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		<itunes:subtitle>Breaking Down Cost, Care, &amp; Access</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:author>Michael Navin &amp; Dr. Randy Vogenberg</itunes:author>
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	<title>EP 42 &#124; GLP-1s Explained: Breakthrough Therapy, Budget Disruptor, or Both?</title>
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	<description><![CDATA[GLP-1 medications have moved from diabetes treatment to a cultural phenomenon in record time. But beyond the headlines and celebrity endorsements lies a far more complex story. In Episode 42, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down what GLP-1s actually are, how they function in the body, and why they are reshaping conversations around obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, and employer health plan budgets. From Ozempic and Wegovy to emerging alternatives, this episode explores the clinical promise, the side effects, and the financial shockwaves hitting plan sponsors across the country. For pharmaceutical leaders, HR executives, consultants, and policy stakeholders, this conversation goes beyond weight loss. It addresses what happens when innovation outpaces coverage strategy and how benefit decision makers are responding to one of the most disruptive drug classes in recent history. Key Topics Episode Chapters with Timestamps00:00 – Introduction to Healthcare 101: GLP-1s00:32 – What are GLP-1 medications?01:01 – How GLP-1s affect appetite, digestion, and blood sugar02:48 – Understanding metabolic syndrome04:20 – Lifestyle factors vs. pharmaceutical intervention05:30 – GLP-1s vs. SGLT2 inhibitors06:45 – From bariatric surgery to pharmaceutical alternative07:56 – Plan sponsor perspective and coverage disruption09:13 – Who qualifies and why coverage changed09:27 – Side effects and real world risks10:52 – Cardiovascular approvals and expanded indications11:59 – Type 1 vs. Type 2 diabetes management13:46 – Final thoughts on the future of GLP-1s Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[GLP-1 medications have moved from diabetes treatment to a cultural phenomenon in record time. But beyond the headlines and celebrity endorsements lies a far more complex story. In Episode 42, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down what GLP-1s actually are, how ]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[GLP-1 medications have moved from diabetes treatment to a cultural phenomenon in record time. But beyond the headlines and celebrity endorsements lies a far more complex story. In Episode 42, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down what GLP-1s actually are, how they function in the body, and why they are reshaping conversations around obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, and employer health plan budgets. From Ozempic and Wegovy to emerging alternatives, this episode explores the clinical promise, the side effects, and the financial shockwaves hitting plan sponsors across the country. For pharmaceutical leaders, HR executives, consultants, and policy stakeholders, this conversation goes beyond weight loss. It addresses what happens when innovation outpaces coverage strategy and how benefit decision makers are responding to one of the most disruptive drug classes in recent history. Key Topics Episode Chapters with Timestamps00:00 – Introduction to Healthcare 101: GLP-1s00:32 – What are GLP-1 medications?01:01 – How GLP-1s affect appetite, digestion, and blood sugar02:48 – Understanding metabolic syndrome04:20 – Lifestyle factors vs. pharmaceutical intervention05:30 – GLP-1s vs. SGLT2 inhibitors06:45 – From bariatric surgery to pharmaceutical alternative07:56 – Plan sponsor perspective and coverage disruption09:13 – Who qualifies and why coverage changed09:27 – Side effects and real world risks10:52 – Cardiovascular approvals and expanded indications11:59 – Type 1 vs. Type 2 diabetes management13:46 – Final thoughts on the future of GLP-1s Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[GLP-1 medications have moved from diabetes treatment to a cultural phenomenon in record time. But beyond the headlines and celebrity endorsements lies a far more complex story. In Episode 42, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down what GLP-1s actually are, how they function in the body, and why they are reshaping conversations around obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, and employer health plan budgets. From Ozempic and Wegovy to emerging alternatives, this episode explores the clinical promise, the side effects, and the financial shockwaves hitting plan sponsors across the country. For pharmaceutical leaders, HR executives, consultants, and policy stakeholders, this conversation goes beyond weight loss. It addresses what happens when innovation outpaces coverage strategy and how benefit decision makers are responding to one of the most disruptive drug classes in recent history. Key Topics Episode Chapters with Timestamps00:00 – Introduction to Healthcare 101: GLP-1s00:32 – What are GLP-1 medications?01:01 – How GLP-1s affect appetite, digestion, and blood sugar02:48 – Understanding metabolic syndrome04:20 – Lifestyle factors vs. pharmaceutical intervention05:30 – GLP-1s vs. SGLT2 inhibitors06:45 – From bariatric surgery to pharmaceutical alternative07:56 – Plan sponsor perspective and coverage disruption09:13 – Who qualifies and why coverage changed09:27 – Side effects and real world risks10:52 – Cardiovascular approvals and expanded indications11:59 – Type 1 vs. Type 2 diabetes management13:46 – Final thoughts on the future of GLP-1s Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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	<title>Ep 41 &#124; Healthcare 101: Who Really Controls Cost, Access, and Coverage?</title>
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	<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 20:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
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	<description><![CDATA[In this inaugural Healthcare 101 segment, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down the fundamentals of the American health insurance system. From the evolution of employer-sponsored coverage to the rise of managed care and vertical integration, this episode explores why healthcare feels so complex and where the money actually flows. Listeners will gain clarity on the role of middlemen, cost shifting, site of care decisions, and what individuals can do to better navigate the system. Whether you are an employer, industry leader, or consumer, this episode offers foundational insights to help you make more informed healthcare decisions. Key Topics Episode Chapters with Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Healthcare 10100:34 – What is the American health insurance system?01:04 – How cost, access, and quality shape healthcare03:55 – Why the system is so complicated05:20 – Who are the key players in healthcare?07:15 – The role of middlemen and consolidation09:16 – Vertical integration explained09:59 – What individuals can do to navigate the system11:51 – Cash pricing vs. traditional insurance models13:00 – Why understanding the system matters Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this inaugural Healthcare 101 segment, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down the fundamentals of the American health insurance system. From the evolution of employer-sponsored coverage to the rise of managed care and vertical integration, this episode explo]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In this inaugural Healthcare 101 segment, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down the fundamentals of the American health insurance system. From the evolution of employer-sponsored coverage to the rise of managed care and vertical integration, this episode explores why healthcare feels so complex and where the money actually flows. Listeners will gain clarity on the role of middlemen, cost shifting, site of care decisions, and what individuals can do to better navigate the system. Whether you are an employer, industry leader, or consumer, this episode offers foundational insights to help you make more informed healthcare decisions. Key Topics Episode Chapters with Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Healthcare 10100:34 – What is the American health insurance system?01:04 – How cost, access, and quality shape healthcare03:55 – Why the system is so complicated05:20 – Who are the key players in healthcare?07:15 – The role of middlemen and consolidation09:16 – Vertical integration explained09:59 – What individuals can do to navigate the system11:51 – Cash pricing vs. traditional insurance models13:00 – Why understanding the system matters Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this inaugural Healthcare 101 segment, Dr. Randy Vogenberg breaks down the fundamentals of the American health insurance system. From the evolution of employer-sponsored coverage to the rise of managed care and vertical integration, this episode explores why healthcare feels so complex and where the money actually flows. Listeners will gain clarity on the role of middlemen, cost shifting, site of care decisions, and what individuals can do to better navigate the system. Whether you are an employer, industry leader, or consumer, this episode offers foundational insights to help you make more informed healthcare decisions. Key Topics Episode Chapters with Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Healthcare 10100:34 – What is the American health insurance system?01:04 – How cost, access, and quality shape healthcare03:55 – Why the system is so complicated05:20 – Who are the key players in healthcare?07:15 – The role of middlemen and consolidation09:16 – Vertical integration explained09:59 – What individuals can do to navigate the system11:51 – Cash pricing vs. traditional insurance models13:00 – Why understanding the system matters Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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	<title>Ep 40 &#124; Engaging the Healthcare Consumer: Transparency, Trust, and the Skills We Are Missing</title>
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	<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:52:29 +0000</pubDate>
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	<description><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome&#160;Lynn Hanessian, founder of Engager, for a wide-ranging discussion on why healthcare engagement has become a critical challenge for employers, providers, and consumers. Drawing on her background in economics, healthcare communications, and strategy, Lynn explains how rising costs, shifting information sources, and complex benefit designs are placing new demands on patients who are not equipped to navigate them. The conversation explores transparency, trust, technology, AI, employer responsibility, and the growing need to teach consumers how to engage with healthcare decisions in real time. Key Topics Discussed• Why healthcare engagement has become a missing skill• The shift of cost and decision-making to patients• How employers have become the most trusted healthcare messenger• Transparency gaps in pricing and plan design• Changing information behaviors and the rise of generative search• AI, technology, and their limits in improving care today• Consumer confusion around access, urgency, and cost• Public trust, misinformation, and the burden on providers• What engagement must look like for the future of care Episode Chapters with Time-Stamps00:05 – Welcome and introduction01:05 – Lynn Hannessian’s background and focus on engagement03:32 – Defining engagement and identifying critical audiences05:06 – Employers, patients, and the information gap06:12 – Shifts in how people seek healthcare information09:22 – Care management, stakeholders, and alignment challenges12:13 – Transparency tools and pricing visibility15:06 – Empowering consumers to question costs16:07 – Building healthcare literacy and decision skills18:02 – Trust, misinformation, and public health messaging21:10 – AI, post-COVID acceleration, and system strain24:58 – Access challenges in rural and underserved areas26:37 – Expectations of consumers and providers29:41 – Policy, JPMorgan conference insights, and what is coming34:25 – Specialty care growth and employer readiness36:11 – Multi-generational care complexity37:51 – Closing thoughts and where engagement goes next Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome&#160;Lynn Hanessian, founder of Engager, for a wide-ranging discussion on why healthcare engagement has become a critical challenge for employers, providers, and co]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome&#160;Lynn Hanessian, founder of Engager, for a wide-ranging discussion on why healthcare engagement has become a critical challenge for employers, providers, and consumers. Drawing on her background in economics, healthcare communications, and strategy, Lynn explains how rising costs, shifting information sources, and complex benefit designs are placing new demands on patients who are not equipped to navigate them. The conversation explores transparency, trust, technology, AI, employer responsibility, and the growing need to teach consumers how to engage with healthcare decisions in real time. Key Topics Discussed• Why healthcare engagement has become a missing skill• The shift of cost and decision-making to patients• How employers have become the most trusted healthcare messenger• Transparency gaps in pricing and plan design• Changing information behaviors and the rise of generative search• AI, technology, and their limits in improving care today• Consumer confusion around access, urgency, and cost• Public trust, misinformation, and the burden on providers• What engagement must look like for the future of care Episode Chapters with Time-Stamps00:05 – Welcome and introduction01:05 – Lynn Hannessian’s background and focus on engagement03:32 – Defining engagement and identifying critical audiences05:06 – Employers, patients, and the information gap06:12 – Shifts in how people seek healthcare information09:22 – Care management, stakeholders, and alignment challenges12:13 – Transparency tools and pricing visibility15:06 – Empowering consumers to question costs16:07 – Building healthcare literacy and decision skills18:02 – Trust, misinformation, and public health messaging21:10 – AI, post-COVID acceleration, and system strain24:58 – Access challenges in rural and underserved areas26:37 – Expectations of consumers and providers29:41 – Policy, JPMorgan conference insights, and what is coming34:25 – Specialty care growth and employer readiness36:11 – Multi-generational care complexity37:51 – Closing thoughts and where engagement goes next Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome&#160;Lynn Hanessian, founder of Engager, for a wide-ranging discussion on why healthcare engagement has become a critical challenge for employers, providers, and consumers. Drawing on her background in economics, healthcare communications, and strategy, Lynn explains how rising costs, shifting information sources, and complex benefit designs are placing new demands on patients who are not equipped to navigate them. The conversation explores transparency, trust, technology, AI, employer responsibility, and the growing need to teach consumers how to engage with healthcare decisions in real time. Key Topics Discussed• Why healthcare engagement has become a missing skill• The shift of cost and decision-making to patients• How employers have become the most trusted healthcare messenger• Transparency gaps in pricing and plan design• Changing information behaviors and the rise of generative search• AI, technology, and their limits in improving care today• Consumer confusion around access, urgency, and cost• Public trust, misinformation, and the burden on providers• What engagement must look like for the future of care Episode Chapters with Time-Stamps00:05 – Welcome and introduction01:05 – Lynn Hannessian’s background and focus on engagement03:32 – Defining engagement and identifying critical audiences05:06 – Employers, patients, and the information gap06:12 – Shifts in how people seek healthcare information09:22 – Care management, stakeholders, and alignment challenges12:13 – Transparency tools and pricing visibility15:06 – Empowering consumers to question costs16:07 – Building healthcare literacy and decision skills18:02 – Trust, misinformation, and public health messaging21:10 – AI, post-COVID acceleration, and system strain24:58 – Access challenges in rural and underserved areas26:37 – Expectations of consumers and providers29:41 – Policy, JPMorgan conference insights, and what is coming34:25 – Specialty care growth and employer readiness36:11 – Multi-generational care complexity37:51 – Closing thoughts and where engagement goes next Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 40 &#124; Engaging the Healthcare Consumer: Transparency, Trust, and the Skills We Are Missing</title>
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	<title>Ep 39 &#124; The Great American Healthcare Heist: Transparency, Power, and What Must Change</title>
