- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Impact of Cost on Patients' Access to Treatment
Zachary T. Bloomgarden, MD, MACE: We have to have rational drug pricing. We have to change, in such a fashion, to have the cost of drugs in America not differ from the cost of drugs in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, or Japan, for that matter. We need to have an effective approach to making drugs available for everyone.
Currently, individuals who have Medicare Part D have a huge burden of paying for drugs once they reach the so-called donut hole, and that certainly needs to change. But, most importantly, we have to stop confusing the cost of the drug, in terms of buying the product, [with] the cost of the drug in terms of its likelihood of ultimately affording benefit to the individual in question.
This is an area in which I fear that we’ve erred tremendously. We allow higher-cost versus lower-cost drugs to be prescribed less frequently, even though the higher-cost drugs may truly be better. So, we have to rethink some of our concepts.
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
Food Insecurity Associated With Increased Long COVID Risk, Lower Recovery Rates
September 10th 2025Adults with food insecurity report higher rates of long COVID and lower recovery, with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and employment status affecting these associations.
Read More
