Vital Signs (Aired 12-18-25) Prescription Costs, Patient Advocacy & Women’s Health

In the December 18, 2025 episode of Vital Signs, host Jen Godde welcomes healthcare strategist and pharmacy benefit expert Rachel Strauss for a powerful conversation on one of the most confusing and expensive issues in American healthcare: prescription drug pricing and patient advocacy.

With more than two decades of experience inside national PBMs, Rachel explains why medication costs feel impossible to understand and what patients can do today to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. The discussion covers practical tools such as GoodRx, cash-pay strategies, and alternative pharmacy models like Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company.

This episode also tackles common myths that prevent people from saving money, including fears around cash-pay options and insurance rules. A major focus is placed on women’s midlife health, perimenopause, hormone therapy, and why these concerns are often dismissed as “just aging.”