	<link>https://onlyhealthcarepodcast.com/podcast/ep-39-the-great-american-healthcare-heist-transparency-power-and-what-must-change/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ep-39-the-great-american-healthcare-heist-transparency-power-and-what-must-change</link>
	<pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:59:13 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome healthcare attorney, policy advocate, and author&#160;Chris Deacon&#160;for an in-depth conversation on how structural incentives, middlemen, and lack of transparency have reshaped the U.S. healthcare system. Drawing from her experience overseeing New Jersey’s state health benefits program and her book&#160;The Great American Healthcare Heist, Chris explains how employers and public sector plans are increasingly squeezed by rising costs, opaque pharmacy benefit structures, hospital consolidation, and technology deployed to optimize revenue rather than reduce spend. The episode explores why understanding contracts, data, and incentives is critical and where real opportunities for reform may still exist. Key Topics Discussed• How healthcare incentives became misaligned across the system• Why transparency is essential to restoring affordability• The evolving role and impact of pharmacy benefit managers• FDA approval, drug marketing, and assumptions about efficacy• Vertical integration and the corporatization of medicine• Public sector healthcare insolvency and budget crowd-out• How AI is being used to optimize billing rather than reduce costs• Practical levers employers can use to regain control Episode Chapters with Time-Stamps00:04 – Welcome and introduction to Chris Deacon01:01 – Chris’s background in public service and healthcare oversight03:12 – Why state healthcare plans mirror the commercial market04:16 – The motivation behind&#160;The Great American Healthcare Heist07:28 – Training gaps and healthcare literacy challenges09:07 – Pharmacy benefits, PBMs, and middlemen dynamics12:21 – FDA approval, drug marketing, and flawed assumptions14:49 – Healthcare spending surpasses $5 trillion16:04 – Public sector insolvency and budget crowd-out18:54 – AI, revenue optimization, and unintended consequences20:17 – Hospital consolidation and vertical integration23:20 – Transparency, direct contracting, and paths forward26:22 – Practical levers employers can pull today29:19 – Early signs of market change31:27 – Closing reflections and call to action Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome healthcare attorney, policy advocate, and author&#160;Chris Deacon&#160;for an in-depth conversation on how structural incentives, middlemen, and lack of transparen]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome healthcare attorney, policy advocate, and author&#160;Chris Deacon&#160;for an in-depth conversation on how structural incentives, middlemen, and lack of transparency have reshaped the U.S. healthcare system. Drawing from her experience overseeing New Jersey’s state health benefits program and her book&#160;The Great American Healthcare Heist, Chris explains how employers and public sector plans are increasingly squeezed by rising costs, opaque pharmacy benefit structures, hospital consolidation, and technology deployed to optimize revenue rather than reduce spend. The episode explores why understanding contracts, data, and incentives is critical and where real opportunities for reform may still exist. Key Topics Discussed• How healthcare incentives became misaligned across the system• Why transparency is essential to restoring affordability• The evolving role and impact of pharmacy benefit managers• FDA approval, drug marketing, and assumptions about efficacy• Vertical integration and the corporatization of medicine• Public sector healthcare insolvency and budget crowd-out• How AI is being used to optimize billing rather than reduce costs• Practical levers employers can use to regain control Episode Chapters with Time-Stamps00:04 – Welcome and introduction to Chris Deacon01:01 – Chris’s background in public service and healthcare oversight03:12 – Why state healthcare plans mirror the commercial market04:16 – The motivation behind&#160;The Great American Healthcare Heist07:28 – Training gaps and healthcare literacy challenges09:07 – Pharmacy benefits, PBMs, and middlemen dynamics12:21 – FDA approval, drug marketing, and flawed assumptions14:49 – Healthcare spending surpasses $5 trillion16:04 – Public sector insolvency and budget crowd-out18:54 – AI, revenue optimization, and unintended consequences20:17 – Hospital consolidation and vertical integration23:20 – Transparency, direct contracting, and paths forward26:22 – Practical levers employers can pull today29:19 – Early signs of market change31:27 – Closing reflections and call to action Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome healthcare attorney, policy advocate, and author&#160;Chris Deacon&#160;for an in-depth conversation on how structural incentives, middlemen, and lack of transparency have reshaped the U.S. healthcare system. Drawing from her experience overseeing New Jersey’s state health benefits program and her book&#160;The Great American Healthcare Heist, Chris explains how employers and public sector plans are increasingly squeezed by rising costs, opaque pharmacy benefit structures, hospital consolidation, and technology deployed to optimize revenue rather than reduce spend. The episode explores why understanding contracts, data, and incentives is critical and where real opportunities for reform may still exist. Key Topics Discussed• How healthcare incentives became misaligned across the system• Why transparency is essential to restoring affordability• The evolving role and impact of pharmacy benefit managers• FDA approval, drug marketing, and assumptions about efficacy• Vertical integration and the corporatization of medicine• Public sector healthcare insolvency and budget crowd-out• How AI is being used to optimize billing rather than reduce costs• Practical levers employers can use to regain control Episode Chapters with Time-Stamps00:04 – Welcome and introduction to Chris Deacon01:01 – Chris’s background in public service and healthcare oversight03:12 – Why state healthcare plans mirror the commercial market04:16 – The motivation behind&#160;The Great American Healthcare Heist07:28 – Training gaps and healthcare literacy challenges09:07 – Pharmacy benefits, PBMs, and middlemen dynamics12:21 – FDA approval, drug marketing, and flawed assumptions14:49 – Healthcare spending surpasses $5 trillion16:04 – Public sector insolvency and budget crowd-out18:54 – AI, revenue optimization, and unintended consequences20:17 – Hospital consolidation and vertical integration23:20 – Transparency, direct contracting, and paths forward26:22 – Practical levers employers can pull today29:19 – Early signs of market change31:27 – Closing reflections and call to action Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 39 &#124; The Great American Healthcare Heist: Transparency, Power, and What Must Change</title>
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	<title>Ep 38 &#124; Rethinking Risk: How Employers Prepare for Cell and Gene Therapy</title>
	<link>https://onlyhealthcarepodcast.com/podcast/ep-38-rethinking-risk-how-employers-prepare-for-cell-and-gene-therapy/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ep-38-rethinking-risk-how-employers-prepare-for-cell-and-gene-therapy</link>
