Episode 331- Your Deductible Is High And Here Is Why. With Dominick Pallone

Premiums are climbing, deductibles feel heavier every year, and most people still can’t tell you why health care costs what it costs. From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we talk with Dominick Pallone, CEO of the Michigan Association of Health Plans, to get a clear look at what health plans actually do in Michigan and how state policy decisions ripple straight into employer coverage and family budgets.We start with the basics: MAHP represents nine health insurance companies covering nearly four million Michiganders, and their day-to-day work is advocacy with state lawmakers and regulators. From there, we dig into competition and choice in a market long shaped by a dominant carrier, and why employers and individuals should know they have other network options. The goal, Dom argues, is competing on access, quality outcomes, and real value rather than just headlines.Then we get to the affordability problem everyone feels. Dom explains why insurers often function as pass-through entities for underlying prices, and why pharmacy costs have become the biggest lever right now. We talk about double-digit premium trends, specialty drugs that are clinically remarkable but financially punishing, and the policy tightrope between supporting innovation and keeping coverage usable. We also explore practical fixes: value-based care arrangements, custom high-value networks, and health literacy tools like real-person call centers and apps that help members compare cost and quality for elective care.If you care about Michigan health care, health insurance affordability, pharmacy pricing, and what can actually move the needle, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend or colleague, and leave a review with the biggest cost question you want answered next.Support the showEngage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!