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.