	<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:03:55 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg are joined by Luke Prettol, benefits strategy leader at AT&#38;T, for a deep dive into how employers are preparing for the growing impact of cell and gene therapies. The conversation focuses less on headline costs and more on the real risk employers face as utilization increases, therapies evolve, and benefit design struggles to keep pace. Luke explains how AT&#38;T defines success in benefits strategy, prioritizing patient outcomes while staying ahead of market trend. He walks through how large employers think about claim size, long-term value, and the growing complexity tied to treatment risk, provider selection, and fair pricing. The episode explores why rare disease therapies will no longer be one-off events, how proactive patient identification and centers of excellence can reduce risk, and why employers must plan several years ahead instead of reacting year to year. Key Topics Discussed• How employers define success beyond lowest cost• Why cell and gene therapies create new risk challenges• Treatment risk, provider risk, and financial risk explained• Why rare diseases are becoming more common at scale• Planning for 3–7 year benefit strategy horizons• Proactive patient identification and care navigation• Centers of excellence and site-of-care decisions• Managing pricing certainty and outcome accountability• Budget volatility, stop-loss pressure, and financial risk• Structural challenges including ERISA erosion and data gaps Episode Chapters &#38; Timestamps00:04 Welcome and episode overview01:36 Luke Prettol background and role at AT&#38;T02:21 How employers define winning in benefits strategy03:30 Claim size versus outcomes and long-term value06:45 The three core risks employers must manage08:30 Why cell and gene therapies change the risk equation10:34 Rare disease growth and planning for 203013:19 Lessons from specialty drug adoption15:24 Proactive patient identification and early intervention19:50 Centers of excellence and treatment accuracy22:03 Predictability, data, and risk reduction23:26 ROI, retention, and member experience26:22 The employer “triple pain” framework32:35 Defining success and planning beyond today36:06 Closing remarks Michael&#8217;s LinkedInRandy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg are joined by Luke Prettol, benefits strategy leader at AT&#38;T, for a deep dive into how employers are preparing for the growing impact of cell and gene therapies. ]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg are joined by Luke Prettol, benefits strategy leader at AT&#38;T, for a deep dive into how employers are preparing for the growing impact of cell and gene therapies. The conversation focuses less on headline costs and more on the real risk employers face as utilization increases, therapies evolve, and benefit design struggles to keep pace. Luke explains how AT&#38;T defines success in benefits strategy, prioritizing patient outcomes while staying ahead of market trend. He walks through how large employers think about claim size, long-term value, and the growing complexity tied to treatment risk, provider selection, and fair pricing. The episode explores why rare disease therapies will no longer be one-off events, how proactive patient identification and centers of excellence can reduce risk, and why employers must plan several years ahead instead of reacting year to year. Key Topics Discussed• How employers define success beyond lowest cost• Why cell and gene therapies create new risk challenges• Treatment risk, provider risk, and financial risk explained• Why rare diseases are becoming more common at scale• Planning for 3–7 year benefit strategy horizons• Proactive patient identification and care navigation• Centers of excellence and site-of-care decisions• Managing pricing certainty and outcome accountability• Budget volatility, stop-loss pressure, and financial risk• Structural challenges including ERISA erosion and data gaps Episode Chapters &#38; Timestamps00:04 Welcome and episode overview01:36 Luke Prettol background and role at AT&#38;T02:21 How employers define winning in benefits strategy03:30 Claim size versus outcomes and long-term value06:45 The three core risks employers must manage08:30 Why cell and gene therapies change the risk equation10:34 Rare disease growth and planning for 203013:19 Lessons from specialty drug adoption15:24 Proactive patient identification and early intervention19:50 Centers of excellence and treatment accuracy22:03 Predictability, data, and risk reduction23:26 ROI, retention, and member experience26:22 The employer “triple pain” framework32:35 Defining success and planning beyond today36:06 Closing remarks Michael&#8217;s LinkedInRandy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg are joined by Luke Prettol, benefits strategy leader at AT&#38;T, for a deep dive into how employers are preparing for the growing impact of cell and gene therapies. The conversation focuses less on headline costs and more on the real risk employers face as utilization increases, therapies evolve, and benefit design struggles to keep pace. Luke explains how AT&#38;T defines success in benefits strategy, prioritizing patient outcomes while staying ahead of market trend. He walks through how large employers think about claim size, long-term value, and the growing complexity tied to treatment risk, provider selection, and fair pricing. The episode explores why rare disease therapies will no longer be one-off events, how proactive patient identification and centers of excellence can reduce risk, and why employers must plan several years ahead instead of reacting year to year. Key Topics Discussed• How employers define success beyond lowest cost• Why cell and gene therapies create new risk challenges• Treatment risk, provider risk, and financial risk explained• Why rare diseases are becoming more common at scale• Planning for 3–7 year benefit strategy horizons• Proactive patient identification and care navigation• Centers of excellence and site-of-care decisions• Managing pricing certainty and outcome accountability• Budget volatility, stop-loss pressure, and financial risk• Structural challenges including ERISA erosion and data gaps Episode Chapters &#38; Timestamps00:04 Welcome and episode overview01:36 Luke Prettol background and role at AT&#38;T02:21 How employers define winning in benefits strategy03:30 Claim size versus outcomes and long-term value06:45 The three core risks employers must manage08:30 Why cell and gene therapies change the risk equation10:34 Rare disease growth and planning for 203013:19 Lessons from specialty drug adoption15:24 Proactive patient identification and early intervention19:50 Centers of excellence and treatment accuracy22:03 Predictability, data, and risk reduction23:26 ROI, retention, and member experience26:22 The employer “triple pain” framework32:35 Defining success and planning beyond today36:06 Closing remarks Michael&#8217;s LinkedInRandy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 38 &#124; Rethinking Risk: How Employers Prepare for Cell and Gene Therapy</title>
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	<itunes:author><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></itunes:author>	<googleplay:description><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg are joined by Luke Prettol, benefits strategy leader at AT&#38;T, for a deep dive into how employers are preparing for the growing impact of cell and gene therapies. The conversation focuses less on headline costs and more on the real risk employers face as utilization increases, therapies evolve, and benefit design struggles to keep pace. Luke explains how AT&#38;T defines success in benefits strategy, prioritizing patient outcomes while staying ahead of market trend. He walks through how large employers think about claim size, long-term value, and the growing complexity tied to treatment risk, provider selection, and fair pricing. The episode explores why rare disease therapies will no longer be one-off events, how proactive patient identification and centers of excellence can reduce risk, and why employers must plan several years ahead instead of reacting year to year. Key Topics Discussed• How ]]></googleplay:description>
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	<title>Ep 37 &#124; Why Employers Are Reinvesting in Primary Care and What It Means for Cost, Care, and Engagement</title>
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	<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:01:46 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[Employers are no longer waiting for healthcare costs to stabilize. In this episode, Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin are joined by Murray Harbour to break down why advanced primary care, direct contracting, and value-based benefit design are moving from pilot ideas to core employer strategies. The conversation examines how employers are shifting away from traditional networks, why prevention and engagement continue to struggle at scale, and what is finally changing in 2025 and beyond. From GLP-1 program missteps to bundled care models and local primary care solutions, this episode offers real-world examples of how employers can regain control of cost while improving access and outcomes. Key Topics Discussed Episode Chapters and Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and guest introduction01:40 What is changing for employers post-pandemic02:40 Does primary care investment actually lower costs03:45 ROI versus value of investment in benefits04:40 Prevention, wellness, and engagement challenges05:55 Direct vs advanced primary care explained06:55 Why employers are bypassing traditional networks08:10 Provider systems adopting advanced