Hear how experienced physicians approach real cases

Tumor Board # 91Nov 12, 2026

Direct Contracting in Healthcare

with Mark Cuban, Dr. Ruchika Talwar

"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.

Urology # 343Nov 12, 2026

Direct Contracting in Healthcare

with Mark Cuban, Dr. Ruchika Talwar

“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.

Industry # 109Nov 12, 2026

Direct Contracting in Healthcare

with Mark Cuban, Dr. Ruchika Talwar

“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.

ENT & Allergy # 303Nov 12, 2026

Direct Contracting in Healthcare

with Mark Cuban, Dr. Ruchika Talwar

"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.

Bone & Sports # 123Nov 10, 2026

Controversies in GAE: Patient Selection Techniques

with Dr. Ahmed Farag, Dr. Aparna Baheti, Dr. Osman Ahmed

Could genicular artery embolization (GAE) one day be offered before knee osteoarthritis sets in, or before a knee replacement to ease recovery? These interventional radiologists do not all agree. On this episode of the BackTable 2026 MSK Creator Weekend™, Dr. Osman Ahmed, Dr. Ahmed Farag, and Dr. Ally Baheti work through the biggest debates in GAE, starting with the ideal candidate, when it is too early to offer the procedure, how they approach Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4 knees, when a repeat embolization makes sense, and whether MRI with or without contrast is needed before treatment.

Vascular & IR # 691Nov 10, 2026

Controversies in GAE: Patient Selection Techniques

with Dr. Ahmed Farag, Dr. Aparna Baheti, Dr. Osman Ahmed

Could genicular artery embolization (GAE) one day be offered before knee osteoarthritis sets in, or before a knee replacement to ease recovery? These interventional radiologists do not all agree. On this episode of the BackTable 2026 MSK Creator Weekend™, Dr. Osman Ahmed, Dr. Ahmed Farag, and Dr. Ally Baheti work through the biggest debates in GAE, starting with the ideal candidate, when it is too early to offer the procedure, how they approach Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4 knees, when a repeat embolization makes sense, and whether MRI with or without contrast is needed before treatment.

Cardiology # 59Nov 10, 2026

Quality Improvement in the Cardiac Cath Lab: Strategies & Impact

with Dr. Megha Prasad, Dr. Sameh Sayfo

A creatinine of 0.9 can hide a GFR of 45, and at Columbia that gap is now called out in every cath lab time-out. On this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Sameh Sayfo talks with Dr. Megha Prasad, interventional cardiologist and co-director of the interventional cardiology fellowship at Columbia University, about the side of the cath lab most fellows are never taught: quality improvement, operations, and making the case for new technology. Dr. Prasad traces her interest back to root cause analyses during residency, explains who really defines quality, and walks through two initiatives, a contrast checkpoint to prevent acute kidney injury and a standardized weaning protocol for mechanical circulatory support. She also explains why awareness and an operator's own data move colleagues more than penalties, and how fellows can become a lab's standard keepers.

Women's Health # 139Nov 10, 2026

Breastfeeding: What OB/GYNs Need to Know

with Dr. Janelle Alvarez, Dr. Nicole Faulkner

Can I have a glass of wine? Do I have to pump and dump after my CT scan? Will my antidepressant hurt the baby? Did I fail if we need formula? Every OBGYN hears these breastfeeding questions, sometimes at 3 AM on rounds, and the answers are usually more reassuring than patients expect. On this episode of BackTable Women's Health, Dr. Nicole Faulkner is joined by Dr. Janelle Alvarez, an OBGYN who shares women's health education with more than 40,000 followers as Paging Dr. Alvarez, to help OBGYNs feel ready for breastfeeding questions on rounds, at postpartum visits, and in the patient portal. Dr. Alvarez explains why lactation gets lost in a four-year residency and which parts belong to OBGYNs, which she sums up as breast, meds, and moods. The two then clear up common myths, from pumping and dumping after alcohol, contrast, or anesthesia to the strict criteria for lactational amenorrhea, and show how looking up a medication in LactMed in front of the patient builds trust.