October 16, 2024 • 26 mins
Step into the world of healthcare reform with the unique perspective of Congressman Earl "Buddy" Carter, a pharmacist serving in Congress, whose career has taken him from the quaint town of Pooler's mayoral office to the halls of the U.S. Capitol as Georgia's 1st District Representative. Delve into a conversation that traverses the landscape of healthcare legislation, as we dissect Carter's contributions on the Energy and Commerce and Budget Committees, and the transformative bills he passionately supports. The Lower Cost, More Cures Act and the Saving Our Students in Schools Act take center stage, revealing a behind-the-scenes look at their implications and the legislative journey from conception to enactment.
Hear how the government shapes the trajectory of healthcare services through the levers of Medicare and Medicaid, alongside the burgeoning telehealth revolution that promises to redefine rural healthcare access. Congressman Carter sheds light on the imperative for high-speed internet to support telehealth innovations and the legislative efforts in motion to combat maternal mortality through the Healthy Moms and Babies Act. As we unravel the threads of bipartisan legislation, such as the Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act, it becomes clear how collective efforts across the aisle can forge pathways to superior emergency care for our youngest citizens. Join us for an episode that not only informs but ignites a dialogue on the future of healthcare policy.
Visit our website
Like us on Facebook
Tweet @ us on Twitter
Follow on Linkedin
Send an email contact@shpllc.com
Production © Strategic Healthcare Partners, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Aaron Higgins (00:14):
Welcome to Beyond the Stethoscope Vital
Conversations with SHP.
As we end our summer break, aswe're preparing for Season 5,
we're revisiting some of ourmost compelling episodes In this
Season 4 opener.
We welcome Congressman EarlBuddy Carter, a pharmacist and
Georgia's First DistrictRepresentative, to discuss his
(00:36):
role in healthcare reform.
From his work on the Energy andCommerce and Budget Committees
to his support fortransformational bills like the
Lower Cost More Cures Act andthe Saving Our Students and
Schools Act, congressman Carteroffers an inside look at the
legislative process and itsimpact on health care.
We explore how Medicare andMedicaid shape health care
(00:57):
services, the role of telehealthand improving rural access, and
the ongoing legislative effortsto address maternal mortality
through the Healthy Moms andBabies Act.
Additionally, we delve intobipartisan initiatives like the
Emergency Medical Services forChildren Reauthorization Act and
their importance for enhancingemergency care for children.
(01:17):
Join us for this enlighteningdiscussion on the future of
healthcare policy and thelegislative efforts that are
driving the change.
Thank you, hey, everyone.
Welcome to Beyond theStethoscope Vital Conversations
with SHP.
Jason Crosby (01:54):
I'm Jason Crosby and I'm joined today by my
partner in crime, aaron Higgins.
Tell you what?
Today we have a special guestUS Congressman from our very own
Georgia's 1st DistrictRepresentative, earl Buddy
Carter, known as Buddy, in ourarea.
Have a special guest USCongressman from our very own
Georgia's 1st DistrictRepresentative, earl Buddy
Carter, known as Buddy, in ourarea.
Congressman Carter, thanks forjoining us today.
Rep. Buddy Carter (02:10):
Well, thank y'all for having me.
I'm excited about being here.
Jason Crosby (02:13):
Fantastic.
Thanks again.
We know you've got a busyschedule so we appreciate your
time.
So we have some great questions.
We want to jump right into theconversation.
Tell you what, if you wouldn'tmind start off by telling
everyone a little bit aboutyourself, your health care
background which is unique upthere in DC and your time and
responsibilities as a UScongressman and came back and
settled in Pooler and have beenin Pooler since 1980.
Rep. Buddy Carter (02:47):
So I've seen a lot of change in Pooler and it
continues to just improvethanks to the good work of the
mayor and council there inPooler, and they continue to do
a great job.
I had the opportunity to serveas mayor of the city of Pooler
and also served in the statelegislature and now serve in
Congress.
But professionally I'm apharmacist and for many years I
was the only pharmacist inCongress.
But professionally I'm apharmacist and for many years I
was the only pharmacist inCongress.
In fact, one of my colleagueshad given me the hashtag OPIC to
(03:10):
mean only pharmacist inCongress.
Well, a couple of years ago wegot another pharmacist in
Congress, diana Harshbarger fromTennessee, and she's a rising
star doing a great job.
But my colleague told me hesaid well, you can continue to
use the hashtag OPIC, but now itmeans oldest pharmacist in
Congress.
So I guess I'll have to goalong with that.
(03:30):
You know it is important andobviously in Congress I
concentrate a lot on health careissues, as you would expect
being a pharmacist, and that'swhy I'm enjoying serving on the
Energy and Commerce Committee.