primary care09:50 Why benefits moved down and back up the priority list11:05 Legislative incentives and misalignment13:20 What employers are planning for 202614:55 PBM contracts and pharmacy control16:50 Multi-generational benefits and engagement18:00 How younger workers are reshaping benefit expectations21:05 Why change happens slowly and strategically24:15 The future of advanced primary care and local models27:45 Primary care as the quarterback of care28:40 Closing thoughts and wrap-up Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Employers are no longer waiting for healthcare costs to stabilize. In this episode, Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin are joined by Murray Harbour to break down why advanced primary care, direct contracting, and value-based benefit design are moving from]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Employers are no longer waiting for healthcare costs to stabilize. In this episode, Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin are joined by Murray Harbour to break down why advanced primary care, direct contracting, and value-based benefit design are moving from pilot ideas to core employer strategies. The conversation examines how employers are shifting away from traditional networks, why prevention and engagement continue to struggle at scale, and what is finally changing in 2025 and beyond. From GLP-1 program missteps to bundled care models and local primary care solutions, this episode offers real-world examples of how employers can regain control of cost while improving access and outcomes. Key Topics Discussed Episode Chapters and Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and guest introduction01:40 What is changing for employers post-pandemic02:40 Does primary care investment actually lower costs03:45 ROI versus value of investment in benefits04:40 Prevention, wellness, and engagement challenges05:55 Direct vs advanced primary care explained06:55 Why employers are bypassing traditional networks08:10 Provider systems adopting advanced primary care09:50 Why benefits moved down and back up the priority list11:05 Legislative incentives and misalignment13:20 What employers are planning for 202614:55 PBM contracts and pharmacy control16:50 Multi-generational benefits and engagement18:00 How younger workers are reshaping benefit expectations21:05 Why change happens slowly and strategically24:15 The future of advanced primary care and local models27:45 Primary care as the quarterback of care28:40 Closing thoughts and wrap-up Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Employers are no longer waiting for healthcare costs to stabilize. In this episode, Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin are joined by Murray Harbour to break down why advanced primary care, direct contracting, and value-based benefit design are moving from pilot ideas to core employer strategies. The conversation examines how employers are shifting away from traditional networks, why prevention and engagement continue to struggle at scale, and what is finally changing in 2025 and beyond. From GLP-1 program missteps to bundled care models and local primary care solutions, this episode offers real-world examples of how employers can regain control of cost while improving access and outcomes. Key Topics Discussed Episode Chapters and Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and guest introduction01:40 What is changing for employers post-pandemic02:40 Does primary care investment actually lower costs03:45 ROI versus value of investment in benefits04:40 Prevention, wellness, and engagement challenges05:55 Direct vs advanced primary care explained06:55 Why employers are bypassing traditional networks08:10 Provider systems adopting advanced primary care09:50 Why benefits moved down and back up the priority list11:05 Legislative incentives and misalignment13:20 What employers are planning for 202614:55 PBM contracts and pharmacy control16:50 Multi-generational benefits and engagement18:00 How younger workers are reshaping benefit expectations21:05 Why change happens slowly and strategically24:15 The future of advanced primary care and local models27:45 Primary care as the quarterback of care28:40 Closing thoughts and wrap-up Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 37 &#124; Why Employers Are Reinvesting in Primary Care and What It Means for Cost, Care, and Engagement</title>
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	<title>Ep 36 &#124; Drug Pricing at the Center: IRA, MFN, and Employer Direct Purchasing in 2026</title>
	<link>https://onlyhealthcarepodcast.com/podcast/ep-36-drug-pricing-at-the-center-ira-mfn-and-employer-direct-purchasing-in-2026/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ep-36-drug-pricing-at-the-center-ira-mfn-and-employer-direct-purchasing-in-2026</link>
	<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:52:06 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Dr. Randy Vogenberg welcome back Jayson Slotnick for a fast-moving year-in-review of 2025 and a grounded outlook for 2026. The conversation breaks down what changed through the Inflation Reduction Act implementation, why Most Favored Nation pricing keeps resurfacing, and how these policy forces could ripple across Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored coverage.&#160; Jayson also explores how direct purchasing, transparent pricing models, and the shifting PBM landscape may affect affordability, access, and benefit design. From Part D redesign and underused smoothing to biosimilars, 340B dynamics, and the role of the FDA in driving competition, this episode connects the policy headlines to what employers, manufacturers, and plans should realistically watch next. Key Topics• 2025 recap: IRA implementation and Part D redesign• Drug negotiation timelines and spillover effects• Most Favored Nation pricing: what is voluntary vs mandatory• Patient affordability: premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket pressure• Employer direct purchasing, net pricing, and PBM disruption• Biosimilars, patent cliffs, and what 2027 could change• 340B, hospital economics, and who really benefits from drug money• FDA’s role: faster approvals, competition, and innovation• 2026 watchlist: Part B negotiation list, CMS rules, ACA dynamics, CMMI models Chapters00:04 Welcome and intro to Jayson Slotnick02:04 2025 recap: IRA, CMS, affordability pressures02:45 Predictable vs unpredictable: Part D redesign, MFN momentum06:22 IRA vs MFN: separate lanes, real-world collisions09:12 Voluntary MFN models, IRA is not voluntary12:24 Employer net pricing and direct purchasing trends16:30 Affordability, hospital costs, and 340B dynamics18:57 FDA’s role: competition, generics, biosimilars, faster approvals23:22 2026 predictions: what we know is coming29:06 Stay current, stay calm, stay focused31:51 Commercial market changes and employer leverage39:33 Wrap and where to follow OHP Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Dr. Randy Vogenberg welcome back Jayson Slotnick for a fast-moving year-in-review of 2025 and a grounded outlook for 2026. The conversation breaks down what changed through the Infla]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Dr. Randy Vogenberg welcome back Jayson Slotnick for a fast-moving year-in-review of 2025 and a grounded outlook for 2026. The conversation breaks down what changed through the Inflation Reduction Act implementation, why Most Favored Nation pricing keeps resurfacing, and how these policy forces could ripple across Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored coverage.&#160; Jayson also explores how direct purchasing, transparent pricing models, and the shifting PBM landscape may affect affordability, access, and benefit design. From Part D redesign and underused smoothing to biosimilars, 340B dynamics, and the role of the FDA in driving competition, this episode connects the policy headlines to what employers, manufacturers, and plans should realistically watch next. Key Topics• 2025 recap: IRA implementation and Part D redesign• Drug negotiation timelines and spillover effects• Most Favored Nation pricing: what is voluntary vs mandatory• Patient affordability: premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket pressure• Employer direct purchasing, net pricing, and PBM disruption• Biosimilars, patent cliffs, and what 2027 could change• 340B, hospital economics, and who really benefits from drug money• FDA’s role: faster approvals, competition, and innovation• 2026 watchlist: Part B negotiation list, CMS rules, ACA dynamics, CMMI models Chapters00:04 Welcome and intro to Jayson Slotnick02:04 2025 recap: IRA, CMS, affordability pressures02:45 Predictable vs unpredictable: Part D redesign, MFN momentum06:22 IRA vs MFN: separate lanes, real-world collisions09:12 Voluntary MFN models, IRA is not voluntary12:24 Employer net pricing and direct purchasing trends16:30 Affordability, hospital costs, and 340B dynamics18:57 FDA’s role: competition, generics, biosimilars, faster approvals23:22 2026 predictions: what we know is coming29:06 Stay current, stay calm, stay focused31:51 Commercial market changes and employer leverage39:33 Wrap and where to follow OHP Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Dr. Randy Vogenberg welcome back Jayson Slotnick for a fast-moving year-in-review of 2025 and a grounded outlook for 2026. The conversation breaks down what changed through the Inflation Reduction Act implementation, why Most Favored Nation pricing keeps resurfacing, and how these policy forces could ripple across Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored coverage.