PAC & Forth

What does a new health care mandate really cost? In this episode of PAC & Forth, we sit down with John Shirikian, President and CEO of the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies (ACLHIC), and Steffanie Watkins, the association's Senior Vice President. ACLHIC represents 50 member companies, including the big six health insurers. This episode dives into: Why every new...

Why is California debating health care while patients can't see a doctor? In this episode of PAC & Forth, we sit down with Assemblymember Greg Wallis (Coachella Valley) and Assemblymember Heath Flora, the Assembly Republican Leader from the northern San Joaquin Valley. Both bring a frontline view of inland California, where access to healthcare is shrinking and physicians are leaving. Thi...

Why does your premium keep climbing even in a clean year? In this episode of PAC & Forth, we sit down with Vincent Catalano, Founder and CEO of Clear Healthcare Solutions. Vincent brings decades of experience in employee benefits and insurance brokerage and now helps organizations manage cost and strategy across health care. We unpack: How brokers actually get paid, and why flat percentage com...

What does it take for a physician to finally say enough? In this episode of PAC & Forth, we sit down with Dr. Todd Otten, board-certified family physician, former U.S. Navy flight surgeon, co-author of Ripple of Change, and executive producer of the documentary Suck It Up, Buttercup. After two decades in practice and his own experience with burnout, Dr. Otten is one of the most candid voices o...

What if staying independent didn't have to mean going it alone? In this episode of PAC & Forth, we sit down with Tyler Tracewski, President of Astrana Care Partners, to unpack PAC's new collaboration with Astrana and what it means for independent primary care physicians navigating Medicare's shift to value-based care. This episode dives into: What an Accountable Care Organizatio...

What happens when TikTok becomes your second opinion? In this episode of PAC & Forth , we sit down with Dr. Hailey MacNear , OB-GYN and partner at Sacramento Women's Health, for an honest conversation about health misinformation, patient trust, and the growing challenge of navigating medicine in the age of social media, from menopause advice on Instagram to "doctor versus Google&quot...

In this episode of PAC & Forth , we go inside the Capitol with John Latimer , founder and managing partner of Capital Advocacy — one of Sacramento’s most influential lobbying firms — for a no-nonsense look at how decisions really get made. This conversation pulls back the curtain on: Why health care policy is dominated by big institutions — and how smaller voices can still break through The re...

In this episode of PAC & Forth , we’re joined by Dr. Lamia Gabal , board-certified urologist, founder of Prestige Medical Group, and PAC board member, for one of our most honest and human conversations yet. Dr. Gabal shares: Her family’s immigrant journey and how it shaped her drive as a physician and entrepreneur Why she chose private practice and why so many doctors no longer can The hidden...

In this episode of PAC & Forth , we sit down with Assemblymember Damon Connolly, author of AB 2457, PAC-sponsored legislation that builds on last year’s credentialing reform by extending it to Medi-Cal managed care plans. This conversation gets into: Why AB 2457 is the logical next step after AB 1041 How credentialing delays create real barriers to care in rural and underserved communities Why...

In this episode of PAC & Forth , we break down AB 1041 , PAC’s first sponsored legislation, and the real-world problem it was designed to solve: broken, slow, and inconsistent provider credentialing that delays patient access to care. Joining us are Dr. Join Luh , radiation oncologist in Eureka, and Flo Di Benedetto , PAC’s General Counsel and former Chief Legal Officer at Sutter Health. Toget...

In this episode of PAC & Forth , we’re joined by two veterans of California politics — Andrew Acosta and Rob Stutzman — who have shaped some of the state’s biggest campaigns, from the historic 2003 recall to statewide ballot fights and major policy battles. This conversation pulls back the curtain on: Why the 2026 governor’s race has no clear frontrunner and why that matters How California’s o...

What happens when doctors lose the freedom to treat patients the way they believe is right? In our very first episode of PAC & Forth , we sit down with Dr. Omer Deen, nationally recognized clinical nutrition expert, private practice physician, and Chair of the Physician Association of California, for a candid conversation about healthcare in California. We unpack: Why private practice physicia...

PAC & Forth is a podcast about the forces shaping health care in California and the people working to change it. Produced by the Physician Association of California and hosted by PAC CEO, Matthew Robinson, PAC & Forth brings together physicians, policy insiders, advocates, and industry leaders for candid conversations about independent medicine, health care policy, and the real-world impac...