One of the reasons why isbecause that's where the health
subcommittee is and that's whereI need to be.
Aaron Higgins (03:52):
That really frames, I think, for our
listeners here you have the bonafides, as it were, speaking as
the health care professional inCongress.
But how has your time inCongress evolved your, your
perspective on healthcare andhow would you say that that has
shaped, uh, what you do inCongress now?
(04:14):
You said you were on acommittee.
Talk a little more about that,if you could.
Rep. Buddy Carter (04:19):
Well, um, you know, first of all I want to
share a quick story with youbecause you know, I was a mayor,
as I said, and I served in thestate legislature, and in both
of those you have theopportunity to really get things
done in kind of a quicker way.
The wheels run so slow inWashington DC that when I was in
(04:41):
the state Senate and this seatbecame available, became open, I
went to then Governor NathanDeal, who had served 16 years in
Congress, and I told him I said, governor, I'm not going to be
running for reelection in thestate Senate, I'm going to run
for Congress.
And he was very encouraging ofme, but he was not encouraging
of Congress at all.
He sounded like someone who hadbeen up there 16 years.
(05:03):
And he told me he said you'regoing to be frustrated.
He said you serve here in thestate legislature.
You can come here and in 40days you can introduce a bill in
one chamber, get it out theother and sign in the law and
then go home.
He said in Washington DC youcan work for years on an
amendment and never get it done.
And you know he was right.
It is very frustrating.
(05:24):
The wheels move very slow inWashington DC, particularly as
it relates to health care.
Now, having said that, I willtell you that we have had a few
instances where that has notbeen the case, specifically
because of the pandemic that wewent through.
Telehealth is something we'lltalk a lot about during this
(05:45):
podcast and because it's such abig issue for me and for the
country right now.
It's been said that telehealthgrew more in two weeks than it
did in 10 years during thepandemic, and it really became
an integral part of ourhealthcare system.
So you know, on one hand, I'llsay that it takes a long time to
(06:07):
make changes in health care.
On the other hand, I'll saythat the pandemic really helped
us to make some good changesrather quickly.
Aaron Higgins (06:14):
Well, you bring up an excellent point.
Legislation takes time.
Now, two bills in particularthat we wanted to talk to you
about are two bills that you'vesupported the Lower Cost, more
Transparency Act and the SavingOur Students and School Act From
a high level.
We don't need to get into theweeds.
I don't think our listenerswant to get into the weeds as
(06:35):
much as I would.
What can you tell us aboutthose bills and maybe even the
process in getting those foreven out there for consideration
?
How long did that take?
Rep. Buddy Carter (06:46):
Well, that's a great question and I
appreciate the opportunity todiscuss both of these bills,
particularly the lower cost,more transparency act, because
what this was was really aconglomeration, if you will, of
about 27 bills that were passedthrough the Energy and Commerce
Committee that we put all intoone act.
They're all relevant and allthe same subject matter, but
(07:11):
instead of taking themindividually, we put them all
together because they all striveto do the same thing, and that
is to lower prescription, drugand health care costs and to
increase transparency.
I've always said that, you know, sunlight is the greatest
transparent out there, andthat's what we have to keep in
mind.
Is that the more transparencywe have?
(07:33):
Because right now in ourhealthcare system it is very
opaque and you know, I just gotback from the doctor's office a
few minutes ago and, you know,before I even walk in, they say,
oh, you owe $218.
I have no idea what that wasfor.
Now I've got to go back andI've got to try to figure out
what that was for, and you know,I'm a health care professional.
(07:55):
If that happens to me, I canonly imagine what it's like for
most people you know who aren'tin the health realm and in the
healthcare world.
So it really is.
It really is something that weneed to work on and something
that that this the lower cost,more transparency will help,
(08:15):
because whether you're aRepublican, a Democrat or an
independent, you all want thesame thing in healthcare.
You want accessible, affordable, quality health care, whether
you're Democrat or Republicanaccessible, affordable quality
health care.
And one way we can make itaccessible or make it affordable
is through transparency.
(08:36):
If we have more transparency,then we would have better health
care.
Jason Crosby (08:42):
Congressman, you've hit on a couple of great
points already in terms oftelehealth and accessibility and
such.
What would you say is, in termsof your vision for the future
of health care delivery in theUnited States, and again
mentioning telehealth and therole that technology plays and
other innovation that may follow, how do you see that playing
(09:03):
out in terms of health caredelivery going forward?
Rep. Buddy Carter (09:06):
I think it's going to be extremely important
for a couple of reasons.
First of all, you know we saidaccess and how important access
is.
Telehealth gives people accessto healthcare.
We also have a providershortage in this country.
