Moving to Value Unscripted

The American healthcare system is financially engineered to wait for expensive medical disasters rather than preventing them. Perhaps no one has a clearer view of how to dismantle this "rescue medicine" trap than Dr. Bill Bestermann. A preventive cardiologist and former President of the South Carolina affiliate of the American Heart Association, Bestermann has spent decades fighting the "medical-industrial complex" from the inside—as an ICU director, health plan advisor, and chief medical officer. As the author of the Slow Aging and Delayed Chronic Disease Development newsletter, Bestermann exposes how Wall Street insurance companies and obsolete, 50-year-old billing models actively protect highly profitable specialty silos at the expense of patient health. He is a fierce champion of optimal medical therapy, a low-cost, protocol-driven approach that arrests chronic disease at the root cellular level. He joins us to unpack the staggering economic disparity between standard procedure-driven care and molecular prevention, explaining how self-insured employers and communities can bypass bloated hospital networks to buy actual, measurable value. Find a transcript of this episode at movingtovalue.org/transcript/bestermann________Sign up for our email list.Thank you to our members who make our work possible! As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Moving to Value Alliance relies on generous supporters to advance our mission of creating a value-based healthcare ecosystem with high-quality health outcomes at a reasonable cost for plan sponsors and their members. Get involved at movingtovalue.org/members.

Pharmacists are one of the most trusted professions, yet more and more pharmacies are closing. A recent survey found 2275 pharmacies have closed so far this year, and every day independent pharmacies are shuttering their doors – often leaving “pharmacy deserts” in their wake. Vertically-consolidated Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have made it practically impossible for local pharmacies to survive, and we’re all paying the price. But independent pharmacists are speaking out and pushing back – and they’ve secured wins! General Counsel for the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Matt Seiler joins MTVA to discuss the current state of community pharmacy, how “shareholder capitalism” got us here, and what comes next. NCPA is the voice for independent pharmacy, representing the interests of nearly 19,000 community pharmacies across the country. Despite the challenges facing his industry, Matt is optimistic that desperately-needed PBM reform is on the horizon. “If there’s one thing that’s brought the political parties together in our country, it’s the dislike for pharmacy benefit managers.” Listen to learn more about the unique role community pharmacists play in the health system, why PBM consolidation is particularly acute at the local level, and how NCPA has helped secure bipartisan support for reining in PBMs. Check out the other episodes in our “PBM Problems” series: Part 1 w/ ERISA Attorney Paul Holmes Part 2 w/ Mutual Rx CEO Roy Wilkinson Part 3 w/ Luke Slindee, PharmD ———————————— We’re excited to welcome like-minded organizations and individuals to join the MTVA Membership program! As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on support from our grassroots network to advance our mission of creating a value-based health system with high-quality patient outcomes at a reasonable cost. We’re proud to offer two membership models, Ally Member and Trade Member. Tax-deductible membership contributions help us enrich the healthcare environment with quality content – including this podcast – and robust platforms to fuel discussion, collaboration, and advocacy that lead to ground-breaking solutions. For more information and to join us, visit our website https://www.movingtovalue.org/membership. All episodes of MTVA Unscripted can be found⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠.

Jeff Hogan, Dr. Steven Shutzer, and Dr. John Rodis discuss Connecticut's evolving healthcare landscape -- how Connecticut serves as a national testbed for healthcare change, focusing on payment reform, care transformation, and the move toward value-based healthcare. The conversation touches on the influx of advanced primary care organizations, the role of data and transparency, the potential impact on hospitals and health systems in the state, and the role of policy and politics in shaping Connecticut ... and the nation's ... healthcare future.This episode features: Jeffrey Hogan, MTVA Founding Board Member & President, Upside Health AdvisorsJohn Rodis, MD, President, MTVA and Founder and President, Arista Health, LLCSteve Schutzer, MD, MTVA Founding Board Member & Co-Founder, Upswing Health All episodes of MTVA Unscripted can be found ⁠here⁠.