64: Our Take, August 5, 2019

August 05, 2019 00:00 - 10 minutes - 9.36 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, we discuss several CMS initiatives announced last Monday. The email version of Our Take includes several important links to other final and proposed rules from CMS. To sign up for the weekly email brief, click here. Other briefs include: Pfizer signed a definitive agreement to merge its Upjohn division with Mylan. HHS is working on a plan to allow the legal importation of prescription drugs. CMS denies Utah’s request for partial Medicaid expansion. Cigna and...

#63: Our Take, July 29, 2019

July 29, 2019 03:53 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MB

In today’s Our Take read-in, we discuss a bipartisan bill to lower drug prices that cleared a Senate committee. On Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee voted 19-9 to advance a bill proposed by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that includes numerous provisions to lower drug prices. The bill, called the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act (PDPRA) of 2019, is likely to undergo considerable changes before it reaches the Senate floor for a full vote — if it gets that far...

#62: Behavioral Health & Mobile Apps with Dr. Julie Kinn

July 25, 2019 00:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB

In this week’s episode, John sits with military psychologist Dr. Julie Kinn to talk about the latest behavioral health mobile apps and online resources developed by the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Dr. Kinn discusses how DHA’s technology combats the stigma present around behavioral health issues so that both veterans and civilians are more inclined to seek care. Check out some of their free mobile apps: Virtual Hope Box, Breathe2Relax, and T2 Mood Tracker. For more resources, go to www.healt...

#61: Our Take, July 22, 2019

July 22, 2019 00:00 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MB

In this week’s episode, we focus on Intermountain Healthcare’s announcement that it has formed a “comprehensive health platform company focused on elevating value-based care capabilities.” The new organization, named Castell, will be led by Rajesh Shrestha as president and CEO. Shrestha will continue to serve as vice president and chief operating officer of Community Based Care for Intermountain. Other briefs include: Gilead Sciences’ research and development collaboration with Belgian bio...

#60: Our Take, July 15, 2019

July 15, 2019 00:43 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MB

Last Tuesday, three judges from the federal appeals court in New Orleans heard oral arguments regarding the ruling made last December in Texas v. United States. The district judge overseeing the case ruled that the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s individual mandate is unconstitutional and, therefore, the entire ACA must be overturned. This week’s Our Take discusses what happened during oral arguments and what’s expected next. Other briefs include: A federal judge has blocked a Trump administra...

#59: Improving Healthcare Through Grassroots Initiatives with Craig Brammer

July 11, 2019 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MB

CMS’ Innovation Center has, through federal grants, helped states address specific population health needs. But what happens when entrepreneurs take healthcare improvement seriously, and are able to find innovative ways to align partnerships to effect change? This week, John sits down with Craig Brammer, CEO of The Health Collaborative and President & CEO of the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement. Craig is an inspirational leader—helping to create change at the national level driven...

#58: Our Take, July 1, 2019

July 01, 2019 00:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MB

In this week’s episode, we focus on the Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments from health insurers, who claim $12.3 billion in losses after the federal government reneged on payments owed to certain payers under provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Business leaders, including the Chamber of Commerce, had urged the court to review an appellate court ruling in June 2018 that Health and Human Services is not obligated to make risk corridor payments to insurers. Other briefs includ...

#57: Frontiers in International Medicine with Dr. Heitham Hassoun

June 27, 2019 00:00 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MB

Why are integrated health systems and academic medical centers increasing their focus on international medicine? What lessons can we learn from our colleagues abroad? Find out this week as John sits down with Dr. Heitham Hassoun, vice president and medical director for Cedars-Sinai International Health and Telemedicine. Speaker Bios Heitham Hassoun, MD, a leading international health expert, is vice president and medical director of Cedars-Sinai's Center for International Health and Teleme...

#56: Our Take, June 24, 2019

June 24, 2019 15:07 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MB

In this week’s episode, John shares some of the results from our fifth annual ACO Executive Survey. Results discussed include: ACO priorities 2019 initiatives Operational issues Factors affecting quality and cost Electronic health record interoperability Partnering activity About Darwin Research Group Darwin Research Group Inc. provides advanced market intelligence and in-depth customer insights to health care executives, with a strategic focus on health care delivery systems and th...

#55: Our Take, June 17, 2019

June 17, 2019 07:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MB

In this week’s episode, John reviews some of the lessons learned from ExL’s 13th Partnering with ACOs & IDNs Summit, which took place in Boston, June 10-11. Briefs include: Anthem signed a definitive agreement to acquire Beacon Health Options. Washington state proposal to pay for hepatitis C drugs using a “subscription” model approved by CMS. Penn Medicine has created a clinical alert app that reduces stays in the intensive care unit. Ascension’s leadership lineup will undergo several c...

