What will healthcare look like a decade from now? Host Glenn Hunzinger is joined by Greg Rotz, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Advisory Leader and Thom Bales, Principal, Health Services Advisory Leader, as they dive into the future of health—one driven by smarter tech, empowered consumers, and breakthrough science. From reimagining chronic care to building new business models, discover the mindset, partnerships, and capabilities that will define the next era of healthcare.

Discussion highlights:

• A trillion-dollar shift: who gains and who falls behind
• The rise of the super consumer and personalized care
• Why experience design will become core to life sciences
• How health orgs can prepare with “no regrets” strategic moves
• Collaborating across the ecosystem to drive faster, better, cheaper care

 
Speakers:

• Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
• Greg Rotz, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Advisory Leader, PwC
• Thom Bales, Health Services Advisory Leader, PwC

Linked materials:

From breaking point to breakthrough: the $1 trillion opportunity to reinvent healthcare

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in as Glenn Hunzinger, PwC’s Health Industries Leader, sits down with Nichole Montgomery, Shannon O’Shea, and Phil Sclafani to unpack the sweeping implications of the newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). With nearly a third of the bill dedicated to healthcare, the team explores how this landmark legislation will reshape coverage, funding, and delivery across the payer, provider, and pharma landscape.

Discussion highlights:

• The OBBBA introduces new work requirements and eligibility rules that could lead to coverage loss for over 13 million people, placing new burdens on payers and states
• Providers face increased uncompensated care, especially in rural areas, with added administrative complexity and a push toward technology and alternative care models
• Payers are bracing for membership loss, reduced Medicaid funding, and increased administrative load as new eligibility rules take effect
• Pharma may see reduced demand from public programs but gains through an orphan drug exemption and incentives for domestic manufacturing
• The bill’s sweeping changes will disrupt healthcare, but with foresight, organizations can model financial impact, prepare for operational disruption, and plan strategic responses

Speakers:

• Glenn Hunzinger (host), Health Industries Leader, PwC
• Shannon O'Shea, Principal, Health Transformation, Provider Clinical Transformation, PwC
• Phil Scalfani, Principal, Customer Transformation, Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences, PwC
• Nichole Montgomery, Principal, Health Transformation, Health Services, PwC

Linked Materials:

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/impact-of-obbba-on-us-health-system.html

 https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-policy-and-intelligence-institute.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in as Glenn Hunzinger, PwC’s Health Industries Leader, connects with Nick Donkar, PwC’s U.S. Health Services Deals Leader, and Roel Van den Akker, PwC’s Pharma and Life Sciences Deals Leader, to discuss the 2025 midyear deals outlook across health services and pharma and life sciences. They explore how macroeconomic trends, regulatory pressures, and evolving investment strategies are shaping M&A activity and where new opportunities may emerge as companies look ahead to the second half of the year.
 
 Discussion highlights:
 

• Health services deal volume remains resilient, with renewed investor interest in behavioral health, physician groups, and home-based care models
• Private equity firms are focused on outpatient growth platforms and niche services like revenue cycle management to navigate cost and regulatory headwinds
• Pharma and life sciences dealmaking is centered on targeted, asset driven M&A in the $1 to $5 billion range, rather than full scale platform acquisitions
• Regulatory uncertainty from FDA resource constraints to evolving policies on pricing and probability of technical and regulatory success (PTRS), is complicating deal modeling and slowing transaction timelines
• U.S. biopharma companies are increasingly sourcing early stage innovation from China, introducing new strategic opportunities along with cross border compliance and data challenges

Speakers:

Glenn Hunzinger, Health Industries Leader, PwC
Nick Donkar, US Healthcare Deals Leader
Roel Van den Akker, US Pharma & Life Sciences Deals Leader
 
Linked materials:

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/health-services-deals-outlook.html

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/pharma-life-sciences-deals-outlook.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in as Glenn Hunzinger, PwC’s Health Industries Leader, and Phil Scalfani, PwC’s Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Consulting Leader, discuss the Trump administration’s executive order on Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing and its far-reaching implications across the healthcare ecosystem. They break down what MFN pricing could mean for pharmaceutical companies, payers, PBMs, and the broader drug supply chain, and share perspectives on how organizations can navigate the uncertainty ahead.
 
