The Testosterone, Weight Loss & Hormone Lies Your Doctor Never Told You | Brigham Buhler

In a recent episode of The Dr. Josh Axe Show, Brigham Buhler, a clinician and founder of the cash-pay clinic and pharmacy network Ways2Well, laid out a stark argument: the American healthcare system is not designed to keep you healthy. Buhler, who has appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast and testified before the FDA on peptide regulation, spent the conversation dissecting the financial incentives that drive poor patient outcomes, from the insurance industry’s grip on prescription drug pricing to the suppression of advanced therapies like plasma exchange and peptides.

The Insurance Model Is Designed for Emergencies, Not Health

Buhler’s central claim is that health insurance in the United States functions more like car insurance than a vehicle for wellness. "It's great if you total the car," he says. "But if you're expecting it to rotate the tires, change the oil and maintain the vehicle, you are going to be sorely disappointed." The problem, he explains, is structural. In the 1990s, the five largest insurance companies captured the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)—entities originally created to negotiate drug prices down. Instead, PBMs began negotiating prices up, because the insurance companies receive rebates from pharmaceutical companies on each prescription. "In any other field, we would call that a kickback," Buhler says.