#54: Building an in-house specialty pharmacy within an IDN with Brett McClain

June 13, 2019 07:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MB

This week, John sits down with Brett McClain, chief operating officer for Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, where he recently oversaw the launch of Dignity’s systemwide specialty pharmacy. Brett speaks to the development of the specialty pharmacy through a strategic partnership, how pharma engages with his health system, the Dignity-CHI merger, and more. Speaker Bios Brett McClain is the Chief Operating Officer for Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical...

#53: Our Take, June 10, 2019

June 10, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.22 MB

In this week’s episode, John reviews CVS’ move to expand its HealthHub stores to 1,500 by the end of 2021. HealthHub stores have expanded space for health-related products and larger health clinics with a lab for blood testing and screening. They also have a general wellness room used for yoga classes and educational events. We also have our first subscriber feedback, which addresses John’s editorial from last week on Novartis’ new gene therapy priced at $2.1 million. Briefs include: Supr...

#52: Our Take, June 3, 2019

June 03, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.66 MB

In this week’s episode, John reviews Novartis’ new gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, priced at more than $2.1 million. ICER, a nonprofit research institute that evaluates the cost effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, said Novartis’ price is within the upper bound of the organization’s value-based price benchmark range. Briefs include: A broad bipartisan draft health care legislation package containing dozens of provisions was recently released by the Senate Health Committee. Forcing ...

#51: Three Dartmouth Guys Talk Health Care

May 30, 2019 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.1 MB

This week, John sits down with Dr. David Radley, senior scientist for The Commonwealth Fund, and Dr. Trafford Crump, assistant professor at the University of Calgary. Trafford and Dave welcomed John to Dartmouth’s PhD program in health economics and clinical epidemiology back in 2005, and have remained good friends ever since. In this episode, they talk about the politicization of health care, health system performance, what's driving healh care cotsts, patient-reported outcomes, and more. ...

#50: Our Take May–Part 2

May 23, 2019 07:00 - 9 minutes - 8.4 MB

In this week’s episode, John talks about the latest bombshell lawsuit filed by 44 states accusing Teva and other generic drugmakers of price fixing. Other briefs include: A house bill introduced to address surprise medical billing. CMS’ guidance designed to eliminate spread pricing. Advent International to acquire AccentCare. Civica Rx announces first two drugs in production. A hearing is set to review CVS-Aetna merger. About Darwin Research Group Darwin Research Group Inc. provides ...

#49: Our Take May–Part 1

May 16, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MB

In this week’s episode, John talks EHRs and physician burnout, prescription drug prices in TV ads, and more. Highlights include: Gundersen Health System and Marshfield Clinic talk merger. Bon Secours Mercy Health signs letter of intent to acquire Dublin, Ireland-based Bon Secours Health System. UnitedHealthcare’s new bundled payment program for maternity care. U.S. District Court judge struck down the 340B rate cut. Washington becomes the second state to announce a subscription-based p...

#48: John Takes the Mic

May 09, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes - 32 MB

Analysts and consultants often make predictions about where markets are headed. In this week’s episode, John goes back five years and reviews what he first wrote about accountable care organizations and the value-based care movement. What did he get right? Where was he wrong? What lessons have we learned? Highlights include: What the Affordable Care Act was designed to address. How markets reacted to events related to policy announcements. Harvard Business School’s Clay Christensen and w...

#47: Our Take April–Part 2

May 02, 2019 07:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MB

In this week’s episode, John reviews Humana’s new oncology payment model, several important announcements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and more. Highlights include: CMS is offering five new payment models for primary care practices CMS is inviting state Medicaid directors to test new ways to approach dual-eligibles FDA cleared the first medical device to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Amazon rolled out its PillPack at-home prescription drug...

#46: Breakthroughs in Cancer Research with Dr. David Hong Part 2

April 25, 2019 07:00 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MB

In today’s episode, John returns to his conversation with renowned cancer researcher Dr. David S. Hong. Dr. Hong is deputy chair of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also serves as associate vice president for Clinical Research and clinical medical director of the Clinical Center for Targeted Therapy. Dr. Hong has published more than 270 papers in leading academic journals. Topics include: Go/No-go decisions in clinical trials. In...

#45: Our Take April–Part 1

April 18, 2019 07:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MB

In this episode, John discusses Our Take on health care news in the first half of April 2019. He covers the Times/ProPublica report on Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the proposed merger between Atrium Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health, and other top stories through April 15. A new report by The New York Times and ProPublica says leadership at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) “repeatedly violated policies on financial conflicts of interest,” resulting in an environme...

#44: Breakthroughs in Cancer Research with Dr. David Hong

April 11, 2019 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MB

In today’s episode, John has a fascinating conversation with renowned cancer researcher Dr. David S. Hong. Dr. Hong is deputy chair of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also serves as associate vice president for Clinical Research and clinical medical director of the Clinical Center for Targeted Therapy. Dr. Hong has published more than 270 papers in leading academic journals. Topics include: The rise of immunotherapy and the Golde...

