Welcome to another edition of the Doctor’s Note where we talk about what’s on our minds when it comes to your health.
This week you are in for a treat! Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger was in town and graciously agreed to talk on our podcast about what’s happening in Washington concerning our healthcare system. For those who don’t know, Diana Harshbarger is not only our congresswoman, but also a licensed compounding pharmacist /expert in bioidentical hormones for women, as well! Coming from a family of pharmacists and co-owner of Premier Compounding Pharmacy in Kingsport, Tn, she is known for empowering women to take control of their own health.
When I made the move from traditional medicine to integrative functional medicine (i.e. the birth of Performance Medicine), my whole life changed. Diana and her husband Bob, also a compounding pharmacist, played a huge role in making that happen. By inviting Performance Medicine to relocate inside their compounding pharmacy, we were able to grow our passion for treating the patient (not just the symptoms), personalizing medicine, finding root causes, and preventing disease. I am so very grateful for our friendship and how it has blessed my life.
With that introduction, you need to watch the podcast to experience the full zeal in our voices as congresswoman Diana Harshbarger and I share frustrations, solutions, visions, and a hope for the future of our country’s healthcare system. The following timestamps will help guide you through the podcast.
PODCAST NOTES
As a physician, there are incentives for most doctors to write more prescriptions and spend less time with the patient. Many groups and hospitals “pay for performance”. (9:22)
An example of vertical healthcare is the fact that United Healthcare employs more physicians than anyone in the country. You have an insurance company who owns the physician. (10:50)
PBM’s (Pharmacy Benefit Managers) make 62% profit off of every Ozempic pen sold. When a pharmacy owns a PBM, healthcare becomes more expensive and patients get less care. (13:48)
When it comes to pushing shots and medications, “follow the money”. (16:33)
Pharmacy Benefit Managers were created when Big Pharma needed help with what to put on formularies. Now they are all grown up and are telling Big Pharma what to do, what they’ll cover, and what they won’t. (18:51)
Insurance companies are practicing medicine without a license. (20:22)
You have to learn how to keep yourself healthy! (24:04)
Be preventive. I can’t emphasize that enough! Stay educated. Do your own research! Stay healthy. You just have one life to live, make it your best.
Till next week.
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