Healthcare Americana

Elaine Parker , President of Job Creators Network Foundation and Chief Communications Officer for Job Creators Network , explains how Job Creators Network is advocating for small business owners including direct primary care practices.  The Job Creators Network is a national conservative small business organization that was founded by the Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus. Even though Home Depot...

Diana Girnita, MD PhD , and Founder and CEO of Rheumatologist OnCall , is one of the few physicians who have successfully launched a pure direct care specialty model. After coming to America and realizing the healthcare system was broken, she took matters into her own hands and created her dream specialty practice. She breaks down how she launched her practice from scratch, as well as the journey...

Gayle Brekke , a PhD candidate in Health Policy & Management at the University of Kansas Medical Center , and a consultant at Descant Consulting, dives into the topic of data and direct care. She has devoted a significant amount of her career into exploring the question, “does dpc lead to healthier outcomes and lower costs?” Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Drew Ellefsen , CEO of the Benefits Management Team , is changing healthcare through his healthcare advocacy product, BMT Care. The product educates consumers on how to navigate the healthcare market. Ellefsen is passionate about helping individuals navigate healthcare, but he explains it has been hard to compete in the individual insurance market due to the Affordable Care Act. During the episode...

John Zevzavadjian , EVP of Enterprise Platform Solutions, has over 25 years of experience in healthcare and pharmacy management. In his previous role, he served as the SVP of Payer Relations where he led the strategy and execution of all Payer activities at CVS Pharmacy.  During the episode, Zevzavadjian discusses the role and challenges of the U.S. government taking on more of the payer. Some of...

After 15 years of traditional insurance-based specialty care, Dr. Grace Torres-Hodges , Physician and Owner of Torres Hodges Podiatry , transitioned into a direct care specialty practice five years ago. During this episode, she talks about her journey transitioning from insurance-based specialty care, as well as the misconceptions physicians have about the model. If you are considering the model,...

OTC and pharmacies are very confusing for consumers. Consumers wander down aisles unsure of what to purchase and unaware of the ingredients in their medicine. It shouldn’t be this way. Achal Patel , CEO and Co-Founder at Cabinet , shares how his company is simplifying and changing the over the counter medicine experience for consumers. With an emphasis on transparency, quality, and sustainability,...

Jenny Aghamalian , Sedera 's Chief Strategy Office, discusses a flurry of legislation across 12+ states that would be harmful to free-market healthcare options like medical cost sharing organizations and direct primary care, even though we need these options more than ever. She discusses this within the broader lens of why healthcare is so complex today, and how we need more affordable, trans...

When one of Dr. Nagaraj Kikkeri's , Medical Director for the NTTC Surgery Center , patients stopped coming in for her colonoscopies and other routine check-ups, he was concerned. About a year later, she passed away due to undetected cancer. He knew right then that something had to change. In less than a year, he revamped his medical center and started offering bundled procedures and a differe...

Michelle Frank is the Chief Revenue Officer for Goodroot . Goodroot is changing the way pharmaceutical manufacturers, health plans, employers and others interact and how those changes can be beneficial for all. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Free Market Medical Association Executive Director James Dunavant joins Chris to highlight was can be expected at the 2021 FMMA Annual Conference . Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Chris Habig talks with early DPC pioneer Dr. Douglas Farrago , who is board certified in the specialty of family practice and the founder of DPC News . Dr. Farrago shares how he used to fight “tooth and nail” in the traditional health sick system against quality metrics. He shares how his former chief medical officer challenged him asking what he hated about quality. Dr. Farrago’s response was you...

Digital health is going to be more integrated in the next 5 years in the continuum of care. There will be a deeper connection between the members, digital solutions, and medical professionals. Kiio 's Lydia Zeller provides her take on where we go from here. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Listen. Learn. Know. Healthcare Americana is a podcast for the 99% of people who get healthcare in America. We’re not clinicians or policy makers…we’re patients and caregivers, executives and advocates who are fed up with the status quo and have a desire to change it.  This podcast brings listeners backstage at innovative organizations across America that are putting patients first by delivering e...

A small town urologist left the employed world and now has a thriving independent urology practice . Dr. Wallen took this route after tiring of hospital administrators being in control of his care decisions. Listen to his story and learn why he believes that administrators should be working for the people with real expertise in healthcare.  Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsor...

Dr. Joseph Krainin is a neurologist who runs his own independent, virtual sleep practice. He realized that as a physician, he can care for his patients while finding the elusive work-life balance that so many seek. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Dr. Andrew Wickline specializes in hip and knee replacements, has the lowest complication rate in New York and will give you a cash price. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Matt discusses how great we are at shopping. Americans know how to shop for cars, groceries, household goods and so much more. But how do you shop for healthcare?  Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

David Contorno breaks down the mechanics of how traditional benefits brokers aid and abet the misaligned incentives within health plans, hospital billing, and large health insurance companies. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Doug Aldeen represents self-funded employers in their medical claim disputes with hospital systems or out-of-network provider billers. --- He shares horror stories of what he has experienced and how the healthcare system is taking advantage of people. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

The differences between physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants is significant in terms of training and education. Many hospital systems are now trying to equate midlevel providers with their physician counterparts. While there is a big need for NPs & PAs, patients are being misled by the title, "Doctor". Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Pharmacy Benefit Management. Three words that bring confusion, complexity, and mystery to health plans. Learn about PBMs from Greg Greenlee at Verus Rx as he peels back the layers of complexity to shine some light on this mysterious industry. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

We are experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity for everyone in healthcare to make a positive impact. The ACA has continued to make an impact on US healthcare and innovators are using the new playing field to find opportunities that bring transparency, lower costs, and better access, despite more regulations. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Dan Meylan discusses the latest positive trend in healthcare benefits, reference based pricing. He is educating people across the nation on this topic and chats with Chris about the cost savings that can come with it. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)

Nicole Ascanio , MD shook her head when patient after patient would ask about insurance plans and thought they were getting a "free" yearly physical. Now in practice at her own aspireMD , she is educating her patients about the real value of a physical and it isn't what they thought. Support the show (https://healthcareamericana.com/sponsors/)