This week, we close out our three-part series on pharmaceuticals with a must-listen encore episode. After detailing the scope of the drug price crisis with Mark Cuban and how we can re-use drugs to treat rare illnesses with David Fajgenbaum, we now 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 crisis.
• The argument for a new national mandate on health data sharing to improve efficiency and care.
• Paul’s candid advice on what it takes to be a brave leader in a dysfunctional system.

The path is long and challenging, but as Paul Markovich shows, solutions are possible - if the right players are willing to take accountability for their role in the market:

“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 just doesn't exist yet in our industry, to say, “Hey, we own this”.

Relevant Links

Part 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 medications

California’s new data sharing law

Blue Shield of California (BSC) announcement of new Humira biosimilar

BSC investment in nonprofit Civica for lower cost generics

BSC’s new prior authorization platform with Salesforce

About Our Guest

Paul 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