S6, Ep 6- The Cost of Savings: How Drug Price Reform May Hurt Patients

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc dive into a recent paper published in the Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research that explores the unintended consequences of drug price-setting under the Inflation Reduction Act. Using real-world modeling focused o…

S6, Ep 5- Immunization at a Crossroads: Experts Weigh In from the World Vaccine Congress

In this special live episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc bring you insightful conversations from the 2025 World Vaccine Congress in Washington, DC. Joined by leading experts—including Richard Hughes, Abby Bownas, Rekha Lakshmanan, and Tommy Acciani—they explore the curr…

S6, Ep 4- Leadership, Layoffs, and the Future of the FDA: How Policy Turmoil Threatens Innovation and Patients

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, hosts Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc are joined by Peter Pitts, former FDA Associate Commissioner and President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Together, they unpack the sweeping personnel cuts at HHS, ongoing instability at the FDA, and …

S6, Ep 3- From Good Intentions to Missed Injections: How Complex Vaccine Guidelines May Be Slowing Adult Immunization

Are well-intentioned vaccine policies making access harder instead of easier? In this episode of Healthcare Matters, hosts Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc unpack a new report from the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) on how Shared Clinical Decision Making (SCDM) and risk-based recommendati…

S6, Ep 2- State Policies and Vaccination Gaps in U.S. Adults: The Crucial Role of Pharmacies in Vaccine Uptake

Did you know that millions of adults may have missed crucial vaccines due to restrictive state policies on pharmacist vaccination authority? In this episode of Healthcare Matters, hosts Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc sit down with Vibhu Tewary and Conrad Bhamani from the IQVIA Institute for Huma…

S6, Ep 1- Vaccine Hesitancy & Access: What Our Latest Survey Reveals

S6, Ep 1- Vaccine Hesitancy & Access: What Our Latest Survey Reveals In this season premiere of Healthcare Matters, our hosts are joined by Seth Ginsberg, President and Co-Founder of the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), to discuss the critical role of vaccines in public health and the pers…

S5, Ep 10- Decoding the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Vaccine Guidelines: What Patients and Providers Need to Know

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian, Ben Blanc, and guest Corey Greenblatt, Director of State Policy and Advocacy at GHLF, dive into the complexities of vaccine guidelines and access. They discuss the role of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), with Corey…

S5, Ep 9- Policy & Politics: Decoding the Political Landscape of Health Care

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc unpack the often unpredictable nature of political affiliations in relation to support for patient-centric policies, particularly in the realm of drug pricing and the influence of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). They discuss…

S5, Ep 8- Choice or Coercion? Unraveling Patient Steering by Pharmacy Benefit Managers

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, join Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc as they delve into the issue of patient steering by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). With firsthand accounts from guests Lou Tharp, Executive Director and Co-Founder of GHLF, and Dr. Anne Sydor, Director of Research Deve…

S5, Ep 7- The Big Three: Unraveling the Oligopoly of Pharmacy Benefit Managers

In this episode of Healthcare Matters, join Dr. Robert Popovian and Ben Blanc as they dissect the critical role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in the health care system, guided by recent findings from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The episode delves into how PBMs control a significant po…