Topic
Cancer
Podcasts
Tumor Board # 91Nov 12, 2026Direct Contracting in Healthcare
"No cancer patient ever got healthier because their claim was denied and delayed," Mark Cuban says, and his answer is a contract that starts by trusting the doctor. On this episode of the BackTable Podcast, Dr. Ruchika Talwar, value-based care leader at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, talks with Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, about who actually sets the price of care in the United States. For oncology teams, he describes how an employer with access to its own claims data can contract directly with an oncology center for its employees with cancer. He also traces how a transparent pharmacy model led to Cost Plus Wellness, an open source library of direct contracts between self-insured employers and providers, and why he believes the contract, not the published price, is where the real problems hide.
Industry # 109Nov 12, 2026Direct Contracting in Healthcare
“Direct contract with yourself.” That is Mark Cuban's challenge to hospital CEOs and CFOs whose own self-insured health plans, he says, can pay a carrier-owned administrator more for an employee's care than the hospital itself was paid to provide it. On this episode of the BackTable Podcast, Dr. Ruchika Talwar, value-based care leader, talks with Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, about who actually sets the price of care in the United States. They trace how a cold email about drug shortages led to Cost Plus Drugs, a robotic factory that can switch manufacturing lines every four hours, and then Cost Plus Wellness, an open source library of direct contracts between self-insured employers and providers, and why he believes the contract, not the published price, is where the real problems hide. The discussion also covers who really pays: by his estimate, 67% of people with job-based coverage get it through a self-insured employer, and 72% of the big carriers' revenue comes from taxpayers.
Urology # 343Nov 12, 2026Direct Contracting in Healthcare
“No cancer patient ever got healthier because their claim was denied and delayed. None. Not one.” Mark Cuban's verdict will ring true for any urologist who has fought a denied or delayed claim, and his alternative is a contract that starts by trusting the doctor. On this episode of BackTable Urology, Dr. Ruchika Talwar, urologic oncologist and value-based care leader, talks with Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, about who actually sets the price of care in the United States. They trace how a cold email about drug shortages led to Cost Plus Drugs and then Cost Plus Wellness, an open source library of direct contracts between self-insured employers and providers, and why he believes the contract, not the published price, is where the real problems hide. By his estimate, 67% of people with job-based coverage get it through a self-insured employer, which makes employers, not insurers, the real payers in American healthcare.
ENT & Allergy # 303Nov 12, 2026Direct Contracting in Healthcare
"No cancer patient ever got healthier because their claim was denied and delayed," Mark Cuban says, and his answer is a contract that starts by trusting the doctor. On this episode of the BackTable Podcast, Dr. Ruchika Talwar, value-based care leader, talks with Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, about who actually sets the price of care in the United States. They trace how a cold email about drug shortages led to Cost Plus Drugs and then Cost Plus Wellness, an open source library of direct contracts between self-insured employers and providers, and why he believes the contract, not the published price, is where the real problems hide. He also explains why independent practices should know their profitability by payer and call the self-insured employers among their patients. By his estimate, 67% of people with job-based coverage get it through a self-insured employer, which makes employers, not insurers, the real payers in American healthcare.
- Industry # 102Jun 16, 2026
Community Oncology: Keeping Up with Evolving Treatments in Early Career
The transition between residency or fellowship to clinical practice can be a big jump, especially when it comes to keeping up with new data and independently making decisions with patients. In this episode of BackTable Industry, Anish Parikh hosts medical oncologist Dr. Kate Baker shares her experience managing a broad range of patients, from solid tumors to benign and malignant hematology.
Curbsiders # 525May 18, 2026Multi-Cancer Early Detection Testing
Cut through the hype of Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) tests and learn how to counsel patients on the real-world utility, false-positive risks, and the “stage shift” debate of these emerging blood assays. We are joined by world-renowned oncologist Dr. Margaret Tempero, UCSF Cancer Early Detection and Interception, to discuss whether these tests are truly ready for clinical prime time. Claim CME for this episode at curbsiders.vcuhealth.org!
Vascular & IR # 404Jan 12, 2024Navigation Software for IR Guidance
In this episode of the BackTable podcast, host Dr. Ally Baheti interviews interventional radiologist Dr. Merve Ozen about the potential of the Percunav system, an advanced needle guidance technology used in interventional and endovascular procedures. Dr. Ozen is an Assistant Professor of Radiology, Surgery, Obstetrics, and Gynecology at the University of Kentucky.
- Vascular & IR # 396Dec 25, 2023
How I Perform a Port Removal
In this episode of the BackTable Podcast, hosts Dr. Aaron Fritts and Dr. Chris Beck discuss their Mediport removal workflows and the common challenges of a port removal procedure.
- Industry # 58Aug 25, 2023
PRIMR: Simple Cancer Explanations
In this episode, Dr. Aaron Fritts interviews Dr. David Grew, the creator of PRIMR. PRIMR is an online video library that serves the dual purpose of aiding patients in comprehending their cancer diagnosis and treatment choices while also assisting clinical research teams in enhancing their trials with IRB-approved digital content.
Women's Health # 22May 4, 2023Oncofertility
In this episode, Dr. Leslie Appiah, who is fellowship-trained in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology and is the Director of the Fertility Preservation Program at the University of Colorado, discusses oncofertility and fertility preservation.