&#160; Jayson also explores how direct purchasing, transparent pricing models, and the shifting PBM landscape may affect affordability, access, and benefit design. From Part D redesign and underused smoothing to biosimilars, 340B dynamics, and the role of the FDA in driving competition, this episode connects the policy headlines to what employers, manufacturers, and plans should realistically watch next. Key Topics• 2025 recap: IRA implementation and Part D redesign• Drug negotiation timelines and spillover effects• Most Favored Nation pricing: what is voluntary vs mandatory• Patient affordability: premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket pressure• Employer direct purchasing, net pricing, and PBM disruption• Biosimilars, patent cliffs, and what 2027 could change• 340B, hospital economics, and who really benefits from drug money• FDA’s role: faster approvals, competition, and innovation• 2026 watchlist: Part B negotiation list, CMS rules, ACA dynamics, CMMI models Chapters00:04 Welcome and intro to Jayson Slotnick02:04 2025 recap: IRA, CMS, affordability pressures02:45 Predictable vs unpredictable: Part D redesign, MFN momentum06:22 IRA vs MFN: separate lanes, real-world collisions09:12 Voluntary MFN models, IRA is not voluntary12:24 Employer net pricing and direct purchasing trends16:30 Affordability, hospital costs, and 340B dynamics18:57 FDA’s role: competition, generics, biosimilars, faster approvals23:22 2026 predictions: what we know is coming29:06 Stay current, stay calm, stay focused31:51 Commercial market changes and employer leverage39:33 Wrap and where to follow OHP Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 36 &#124; Drug Pricing at the Center: IRA, MFN, and Employer Direct Purchasing in 2026</title>
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	<title>Ep 35 &#124; Healthcare at a Breaking Point: Costs, Policy Gridlock, and What 2026 Holds</title>
	<link>https://onlyhealthcarepodcast.com/podcast/ep-35-healthcare-at-a-breaking-point-costs-policy-gridlock-and-what-2026-holds/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ep-35-healthcare-at-a-breaking-point-costs-policy-gridlock-and-what-2026-holds</link>
	<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome back healthcare policy veteran Deborah Williams for a candid conversation on why 2025 became such a difficult year for employers, patients, and policymakers alike. Coming off the tensions of the government shutdown and escalating healthcare costs, the discussion breaks down what is actually driving premium increases, prescription drug spending, hospital consolidation, and benefit design changes. Deborah draws on decades of Washington experience to explain why many policy ideas keep resurfacing, why they continue to fall short, and what risks lie ahead as the system moves into 2026. From direct-to-consumer drug pricing and PBM reform to political gridlock and consumer backlash, this episode explores where healthcare policy may realistically land next and why affordability remains the unanswered question. Key Topics Discussed Chapters with Time Stamps 00:04 Welcome and episode framing00:44 Deborah Williams&#8217; background and policy perspective01:44 Why 2025 was a brutal year for employers03:34 Hospital consolidation and cost shifting04:35 Prescription drug costs and market pressure07:15 Consumer behavior, adherence, and affordability09:00 Political realities and exchange subsidies12:08 Insurers, public sentiment, and misinformation14:03 Drug pricing models and global comparisons16:41 Employer leverage and failed market solutions17:49 Emerging therapies and future cost risk20:24 What could improve in 202624:26 Populism and the next policy inflection point Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome back healthcare policy veteran Deborah Williams for a candid conversation on why 2025 became such a difficult year for employers, patients, and policymakers a]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome back healthcare policy veteran Deborah Williams for a candid conversation on why 2025 became such a difficult year for employers, patients, and policymakers alike. Coming off the tensions of the government shutdown and escalating healthcare costs, the discussion breaks down what is actually driving premium increases, prescription drug spending, hospital consolidation, and benefit design changes. Deborah draws on decades of Washington experience to explain why many policy ideas keep resurfacing, why they continue to fall short, and what risks lie ahead as the system moves into 2026. From direct-to-consumer drug pricing and PBM reform to political gridlock and consumer backlash, this episode explores where healthcare policy may realistically land next and why affordability remains the unanswered question. Key Topics Discussed Chapters with Time Stamps 00:04 Welcome and episode framing00:44 Deborah Williams&#8217; background and policy perspective01:44 Why 2025 was a brutal year for employers03:34 Hospital consolidation and cost shifting04:35 Prescription drug costs and market pressure07:15 Consumer behavior, adherence, and affordability09:00 Political realities and exchange subsidies12:08 Insurers, public sentiment, and misinformation14:03 Drug pricing models and global comparisons16:41 Employer leverage and failed market solutions17:49 Emerging therapies and future cost risk20:24 What could improve in 202624:26 Populism and the next policy inflection point Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Michael Navin and Randy Vogenberg welcome back healthcare policy veteran Deborah Williams for a candid conversation on why 2025 became such a difficult year for employers, patients, and policymakers alike. Coming off the tensions of the government shutdown and escalating healthcare costs, the discussion breaks down what is actually driving premium increases, prescription drug spending, hospital consolidation, and benefit design changes. Deborah draws on decades of Washington experience to explain why many policy ideas keep resurfacing, why they continue to fall short, and what risks lie ahead as the system moves into 2026. From direct-to-consumer drug pricing and PBM reform to political gridlock and consumer backlash, this episode explores where healthcare policy may realistically land next and why affordability remains the unanswered question. Key Topics Discussed Chapters with Time Stamps 00:04 Welcome and episode framing00:44 Deborah Williams&#8217; background and policy perspective01:44 Why 2025 was a brutal year for employers03:34 Hospital consolidation and cost shifting04:35 Prescription drug costs and market pressure07:15 Consumer behavior, adherence, and affordability09:00 Political realities and exchange subsidies12:08 Insurers, public sentiment, and misinformation14:03 Drug pricing models and global comparisons16:41 Employer leverage and failed market solutions17:49 Emerging therapies and future cost risk20:24 What could improve in 202624:26 Populism and the next policy inflection point Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 35 &#124; Healthcare at a Breaking Point: Costs, Policy Gridlock, and What 2026 Holds</title>
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	<title>Ep 34 &#124; ACNU Explained: How FDA’s New Nonprescription Pathway Could Expand Access and Improve Adherence</title>
	<link>https://onlyhealthcarepodcast.com/podcast/ep-34-acnu-explained-how-fdas-new-nonprescription-pathway-could-expand-access-and-improve-adherence/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ep-34-acnu-explained-how-fdas-new-nonprescription-pathway-could-expand-access-and-improve-adherence</link>
