Healthcare Matters

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and co-host Angela Degrassi discuss why uncertainty surrounding the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, matters far beyond Washington, DC. The conversation explains how ACIP recommendations are connected to the real-world systems that help patients get vaccinated, including pharmacist authority, state s...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian is joined by new co-host Angela Degrassi for a conversation about access to oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19, especially for older adults and people living with chronic disease. Prompted by a new CDC report and supported by findings from a recent Global Healthy Living Foundation survey, the discussion explores a troubling pattern: aw...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian breaks down the 340B drug pricing program through the lens that matters most: what it means for patients. Prompted by Minnesota’s latest transparency report, he explains how a program originally created to support care for uninsured and underinsured patients has grown into one of the largest and least understood drug progra...

Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reform has reached a turning point. In this episode of Healthcare Matters , Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc are joined by Bob Schenk, RPh, to break down the latest wave of federal and state reforms, including the FTC settlement with Express Scripts. From pharmacy-level claims transparency to rebate reform and vertical integration, the conversation explores what&rsq...

In this season premiere of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc are joined by Dr. Wayne Winegarden, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the Pacific Research Institute, to discuss a new economic study revealing the true cost of influenza in America. The study finds that influenza imposed a $29 billion economic burden during the 2023-24 s...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters , our hosts unpack the evolving conversation around drug pricing reform—focusing on a new proposal often referred to as “TrumpRx.” Drawing from Robert’s recent co-authored article The Promise of TrumpRx , they explore how direct-to-consumer purchasing, pricing transparency, and reforming the rebate-driven PBM system could reshape what p...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters , Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc unpack key findings from the recent Global Healthy Living Foundation’s national survey on access to COVID-19 oral antivirals. As federal emergency support phases out, how are high-risk patients navigating access to these lifesaving treatments? Dr. Popovian highlights persistent knowledge gaps, reimbursement hurdles, an...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters , Dr. Robert Popovian breaks down the complex but critical connection between vaccine policy and access in the United States. Our hosts examine how guidance from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) can affect not only where patients can get vaccinated but also whether healthcare providers are reimbursed for administering those v...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters , Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc sit down with Dr. Alison Bailey, Chief of Cardiology for Centennial Heart at Parkridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee and a Physician Director of Cardiovascular Disease for HCA Healthcare, to explore how policy decisions can help—or hinder—innovation in cardiovascular care. They discuss the hidden consequences of the...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc dive into a recent paper published in the Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research that explores the unintended consequences of drug price-setting under the Inflation Reduction Act. Using real-world modeling focused on Eliquis and Xarelto—two widely used anticoagulants—Dr. Popovian discusses how Pharmacy...

In this special live episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc bring you insightful conversations from the 2025 World Vaccine Congress in Washington, DC. Joined by leading experts—including Richard Hughes, Abby Bownas, Rekha Lakshmanan, and Tommy Acciani—they explore the current landscape of adult immunization policy, funding threats to vaccine infrastructure, mi...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, hosts Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc are joined by Peter Pitts, former FDA Associate Commissioner and President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Together, they unpack the sweeping personnel cuts at HHS, ongoing instability at the FDA, and how it all may threaten the future of drug innovation in the U.S. With delays in leadership appointme...

Are well-intentioned vaccine policies making access harder instead of easier? In this episode of Healthcare Matters, hosts Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc unpack a new report from the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) on how Shared Clinical Decision Making (SCDM) and risk-based recommendations may unintentionally reduce adult vaccination rates—particularly in underserved communities....

Did you know that millions of adults may have missed crucial vaccines due to restrictive state policies on pharmacist vaccination authority? In this episode of Healthcare Matters, hosts Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc sit down with Vibhu Tewary and Conrad Bhamani from the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science to discuss new research conducted by the IQVIA Institute and GHLF on how these restric...

S6, Ep 1- Vaccine Hesitancy & Access: What Our Latest Survey Reveals In this season premiere of Healthcare Matters , our hosts are joined by Seth Ginsberg, President and Co-Founder of the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), to discuss the critical role of vaccines in public health and the persistent challenges of misinformation, access barriers, and vaccine hesitancy. They also delve into...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters , Dr. Robert Popovian, Ben Blanc, and guest Corey Greenblatt, Director of State Policy and Advocacy at GHLF, dive into the complexities of vaccine guidelines and access. They discuss the role of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), with Corey sharing insights on GHLF’s advocacy to make vaccines more accessible. Dr. Popovian underscores the...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc unpack the often unpredictable nature of political affiliations in relation to support for patient-centric policies, particularly in the realm of drug pricing and the influence of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). They discuss bipartisan efforts to address drug pricing reforms and delve into Governor Newsom's controversial ve...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, join Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc as they delve into the issue of patient steering by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). With firsthand accounts from guests Lou Tharp, Executive Director and Co-Founder of GHLF, and Dr. Anne Sydor, Director of Research Development at GHLF, the discussion highlights how PBM-owned pharmacies and policies like accumulators an...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, join Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc as they dissect the critical role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in the health care system, guided by recent findings from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The episode delves into how PBMs control a significant portion of the U.S. prescription market, discussing the implications of their dominance on drug prices,...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, join our hosts as they explore the innovative world of gene therapy with guest Dr. Anne Sydor, Director of Research Development at GHLF. Together, they delve into the complexities of gene therapy treatments, the reasoning behind their high costs, and the challenges posed by current regulatory environments. They also discuss whether there is a need to reevalua...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc bring you essential takeaways from the World Vaccine Congress. Joined by guests Abby Bownas, leader of the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC) and the American Disease Prevention Coalition (ADPC), and Dr. Thomas Acciani, Director of U.S. Vaccine Policy at GSK, they delve into their significant roles within the vaccine lands...

In this episode, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc are joined by Kate Hudson, Associate Vice President and Counsel for Government Relations and Public Policy at the Association of American Universities, to dissect the complex issue of march-in rights. They delve into how this regulation negatively influences the partnership between public research and private sector investment, which is crucial fo...

Join Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc for a special live episode from the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, DC, where they delve into the latest developments in vaccine policy and economic research. This episode spotlights the congress's role as a vital hub for collaboration and innovation in the vaccine industry.   Tune in to get an insider's view of the pivotal conversations shaping the fut...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc take a deep dive into GHLF’s latest vaccine study with guests Dr. Wayne Winegarden, Senior Fellow in Business and Economics at the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) and Director of PRI's Center for Medical Economics and Innovation, and Esteban Rivera, Associate Director of Data Science and Economics at GHLF. Together, they del...

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, our hosts dive into the impact of pharmacy reimbursement on vaccination rates with guest Vibhu Tewary, researcher and Project Director at IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. Through discussing a recent study, they reveal how a modest increase in reimbursement can lead to higher flu vaccination rates among Medicaid-covered adults. The episode also touches...