The ASHHRA Podcast
The ASHHRA Podcast is the definitive audio briefing for healthcare HR leaders navigating what’s next.
Hosted by Bo Brabo and Luke Carignan, this weekly podcast explores the forces reshaping the healthcare workforce, from talent shortages and leadership burnout to data-driven HR strategy, labor relations, and policy shifts that impact care delivery.
Each episode features candid conversations with CHROs, senior executives, and industry change-makers who are solving real problems inside hospitals and health systems right now. No theory, no fluff, just practical insight from leaders in the arena.
Listeners gain clarity on complex workforce challenges, early signals on emerging trends, and grounded perspectives that help bridge strategy and people operations. Whether you lead HR for a health system, support workforce strategy, or influence organizational culture, this podcast equips you to make better decisions with confidence.
New episodes drop weekly, with timely news updates, deep-dive conversations, and forward-looking insights designed for healthcare HR leaders preparing for 2026 and beyond.
The ASHHRA Podcast
#215 - Protect Your Benefits From Devastating Pharma Ads
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The $6 Billion Influence Machine Targeting Your Benefits Plan
Featuring Kyra Hagan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, RxBenefits.
Six billion dollars. That is what pharmaceutical companies spend every year marketing high-cost, high-profit prescription drugs directly to your employees — and the clinical and financial consequences are landing squarely on your health plan.
Bo sits down with Kyra Hagan, a 25-year healthcare industry veteran and SVP of Marketing at ASHHRA Platinum Sponsor RxBenefits, to unpack the direct-to-consumer advertising machine and why healthcare HR leaders need to understand how it works.
📺 How DTC Advertising Shapes Member Behavior Pharma spends heavily to drive patients to ask for brand-name drugs by name. Studies show 7 in 10 consumers will request a drug by name after seeing ads. About 40% of those scripts get filled — often with no clinical necessity and no cost comparison. Prescribers, motivated by compassion, frequently write the script for the asking.
💊 GLP-1s, Biologics & the Highest-Risk Therapeutic Classes Chronic conditions — diabetes, autoimmune disorders, mental health — are the primary targets. GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy have exploded into a projected $60B market by 2030, creating significant plan exposure. One branded arthritis drug costs $2,800/month. The two over-the-counter equivalents it combines cost $17.
🏥 The HR Leader's Dilemma Plan sponsors live in a bifurcated world: contain costs for the CFO while protecting the benefits that recruit and retain top talent. Without a partner actively managing formulary, step therapy, and clinical utilization, one new hire or one new drug to market can create a catastrophic claim.
🔎 What HR Leaders Should Do Now
- Audit your PBM relationship — misaligned incentives may be driving spend, not containing it
- Ensure your pharmacy partner uses independent clinical rigor, not rebate-driven decisions
- Leverage plan data analytics to identify trending therapeutic classes before spend spikes
- Educate members on DTC advertising and the cost and clinical value of alternatives
You are always one diagnosis, one new drug, one new hire away from a catastrophic claim. The right pharmacy advocate changes that equation.
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From Our Sponsor(s)...
Optimize Pharmacy Benefits with RxBenefits
Elevate your employee benefits while managing costs. Did you know hospital employees fill 25% more prescriptions annually than other industries? Ensure cost-effective, high-quality pharmacy plans by leveraging your hospital’s own pharmacies. Discover smarter strategies with RxBenefits.
Learn More here - https://rxbene.fit/3ZaurZN
HealthCare Associates Credit Union partners with healthcare organizations to offer a no-cost financial wellness benefit for employees. Built specifically for healthcare professionals, HACU provides everyday banking, loans, mortgages, and financial education - all with no added administrative burden for HR teams.
Learn more at HACU's Human Resource Benefit or email directly at busdev@hacu.org and we are happy to take you through the process whether it's opening a membership for yourself or bringing us on as your employee benefits partner.
HealthCare Associates Credit Union — a healthier benefit for healthcare HR leaders and their teams.