Danny Jones Podcast #374 - "Doctors Are Legally BANNED From Telling You This" - Pharma Whistleblower | Brigham Buhler
Feb 27, 2026
Brigham Buhler, healthcare entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Ways2Well, digs into how insurance and PBMs inflate drug prices and block prevention. He discusses cash-pay workarounds, peptide and stem cell regulation fights, FDA and industry capture, and blending diagnostics, AI and therapies to reclaim patient sovereignty.
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Why He Built A Cash Pay Pharmacy
- Brigham left pharma/device work after seeing systemic problems and a family opioid loss, then built a cash-pay pharmacy to avoid insurance constraints. He called it a life-raft from a sinking ship.
- He described launching a cash pharmacy and promoting preventative medicine because every corner of the insured system contained 'rattlesnakes' blocking better care.
When Negotiators Become Profit Engines
- PBMs began as negotiators but were acquired by insurers and flipped into revenue centers that raise prices and steer prescribing. Brigham traced consolidation to insurer ownership of PBMs.
- He explained insurers bought PBMs, ceased negotiating down prices, and engineered formularies and utilization rules that maximize rebate capture and profit.
Don't Accept Quick Scripts Without Diagnostics
- Demand deeper diagnostic tests if your clinician rushes to prescribe. Brigham advises refusing quick prescriptions without DEXA, VO2 or comprehensive blood work.
- He cautioned that primary care will default to drugs if diagnostics are blocked by insurers, so patients must insist on root-cause testing or seek cash-pay providers.