Value-Based Voices welcomes Maria Ghazal, JD, MA, President & CEO, Healthcare Leadership Council, for a dynamic conversation spanning Medicare Advantage, prior authorization reform, artificial intelligence, Most Favored Nation drug pricing, and the growing competitive pressure from China in biopharmaceutical innovation.

During this conversation, hosted by Jayson Slotnik, JD, MPH, Partner at Health Policy Strategies, and AVBCC Board Member, Maria shares insights from HLC’s diverse membership of 60+ C-suite leaders and explains how consensus-driven policy can shape the future of value-based care.

Together, Jayson and Maria explore:

• The evolving landscape of Medicare Advantage

• HLC’s newly released AI policy recommendations

• The implications of Most Favored Nation drug pricing and why affordability and innovation must not be treated as competing goals

• The rapid rise of China in biopharmaceutical development and AI-enabled healthcare—and what the U.S. must do to maintain leadership

• How HLC builds consensus across one of the most diverse memberships in healthcare

This episode offers a candid, cross-sector look at the policies, pressures, and opportunities that will define the next decade of value-based care.

Listen and subscribe for more conversations shaping the future of oncology and value-based healthcare.

#ValueBasedCare #MedicareAdvantage #HealthcarePolicy #AIinHealthcare #AI #Innovation #AVBCC #HLC #China #biopharma

Resources:

Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC): https://avbcc.org/

Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC): https://www.hlc.org/

Medicare Advantage cost analysis & MedPAC rebuttal: https://www.hlc.org/news/hlc-leader-reacts-to-latest-medpac-report-to-congress-on-medicare-payment-policy/

AI Federal Framework Preliminary Report: https://www.hlc.org/news/healthcare-sector-calls-for-unified-federal-framework-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-for-patients/

Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3514

CMS prior authorization reforms: https://www.cms.gov/initiatives/burden-reduction/overview/interoperability/policies-regulations/cms-interoperability-standards-prior-authorization-drugs-proposed-rule-cms-0062-p

Connect with our Guests:

Maria Ghazal, JD, MA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-ghazal/

Jayson Slotnik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-slotnik-3932305/

Contact Value-Based Voices

- Follow AVBCC on LinkedIn

- View our podcast lineup

- Contact us at info@avbcc.org

Thanks for listening!

Are oncology treatments losing their "special status" with payers?

In this episode of Value-Based Voices, host Brian Reid, MS, Principal of Reid Strategic and author of the Cost Curve newsletter, sits down with James Chambers, PhD, MSc, MPharm, Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and Director of the Specialty Drug Evidence and Coverage (SPEC) Database, to examine how payer coverage decisions are shaping access to cancer therapies in the United States.

Drawing on nearly a decade of research, Dr. Chambers discusses the growing use of utilization management tools, including step therapy and clinical eligibility requirements, and explains why oncology, long considered one of the least restricted therapeutic areas, is seeing a noticeable increase in coverage limitations. The conversation explores payer variation, the impact of biosimilars and therapeutic competition, and the unique challenges associated with cell and gene therapies.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into the complex balance between innovation, affordability, evidence, and patient access that continues to define the modern oncology landscape.

#Oncology #DrugCoverage #CancerDrugs #cancer #PatientAccess #HealthcarePolicy

Resources & Links
• Specialty Drug Evidence and Coverage (SPEC) Database: https://cevr.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/databases/spec-database
• Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC): http://avbcc.org

Connect with our Guests:
Brian Reed: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbreid/
James Chambers, PhD, MSc, MPharm: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-chambers-8845752/

Contact Value-Based Voices

- Follow AVBCC on LinkedIn

- View our podcast lineup

- Contact us at info@avbcc.org

Thanks for listening!

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping healthcare, but what does that look like in the day-to-day practice of oncology? In this episode of AVBCC's Value-Based Voices, host Jayson Slotnik, JD, MPH, Partner at Health Policy Strategies, and AVBCC Board Member, sits down with Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, Medical Oncologist at Tennessee Oncology and Vice President of Clinical Strategy at OpenEvidence, to discuss how AI-powered clinical decision support tools are helping clinicians navigate an increasingly complex evidence landscape.

View a demo of Open Evidence: https://youtu.be/iBOlnjuHQxE

Dr. Mullangi explains how OpenEvidence's retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architecture delivers evidence-based answers grounded in trusted sources such as NCCN Guidelines, ASCO Guidelines, JAMA, and The New England Journal of Medicine. The conversation explores how AI can improve clinical efficiency, support better decision-making, reduce disparities in care, and ultimately give physicians more time to spend with patients.

The episode also tackles important questions about:
- medical education
- regulatory oversight
- payer adoption
- physician liability
- the future of AI-assisted healthcare

Whether you're a clinician, policymaker, payer, researcher, or healthcare innovator, this discussion offers valuable insights into the next generation of cancer care.

#Oncology #CancerCare #HealthcareAI #ArtificialIntelligence #ai #ValueBasedCare #ClinicalInnovation #DigitalHealth #OpenEvidence #AVBCC

Resources:
- OpenEvidence: https://www.openevidence.com
- Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC): https://www.valuebasedcancer.com
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN): https://www.nccn.org
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO): https://www.asco.org
- JAMA Network: https://jamanetwork.com
- The New England Journal of Medicine: https://www.nejm.org

Connect with our Guests:
Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mullangi/
Jayson Slotnik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-slotnik-3932305/

Contact Value-Based Voices

- Follow AVBCC on LinkedIn

- View our podcast lineup

- Contact us at info@avbcc.org

Thanks for listening!