#43: Our Take March–Part 2

April 04, 2019 07:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MB

In this week’s episode, John reviews some pharma breakthroughs—along with one major setback—and discusses the bold statement by the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Highlights include: The Department of Justice issued a letter stating that it agrees with a federal judge who struck down the entire ACA as unconstitutional. The FDA approved the first drug to treat postpartum depression: Sage Therapeutics’ Zulresso (brexanolone). Amarin Corp. presented upd...

#42: JeffConnect, On-Demand Telehealth with Frank Sites

March 28, 2019 07:00 - 34 minutes - 32 MB

In today’s podcast, John Marchica sites down with the Director of Telehealth and of JeffConnect at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Mr. Frank Sites. Frank has decades of experience in this space and shares with us just what it took to get JeffConnect to become the robust telehealth program that it is today. Here are some of the interview highlights: Specifics about Jefferson Health’s telehealth program, JeffConnect, and the “buckets” it fills for the end users. Adoption by Jeffe...

#41: Our Take March–Part 1

March 21, 2019 07:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MB

In this episode, John reviews what happened in the world of health care this past week, specifically the results of a study published on March 11 in the JAMA Internal Medicine on Home Health and how it can provide a significant amount of savings when compared to other discharge locations. Home health care agencies save Medicare millions of dollars compared with skilled nursing facilities, despite higher readmission rates, according to the study. Researchers used Medicare claims data from 20...

#40: Partnering with IDNs and ACOs, with Scott Hylla, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals

March 14, 2019 07:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MB

Welcome to Season 2 of Health Care Rounds. In this episode, John Marchica speaks with Scott Hylla, Director of Health Systems and Managed Markets with Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. Scott and John discuss the state of pharma-IDN partnerships, pharma attitudes toward ACOs, and the future of industry-provider relations. Key questions include: How does pharma align with integrated health systems (IDNs), and what are IDNs looking for in a partnership? Should pharma partner with ACOs, and if so, w...

#39: Our Take December–Part 3

December 20, 2018 07:00 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MB

In this episode, John takes a look back on the year of 2018 and gives you his top five health care stories of the year, as well as a few honorable mentions and a few of the worst health policy ideas. About Darwin Research Group Darwin Research Group Inc. provides advanced market intelligence and in-depth customer insights to health care executives, with a strategic focus on health care delivery systems and the global shift toward value-based care. Darwin’s client list includes forward-thin...

#38: Our Take December–Part 2

December 13, 2018 07:00 - 7 minutes - 7.27 MB

In this episode, John gives his insight on recent developments on one of this year’s trending healthcare topics, pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) and pharmaceutical rebates. CVS announced that it is launching a new pharmacy benefits plan that returns 100 percent of drug rebates to its clients. In a statement, CVS said its new Guaranteed Net Cost pricing model “more closely aligns PBM incentives with plan sponsors’ objectives” by offering more predictability and transparency. About Darwin Re...

#37: Our Take December–Part 1

December 06, 2018 07:00 - 8 minutes - 8.2 MB

In this episode, John walks us through the recent flurry of mergers and acquisitions that are coming to a close and only recently announced at the end of 2018. The biggest news is that CVS Health completed its acquisition of Aetna last Wednesday in a deal that valued Aetna at $212 per share, or approximately $70 billion, not including debt. About Darwin Research Group Darwin Research Group Inc. provides advanced market intelligence and in-depth customer insights to health care executives,...

#36: Our Take November–Part 2

November 29, 2018 07:00 - 10 minutes - 9.38 MB

In this episode, John discusses our take specifically on the news of the results from the Johns Hopkins care management program, Johns Hopkins Community Health Partnership. A Johns Hopkins community intervention is associated with reductions in admissions, readmissions and emergency department visits, netting $113.3 million in savings, according to new research in JAMA Network Open. About Darwin Research Group Darwin Research Group Inc. provides advanced market intelligence and in-depth c...

#35: Happy Thanksgiving, 2018!

November 21, 2018 22:00 - 1 minute - 1.53 MB

Have a festive Thanksgiving from all of us at Health Care Rounds Podcast! We will be back next week with a new episode, the Season 1 closing, so stay tuned for our take on the first season of Health Care Rounds. In the meantime, enjoy your week! Get In Touch Visit us Follow: Apple Podcasts Spotify Health Care Rounds on LinkedIn Darwin Research Group on LinkedIn

#34: Our Take November–Part 1

November 15, 2018 07:00 - 8 minutes - 8.08 MB

In this episode, John discusses our take on health care news surrounding the midterm elections and how this will affect health care going forward. At the end of October, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Reuters that if given the chance—that is, if Republicans remained in control of both chambers of Congress—we could expect another attempted repeal of Obamacare. But this last week, referring to an ACA repeal, McConnell told reporters, “I think it’s pretty obvious, the Dem...