Endocrine Matters Exposing the Realities of U.S. Healthcare: A Conversation with Chris Deacon, Author of The Great American Healthcare Heist
13 snips
Feb 4, 2026 Chris Deacon, lawyer-turned-healthcare reformer and author of The Great American Healthcare Heist, shares stories from running a large state health plan. They unpack hospital price transparency battles, PBM rebate games that warp drug costs, employer-driven direct contracting, and how middlemen siphon value from patients and clinicians.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Procurement Rewards Money Over Quality
- Procurement in health plans prioritizes rebates and discounts over quality metrics, sidelining patient outcomes.
- Chris Deacon recounts consultants pushing rebate-focused PBM proposals and reacting dismissively when she asked about quality and disruption impacts.
Transparency Push Triggered Political Backlash
- Chris tried to use hospital price transparency data to find high-value providers and pressed hospitals to comply.
- The governor's office immediately intervened, warning her not to 'piss off the hospitals' because of political relationships.
Rebates Inflate Patient Costs
- PBMs extract large rebates from manufacturers and often keep most savings, while patients pay coinsurance on the high sticker price.
- Example: a $50,000 drug with a $40,000 rebate still leaves patients paying 20% of $50,000 at the pharmacy.