	<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:12:52 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[Recorded live at the Nicholas Hall North American Conference, this special episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast dives into the FDA’s new&#160;Additional Conditions for Nonprescription Use (ACNU)&#160;pathway and what it means for access, compliance, and the future of consumer healthcare. Host&#160;Randy Vogenberg&#160;is joined by industry veterans&#160;Bob Stirling&#160;and&#160;Bob Barron, with questions moderated by&#160;Mary Alice Lawless. Together, they break down how ACNU differs from telepharmacy and direct to consumer models, why scale matters, and how built-in safeguards could enable safer nonprescription access to certain therapies, including acne treatments. The conversation explores compliance challenges, payer dynamics, employer sponsored accounts like FSAs and MSAs, and why ACNU represents a fundamentally different approach to access that could benefit consumers, manufacturers, and plans alike. This episode provides essential context for anyone tracking FDA policy, OTC switches, market access strategy, or healthcare affordability. Key Topics Discussed • What ACNU is and how it differs from telepharmacy and DTC&#160;• FDA safeguards and consumer level decision support&#160;• Scale, retail access, and why shelf access matters&#160;• Simultaneous Rx and nonprescription marketing considerations&#160;• Compliance challenges in traditional Rx models&#160;• Implications for payers, coverage, and benefit design&#160;• The role of FSAs, HRAs, and MSAs in supporting access&#160;• Why ACNU represents a new paradigm for consumer healthcare Chapters with Time Stamps 00:04 Episode overview and ACNU context01:27 ACNU vs telepharmacy and DTC models02:48 Simultaneous marketing and provider oversight03:33 Introduction to compliance and consumer engagement04:18 Why traditional Rx compliance programs fall short05:46 Payer and manufacturer cost dynamics07:05 ACNU as a leadership opportunity for consumer health07:51 Coverage, payers, and outcomes expectations08:34 FSAs, HRAs, and MSAs in the ACNU ecosystem09:57 Pricing stability and consumer affordability10:45 Key takeaways from Nicholas Hall Conference Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[Recorded live at the Nicholas Hall North American Conference, this special episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast dives into the FDA’s new&#160;Additional Conditions for Nonprescription Use (ACNU)&#160;pathway and what it means for access, compliance, an]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[Recorded live at the Nicholas Hall North American Conference, this special episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast dives into the FDA’s new&#160;Additional Conditions for Nonprescription Use (ACNU)&#160;pathway and what it means for access, compliance, and the future of consumer healthcare. Host&#160;Randy Vogenberg&#160;is joined by industry veterans&#160;Bob Stirling&#160;and&#160;Bob Barron, with questions moderated by&#160;Mary Alice Lawless. Together, they break down how ACNU differs from telepharmacy and direct to consumer models, why scale matters, and how built-in safeguards could enable safer nonprescription access to certain therapies, including acne treatments. The conversation explores compliance challenges, payer dynamics, employer sponsored accounts like FSAs and MSAs, and why ACNU represents a fundamentally different approach to access that could benefit consumers, manufacturers, and plans alike. This episode provides essential context for anyone tracking FDA policy, OTC switches, market access strategy, or healthcare affordability. Key Topics Discussed • What ACNU is and how it differs from telepharmacy and DTC&#160;• FDA safeguards and consumer level decision support&#160;• Scale, retail access, and why shelf access matters&#160;• Simultaneous Rx and nonprescription marketing considerations&#160;• Compliance challenges in traditional Rx models&#160;• Implications for payers, coverage, and benefit design&#160;• The role of FSAs, HRAs, and MSAs in supporting access&#160;• Why ACNU represents a new paradigm for consumer healthcare Chapters with Time Stamps 00:04 Episode overview and ACNU context01:27 ACNU vs telepharmacy and DTC models02:48 Simultaneous marketing and provider oversight03:33 Introduction to compliance and consumer engagement04:18 Why traditional Rx compliance programs fall short05:46 Payer and manufacturer cost dynamics07:05 ACNU as a leadership opportunity for consumer health07:51 Coverage, payers, and outcomes expectations08:34 FSAs, HRAs, and MSAs in the ACNU ecosystem09:57 Pricing stability and consumer affordability10:45 Key takeaways from Nicholas Hall Conference Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[Recorded live at the Nicholas Hall North American Conference, this special episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast dives into the FDA’s new&#160;Additional Conditions for Nonprescription Use (ACNU)&#160;pathway and what it means for access, compliance, and the future of consumer healthcare. Host&#160;Randy Vogenberg&#160;is joined by industry veterans&#160;Bob Stirling&#160;and&#160;Bob Barron, with questions moderated by&#160;Mary Alice Lawless. Together, they break down how ACNU differs from telepharmacy and direct to consumer models, why scale matters, and how built-in safeguards could enable safer nonprescription access to certain therapies, including acne treatments. The conversation explores compliance challenges, payer dynamics, employer sponsored accounts like FSAs and MSAs, and why ACNU represents a fundamentally different approach to access that could benefit consumers, manufacturers, and plans alike. This episode provides essential context for anyone tracking FDA policy, OTC switches, market access strategy, or healthcare affordability. Key Topics Discussed • What ACNU is and how it differs from telepharmacy and DTC&#160;• FDA safeguards and consumer level decision support&#160;• Scale, retail access, and why shelf access matters&#160;• Simultaneous Rx and nonprescription marketing considerations&#160;• Compliance challenges in traditional Rx models&#160;• Implications for payers, coverage, and benefit design&#160;• The role of FSAs, HRAs, and MSAs in supporting access&#160;• Why ACNU represents a new paradigm for consumer healthcare Chapters with Time Stamps 00:04 Episode overview and ACNU context01:27 ACNU vs telepharmacy and DTC models02:48 Simultaneous marketing and provider oversight03:33 Introduction to compliance and consumer engagement04:18 Why traditional Rx compliance programs fall short05:46 Payer and manufacturer cost dynamics07:05 ACNU as a leadership opportunity for consumer health07:51 Coverage, payers, and outcomes expectations08:34 FSAs, HRAs, and MSAs in the ACNU ecosystem09:57 Pricing stability and consumer affordability10:45 Key takeaways from Nicholas Hall Conference Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by:Peek:&#160;A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend.&#160;https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health&#160;(IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities.&#160;https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 34 &#124; ACNU Explained: How FDA’s New Nonprescription Pathway Could Expand Access and Improve Adherence</title>
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	<title>Ep 33 &#124; Year in Review: The Healthcare Shifts That Defined 2025 and What’s Ahead in 2026</title>
	<link>https://onlyhealthcarepodcast.com/podcast/ep-33-year-in-review-the-healthcare-shifts-that-defined-2025-and-whats-ahead-in-2026/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ep-33-year-in-review-the-healthcare-shifts-that-defined-2025-and-whats-ahead-in-2026</link>
	<pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 03:39:50 +0000</pubDate>
	<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Navin & Dr. Randy Vogenberg]]></dc:creator>
