The conversation around IRA impact on equity and access is becoming increasingly important as policymakers, healthcare leaders, and patient advocates examine how federal drug pricing reforms may shape the future of care. In this FYH TV discussion, The Innovation Gap: Unpacking the IRA’s Unintended Impact on Equity and Access, experts explore concerns that unintended consequences of the Inflation Reduction Act could create long-term challenges for medical innovation, the emerging biosimilar market, and patient access.

Moderated by Gary A. Puckrein, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Minority Quality Forum, the discussion brings together leaders with deep expertise in health policy, science, and patient advocacy. Framed as a timely examination of the policy landscape, the program looks beyond short-term affordability debates to ask a broader question: how might changes in policy affect the pace of innovation and equitable access to treatment over time?

Joining Dr. Puckrein is Jon D. Campbell, MS, PhD, Chief Science Officer at the National Pharmaceutical Council, whose work in policy-relevant research helps illuminate how healthcare decisions ripple across the broader system. Also featured is Adina Lasser, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at the Alliance for Aging Research, who brings an advocacy perspective focused on healthy aging and equitable access to care. Together, the panel examines how policy changes tied to the IRA may influence research incentives, biosimilar development, and the real-world patient experience.

A central theme of the discussion is that IRA impact on equity and access cannot be measured only by near-term cost savings. It must also be understood in terms of who benefits, who may face new barriers, and how the healthcare system supports future innovation. As stakeholders assess the law’s broader effects, questions remain about whether new market pressures could affect the development of breakthrough therapies, alter incentives in the biosimilar space, or create downstream consequences for patients who already face disproportionate barriers to care. This session invites viewers to think critically about how policy decisions today may influence health equity tomorrow.

For FYH TV viewers, The Innovation Gap offers an important opportunity to engage with a complex issue at the intersection of affordability, innovation, and patient access. The discussion underscores the need for careful policy evaluation, especially when reforms intended to improve the system may also produce unintended effects. As healthcare continues to evolve, conversations like this one are essential to ensuring that progress in policy also translates into progress in equity.

Watch FYH TV: The Innovation Gap: Unpacking the IRA’s Unintended Impact on Equity and Access on YouTube.

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