- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Episode 2 - How Advocacy and Policy Intertwine
In the past and, perhaps to some extent, today, the specialized care and medications required for the appropriate management of patients with rare diseases, such as hemophilia and SLE, was neither readily accessible nor affordable. A collaborative effort for advocacy by patients and physicians has gradually pushed the evolution of legislation and regulations to improve access to optimal management. Two such legislation are the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 and the Rare Diseases Act of 2002, which provided the incentives and means necessary to drive the pharmaceutical research and development to grow a flourishing drug market and pipeline for rare diseases. As a result, managed care policies continue to evolve in many ways, implementing mechanisms and policies to balance treatment access and costs with appropriate medication use and patient outcomes. Patient and physician advocacy for rare diseases prompted a wave of change, but the momentum will need to be maintained.
AI in Health Care: Balancing Governance, Innovation, and Trust
September 2nd 2025In this conversation with Reuben Daniel, associate vice president of artificial intelligence at UPMC Health Plan, we dive into how UPMC Health Plan builds trust with providers and members, discuss challenges of scaling AI effectively, and hear about concrete examples of AI's positive impact.
Listen
Infertility Coverage Boosts ART Use and Pregnancy Success: Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA
August 26th 2025In this episode, Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA, discusses his study showing that infertility treatment coverage increases assisted reproductive technology (ART) use and improves pregnancy outcomes.
Listen
