The Pharmacy Benefit is a podcast series from the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. This podcast highlights the pharmacy benefit industry and the value pharmacy benefit companies bring to tens or millions of people throughout the country. We explore and discuss a wide variety of topics with experts and industry leaders.
Achieving Widespread COVID-19 Vaccination Part One
Although the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has had a successful start, major health inequities still exist in vaccine access for underserved communities and underrepresented minorities. 2 million Americans are being vaccinated a day, but less than 20% are underrepresented minorities. In this episode, guest host Claire Winiarek sits down with Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), and Dr. Sree Chaguturu, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark. Claire, Dr. Rios, and Dr. Chaguturu discuss the unique social determinants of why these inequities exist, why it’s important to reframe COVID-19 vaccination campaigns for specific demographic groups, and how PBMs are working to educate underserved populations on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.
What’s Next for the Rebate Rule?
The Trump administration enacted the Rebate Rule just before leaving office in November 2020. Analyses on the rule, including from government actuaries, show that the rebate rule would increase Medicare Part D premiums by 25% and increase taxpayer costs by 170 billion dollars. PCMA filed a lawsuit to stop the rebate rule from taking effect. In this episode, host JC Scott speaks with April Alexander, PCMA General Counsel, Vice President of State Regulatory Affairs; and Mark Newsom, principal and founder at Health Evaluation, LLC. JC, April, and Mark discuss the PCMA lawsuit, the impact of the last-minute rebate rule, and the Biden Administration’s approach to addressing the rule.
COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity
Many Americans have expressed strong reservations about vaccines in general and a COVID-19 vaccine in particular, and remain unsure about whether to be vaccinated against the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). In this episode, guest host ClaireWulf Winiarek speaks with Janet McUlsky, convener of the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project, and Susan Winckler, a former Chief of Staff to the FDA Commissioner and current CEO of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA, about these concerns and the potential messages and messengers that may help improve understanding.
What Could Health Policy Look Like In 2021?
Host JC Scott speaks with Megan Hauck, a former Health Policy Advisor to President George W. Bush, Senator Mitch McConnell, and Chris Jennings, former Senior Advisor for Health Policy for both the Clinton and Obama Administrations. In this episode, Scott, Hauck, and Jennings discuss the election results, what a new president and Congress will mean for healthcare policies, and speculate how shifts in the House and Senate will impact the future of healthcare.
How PBMs Reduce Insulin Costs
Host JC Scott speaks with Amy Bricker, Senior Vice President of Health Services Supply Chain at Express Scripts and previous commissioner for MedPac. November is National Diabetes Month, and the discussion this week revolves around how PBMs help keep the costs of insulin down and improve patient care. (Originally aired: November 2020 – Amy Bricker is now President, Express Scripts)
How PBMs Use Data to Help Patients During COVID-19
Host JC Scott speaks with two guests from Humana Pharmacy Solutions. The first, Mona Siddiqui, is senior vice president of clinical strategy and quality at Humana. Her background is in public service, especially with HHS and the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Innovation. The second is Dr. Scott Greenwell, senior vice president of pharmacy solutions at Humana, who played an integral role in launching Humana’s Medicare Part D program. The discussion is around innovation in service delivery both before, during, and after the pandemic.