 Discussion Highlights:

•  The MFN executive order is a bold attempt to lower U.S. drug prices by benchmarking them against the lowest prices paid in other high-income countries
• Pharma companies may be forced to rethink global pricing strategies, balancing U.S. price cuts with potential increases or market exits abroad
• A proposed shift to direct-to-consumer drug access could disrupt traditional roles for pharmacies, distributors, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)
• Companies are preparing for significant uncertainty by reassessing deals, modeling financial impacts, and closely monitoring upcoming rulemaking and potential legal developments

Speakers:

Glenn Hunzinger, Health Industries Leader, PwC
Philip Sclafani, Partner, Pharma & Life Sciences, PwC

Linked materials:

Most Favored Nation prescription drug pricing Executive Order

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in as Glenn Hunzinger, PwC’s Health Industries Leader, connects with Matt Rich, PwC’s Pharma and Life Sciences R&D Leader, to unpack the recent disruption at the FDA and what it means for the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. They discuss how companies can stay agile in the face of regulatory uncertainty, avoid preventable delays, and take practical steps to move programs forward with clarity.

Discussion highlights:

• Ongoing restructuring at the FDA is creating uncertainty and delays in drug and device approvals, with wide-ranging impacts across the pharma, biotech and medtech landscape.
• While companies can’t control the regulatory environment, they can focus on improving internal speed, efficiency, and submission quality to keep programs moving forward
• Avoiding preventable missteps, or “foot faults,” in data, endpoints, and submission packages is critical to reducing review delays and regulatory pushback
• Diversifying risk by pursuing parallel regulatory pathways in other regions such as Europe and Japan can help accelerate access and reduce dependency on a single agency
• In the absence of a clear playbook, companies should focus on what they can control by applying past lessons, staying disciplined, and collaborating across the industry to support more efficient FDA review processes

Speakers:

Matt Rich, PwC’s Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences R&D Leader
Glenn Hunzinger, Partner, Health Industries Leader, PwC

Linked materials:

Navigating the FDA disruption: 4 key actions for pharma

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in as Glenn Hunzinger, PwC’s Health Industries Leader and Roel van den Akker, PwC’s Pharma and Life Sciences Deals Leader discuss the rapid rise of China’s biotech industry and what it means for U.S. pharmaceutical companies. They discuss the evolving role of Chinese biotech in the global innovation landscape and share perspectives on how U.S. pharmaceutical companies can thoughtfully assess opportunities, manage cross-border complexities, and build effective partnering and diligence strategies.
 
 Discussion highlights:

• China’s biotech industry is growing fast and becoming a global player, with U.S. companies increasingly looking to partner with Chinese firms on cutting-edge science
• U.S. pharma leaders are encouraged to move beyond skepticism and stay curious by building relationships, learning from local innovation, and exploring new partnership opportunities
• Successfully partnering with Chinese biotech firms requires a careful and well-structured approach that accounts for global complexity, protects data and IP, and uses creative deal structures like new company formations to manage risk and stay flexible
• U.S. companies need to be proactive in order to stay competitive by actively exploring global innovation, understanding the risks, and having a clear strategy to bring high-potential science to U.S. patients

Speakers:

Roel Van den Akker, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Deals Leader 
Glenn Hunzinger, Partner, Health Industries Leader, PwC

Linked materials:

China's rise as a biotech innovation hub: 4 key strategic questions for US biopharma executives

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on April 11th, 2025, and reflects the information available at the time of recording. As we know, America is in motion here, and so subsequent updates may not be reflected in this discussion as things continue to evolve and change. 

Tune in as PwC specialists from across the health industry share their insights on how recent policy shifts under the Trump administration could shape healthcare in the years to come. In this episode, Glenn Hunzinger, Jenny Colapietro, and guests Kelly Griffin, Phil Sclafani, and Ruchita Kewalramani break down the potential implications of proposed government healthcare cuts, tariff policy and agency workforce reductions, along with the growing role of AI in the industry. They also discuss how pharma, medtech, payers and providers can stay ahead amidst the uncertainty. 

