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The Other 80A podcast about how we build health - beyond healthcare Author: Claudia Williams
The Other 80 podcast brought to you by Claudia Williams at UC Berkeley School of Public Health hosts real, honest dialogue about the things that help keep people healthy beyond traditional medical care, like housing, social connections and food, and the cutting edge policies, research and programs supporting whole person health. Join former White House advisor, entrepreneur and host Claudia Williams for deep conversations with the innovators, implementers, researchers and policymakers bringing these new models to life. Well talk about whats working, whats not and how to move towards whole person health rapidly and equitably across the US. Language: en Genres: Government, Health & Fitness, Medicine Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Making Drugs More Affordable with Paul Markovich (Encore Episode)
Episode 65
Wednesday, 17 December, 2025
This week, we close out our three-part series on rethinking drug access and costs with a must-listen encore episode. After detailing the scope of the drug price crisis with Mark Cuban and how we can re-purpose drugs to treat rare illnesses with David Fajgenbaum, we turn to a leader who is actively changing the dynamic: Paul Markovich. Now the CEO of Ascendiun (the parent company of Blue Shield of California), Paul argues that healthcare affordability isn't just a patient pocketbook issue - it’s a massive economic crisis for the nation. In this episode, Paul and Claudia discuss:His conviction that reducing healthcare costs is essential to averting a national fiscal crisisThe upside-down economics that make PBMs reject cheaper drug pricesPaul’s candid advice on what it takes to be a courageous leader in a dysfunctional systemPaul Markovich challenges healthcare leaders to shift from explaining high costs to being accountable for lowering them:“Almost everybody in the entire value chain, whether it's health plans or hospitals or all the way through, they want to explain why healthcare is so expensive and why there's this inflation rate as if that absolves them of any responsibility to make it different. And so, what I really want is accountability, and a level of accountability that doesn't exist yet in our industry, to say, 'Hey, we own this' ". Relevant LinksPart 1: Listen to our episode “New Life for Old Drug with David Fajgenbaum”Part 2: Listen to our episode “Lessons in Disruption with Mark Cuban”Rethinking how Americans get affordable medicationsCalifornia’s new PBM reform lawAbout Our GuestPaul Markovich is president and chief executive office of Ascendiun, a nonprofit corporate entity as part of the new parent to the family of organizations that includes Blue Shield of California.Paul Markovich was president and chief executive officer at Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan with $25 billion in annual revenue, serving 6 million members in the state's commercial, individual, and government markets. Paul launched and led numerous initiatives to drive innovation and help reimagine health care, including funding support for a statewide provider directory to make it easier for Californians to find physicians and facilities in their plan; supporting the development of a statewide health information network for patients’ records, enabling more seamless and holistic care; and investing in a partnership with the California Medical Association to help physicians pilot new care delivery models and leverage technology.At Blue Shield, Paul previously served as chief operating officer (responsible for healthcare services, network management, e-business, marketing, product development, and customer operations). He was senior vice president of the large group and CalPERS business units. He led the company’s product development unit, introducing numerous products and services such as the first California Health Maintenance Organization to allow self-referrals to specialists and...