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	<description><![CDATA[In this year-end episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin reflect on the defining healthcare shifts of 2025 and share what they are watching as the industry moves into 2026 and beyond. The conversation looks back at the rise of consumer-driven healthcare, expanding price transparency requirements, and the growing pressure on affordability across both medical and pharmacy benefits. Randy and Michael discuss the continued disruption driven by GLP-1 utilization and pricing, emerging direct-to-consumer strategies from manufacturers, and why real change is finally starting to take hold after years of talk. They also examine the growing role of litigation around ERISA plans, rebates, and fiduciary responsibility, along with increasing employer concern over employee loyalty, recruitment, and retention tied directly to healthcare benefits. Looking ahead, the episode explores trends toward self-funded plans, greater scrutiny of health plans and hospitals, cash-pay and consumer-controlled models, and long-term challenges facing Medicare as demographics and utilization shift. The episode closes with a forward-looking perspective on economic uncertainty, workforce changes, and why healthcare transformation is likely to accelerate through 2026 and into 2027. Key Topics Discussed • The biggest healthcare shifts and controversies of 2025 • Consumer-driven healthcare and price transparency momentum • GLP-1 utilization, affordability, and direct-to-patient pricing • Litigation targeting ERISA plans, rebates, and fiduciary duties • Employer health benefits, employee loyalty, and workforce pressure • Growth of self-funded employer plans and ERISA implications • Cash-pay models, HSAs, and consumer-controlled healthcare decisions • Medicare strain, demographic shifts, and long-term system risk • Economic outlook and its impact on healthcare access and coverage Chapters 00:00 Year-end welcome and gratitude to listeners 01:00 Consumer-driven healthcare and transparency gains in 2025 03:30 GLP-1 pricing, utilization, and manufacturer responses 04:45 Litigation, ERISA plans, and affordability pressure 07:00 Employee loyalty, benefits strategy, and workforce impact 08:30 Shift toward self-funded employer plans 10:30 Looking ahead to 2026: transparency, disruption, and risk 12:30 Medicare strain, economic uncertainty, and future scenarios 14:20 Closing reflections and what’s next for Only Healthcare Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by: Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></description>
	<itunes:subtitle><![CDATA[In this year-end episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin reflect on the defining healthcare shifts of 2025 and share what they are watching as the industry moves into 2026 and beyond. The conversation looks back at]]></itunes:subtitle>
	<content:encoded><![CDATA[In this year-end episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin reflect on the defining healthcare shifts of 2025 and share what they are watching as the industry moves into 2026 and beyond. The conversation looks back at the rise of consumer-driven healthcare, expanding price transparency requirements, and the growing pressure on affordability across both medical and pharmacy benefits. Randy and Michael discuss the continued disruption driven by GLP-1 utilization and pricing, emerging direct-to-consumer strategies from manufacturers, and why real change is finally starting to take hold after years of talk. They also examine the growing role of litigation around ERISA plans, rebates, and fiduciary responsibility, along with increasing employer concern over employee loyalty, recruitment, and retention tied directly to healthcare benefits. Looking ahead, the episode explores trends toward self-funded plans, greater scrutiny of health plans and hospitals, cash-pay and consumer-controlled models, and long-term challenges facing Medicare as demographics and utilization shift. The episode closes with a forward-looking perspective on economic uncertainty, workforce changes, and why healthcare transformation is likely to accelerate through 2026 and into 2027. Key Topics Discussed • The biggest healthcare shifts and controversies of 2025 • Consumer-driven healthcare and price transparency momentum • GLP-1 utilization, affordability, and direct-to-patient pricing • Litigation targeting ERISA plans, rebates, and fiduciary duties • Employer health benefits, employee loyalty, and workforce pressure • Growth of self-funded employer plans and ERISA implications • Cash-pay models, HSAs, and consumer-controlled healthcare decisions • Medicare strain, demographic shifts, and long-term system risk • Economic outlook and its impact on healthcare access and coverage Chapters 00:00 Year-end welcome and gratitude to listeners 01:00 Consumer-driven healthcare and transparency gains in 2025 03:30 GLP-1 pricing, utilization, and manufacturer responses 04:45 Litigation, ERISA plans, and affordability pressure 07:00 Employee loyalty, benefits strategy, and workforce impact 08:30 Shift toward self-funded employer plans 10:30 Looking ahead to 2026: transparency, disruption, and risk 12:30 Medicare strain, economic uncertainty, and future scenarios 14:20 Closing reflections and what’s next for Only Healthcare Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by: Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></content:encoded>
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	<itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this year-end episode of the Only Healthcare Podcast, hosts Randy Vogenberg and Michael Navin reflect on the defining healthcare shifts of 2025 and share what they are watching as the industry moves into 2026 and beyond. The conversation looks back at the rise of consumer-driven healthcare, expanding price transparency requirements, and the growing pressure on affordability across both medical and pharmacy benefits. Randy and Michael discuss the continued disruption driven by GLP-1 utilization and pricing, emerging direct-to-consumer strategies from manufacturers, and why real change is finally starting to take hold after years of talk. They also examine the growing role of litigation around ERISA plans, rebates, and fiduciary responsibility, along with increasing employer concern over employee loyalty, recruitment, and retention tied directly to healthcare benefits. Looking ahead, the episode explores trends toward self-funded plans, greater scrutiny of health plans and hospitals, cash-pay and consumer-controlled models, and long-term challenges facing Medicare as demographics and utilization shift. The episode closes with a forward-looking perspective on economic uncertainty, workforce changes, and why healthcare transformation is likely to accelerate through 2026 and into 2027. Key Topics Discussed • The biggest healthcare shifts and controversies of 2025 • Consumer-driven healthcare and price transparency momentum • GLP-1 utilization, affordability, and direct-to-patient pricing • Litigation targeting ERISA plans, rebates, and fiduciary duties • Employer health benefits, employee loyalty, and workforce pressure • Growth of self-funded employer plans and ERISA implications • Cash-pay models, HSAs, and consumer-controlled healthcare decisions • Medicare strain, demographic shifts, and long-term system risk • Economic outlook and its impact on healthcare access and coverage Chapters 00:00 Year-end welcome and gratitude to listeners 01:00 Consumer-driven healthcare and transparency gains in 2025 03:30 GLP-1 pricing, utilization, and manufacturer responses 04:45 Litigation, ERISA plans, and affordability pressure 07:00 Employee loyalty, benefits strategy, and workforce impact 08:30 Shift toward self-funded employer plans 10:30 Looking ahead to 2026: transparency, disruption, and risk 12:30 Medicare strain, economic uncertainty, and future scenarios 14:20 Closing reflections and what’s next for Only Healthcare Michael&#8217;s LinkedIn Randy&#8217;s LinkedIn Sponsored by: Peek: A game-changing prescription shopping solution that allows its members to view all their prescription cost options across cash discount programs and their insurance in one easy-to-use platform. Peek is currently being offered to organizations to help both employees and plan sponsors save money on their prescription spend. https://peekmeds.com/. Institute for Integrated Health (IIH): Health care benefits, insurance coverage regulations, and doing business in the healthcare industry can be complicated. At IIH, Dr. Randy Vogenberg and his team understand these unique challenges and provides strategic guidance customized to every client. To help overcome your unique challenges, IIH delivers education, planning and advisory on market trends, and U.S. health care market intelligence. The firm’s decades of proven success are due to strategic collaboration with associates from the business, clinical, and scientific communities. https://iih-online.com/.]]></itunes:summary>
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		<title>Ep 33 &#124; Year in Review: The Healthcare Shifts That Defined 2025 and What’s Ahead in 2026</title>
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