Discussion highlights:

• Proposed funding cuts to major government healthcare programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and NIH could significantly disrupt access, affordability, and service delivery across the healthcare landscape.
• Workforce reductions at federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Health and Human Services (HHS) may slow drug approvals, diminish oversight, and impact public health standards.
• New and evolving tariff policies are creating cost pressures across pharmaceutical and medtech supply chains, with potential downstream impacts on pricing, R&D, and patient access.
• The rapid adoption of AI in healthcare is creating new opportunities across diagnostics, R&D, and operations, while also raising concerns around governance and data privacy.
• To stay ahead, industry leaders must assess risks, strengthen agility, and uncover opportunities to innovate in today’s dynamic environment.

Speakers:

Kelly Griffin, Director, Health Policy Intelligence Institute, PwC
Ruchita Kewalramani, Partner, Health Services PwC
Phil Sclafani, Partner, Pharma & Life Sciences, PwC
Glenn Hunzinger, Partner, Health Industries Leader, PwC
Jenny Colapietro, Principal, Consulting Commercial Leader, PwC

Linked materials:

Health Policy and Intelligence Institute

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in as PwC's Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Advisory Leader, Greg Rotz reflects on key market dynamics and explores how pharma leaders can tackle challenges including the $400 billion patent cliff, increasing competition, drug pricing pressures, and transformative disruptions shaping the industry. Discussion highlights:

• Understanding the scale and implications of the upcoming patent cliff and economic pressures from regulatory changes like the Inflation Reduction Act
• Examining heightened competition across therapeutic areas and the rapid emergence of rival treatments affecting market economics
• Highlighting the necessity for bold strategic moves and critical capabilities, including AI innovation, portfolio optimization, strategic partnerships, and comprehensive risk management
• Addressing disruptive forces such as geopolitical uncertainty, tariff impacts, and the rise of global innovation influencing pharmaceutical markets
• Emphasizing the urgency for pharma leaders to embrace innovation and transformative strategies to improve healthcare affordability, accessibility, and quality

Speakers:

Greg Rotz, Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Leader,PwC
Glenn Hunzinger, Health Industries Leader, PwC
Jenny Colapietro, Consulting Commercial Leader, PwC

Linked materials:

Next in pharma 2025: The future is now

Pharmaceutical and life sciences: US Deals 2025 outlook

President Donald J. Trump’s healthcare agenda

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in as PwC specialists discuss the 2025 healthcare outlook, reflecting on 2024’s significant events and exploring how payers and providers can navigate rising costs, scrutiny, AI advances, and policy shifts with resilience and adaptability. 

Topics include:

• Medicare and Medicaid drive industry growth amid rising competition, market exits, M&A, AI adoption, and policy challenges.
• AI's potential to enhance healthcare delivery, improve workforce management, and optimize patient care.
• The care-at-home market is growing rapidly, driven by demand and cost efficiency, but sustainability remains a challenge.
• Encouragement for healthcare organizations to adapt and innovate in response to policy shifts and technological advancements.

Speakers:
Thom Bales, Health Services Leader, PwC
Alena Taylor, Principal, PwC
Ruchita Kewalramani, Principal, PwC
Glenn Hunzinger, Health Industries Leader, PwC
Jenny Colapietro, Consulting Commercial Leader, PwC

Linked materials:

• Next in Health: The 2025 Outlook for Health Services: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/healthcare-trends.html
• Health Policy and Intelligence Institute: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-policy-and-intelligence-institute.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Tune in to listen as PwC’s leaders Roel van den Akker and Nick Donkar provide insights into the 2024 deals landscape and offer a preview of what lies ahead. Topics include:

Key topics include:

• A look back at M&A activity in health industries in 2024
• The challenges and potential impediments that could affect deal volumes in the coming year
• How artificial intelligence and tech innovations are reshaping the volume and nature of healthcare transactions
• Key trends and developments to watch for with emphasis on growth, strategic assessments and regulatory factors

Speakers:
Roel van den Akker, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Deals Leader, PwC
Nick Donkar, Health Services Deals Leader, PwC
Jenny Colapietro, Consulting Commercial Leader, PwC

Linked materials:

• https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/health-services-deals-outlook.html
• https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/pharma-life-sciences-deals-outlook.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.