We don't have enough primarycare providers, we don't have
enough psychiatrists, we don'thave enough of just about every
(09:29):
discipline within the healthcaresystem.
This will give us a chance tobe more efficient and to utilize
the services that we do haveavailable in a more efficient
way, and I think you know that'sgoing to be extremely important
.
It's extremely important.
Telehealth is extremelyimportant in rural areas of our
(09:50):
country.
Now, I acknowledge that thereare urban deserts where we don't
have access to health care, butyou know, the rural areas
really do struggle and that'swhy telehealth plays such an
important role.
You know we say all the timethat there are two Georges
there's Atlanta and everywhere.
You know we say all the timethat there are two Georgias,
there's Atlanta and everywhereelse.
Well, we're everywhere else andyou know we just don't have the
(10:11):
access here in South Georgiathat they do up in the Atlanta
area.
Jason Crosby (10:16):
That's an excellent point and you know you
mentioned, for example,telehealth during the pandemic
in terms of its growth in just amatter of a couple of weeks and
obvious government involvementat the time.
What role do you see thegovernment playing in taking
health care delivery to thatnext level and hopefully
embracing further technologicaladvancement?
(10:38):
What role do you see thegovernment playing there?
Two roles.
Rep. Buddy Carter (10:42):
First of all, from a healthcare perspective.
You know the federal governmentis the highest utilizer of
healthcare services in AmericaMedicare, medicaid all of those
are funded through the federalgovernment.
So you know reimbursement isgoing to be very important and
being able to utilize thoseservices and make them more
(11:05):
readily available is going to bevery important.
Now, also, on the Energy andCommerce Committee, I serve on
the Communications andTechnology Subcommittee as well
as the Health SubcommitteeCommunications and Technology.
Access to broadband,communications and technology,
access to broadband, access tohigh-speed internet very, very
important.
We can't have telehealth unlesswe have broadband and
(11:27):
high-speed internet.
That's particularly importantin the rural areas.
Aaron Higgins (11:31):
again, so that's why our committee is playing a
very pivotal role in all of this.
It certainly feels like amulti-pronged approach.
You know the other bill, theLower Costs and More
Transparency Act, combiningmultiple ideas that were more or
less overlapping, and I thinkJason would agree with me I'm a
(11:55):
policy wonk, I love legislation.
So there's another bill that'skind of in the same vein, no pun
intended, but HR 4605 from lastfall, the Healthy Moms and
Babies Act, as it was called.
How does that contribute, then,towards obviously having
(12:16):
healthy moms and babies right?
That's certainly a big issue inAmerica, and you know how do
you see this bill going to helpa problem and maybe help
identify what that problem is?
Rep. Buddy Carter (12:28):
Well, I appreciate you asking about this
because I have to be quitehonest with you, this is
something that has bothered mefor years when I served in the
Georgia state legislature.
I could never understand howGeorgia could have one of the
highest maternal mortality ratesin the country.
You would think that that wouldbe and, with all due respect,
(12:48):
more like some, you know, maybeMississippi or Alabama or South
Carolina, but Georgia we're.
You know, we've got greathealthcare services here in this
state.
So why are we a leader inmaternal mortality?
And why is the United States aleader worldwide, the most
advanced country in the world,and yet we are?
(13:11):
Maternal mortality rate is, insome cases, double what it is in
other countries, and and itjust has never made sense to me
and I've never been able to getmy arms around that, and as much
as I study it, I still don'tunderstand it.
So that's why we wanted toaddress it with this legislation
.
And what it does is we'retrying to reduce maternal
(13:32):
mortality and trying tounderstand how can we address
this and why is it worse inblack people and brown people
than it is in Caucasians?
You know, and the CDC tells us,that 80 percent of all maternal
mortality could be prevented.
(13:53):
Well, if that's the case, youknow why aren't we doing it?
And that's what we wanted toaddress with this bill, and
that's what we're trying to do.
We, you know, we're making surethat we're looking at the whole
person, looking at, you know,depression and about other
things that impact mothers, butat the same time, we need to be
(14:17):
studying that, we need to haveresources going toward it.
Telehealth is another.
You know I interject that here.
This is another area where itcan be helpful for mothers as
well.
Aaron Higgins (14:29):
Yeah, I think it sounds to me that this is the
issue that a lot of people don'teven know is an issue.
I've talked to other people inthe profession, I've kind of
casually mentioned that and theygo what we have?
One of the highest, certainlythe highest amongst the what's
considered the first world.
So I think this is a really bigissue and so thank you for
(14:52):
tackling that.
I guess, just to dovetail onthat a little bit, how
ultimately do you see thiscontributing to the better
patient outcomes, particularlyin mothers and infants?
Rep. Buddy Carter (15:17):
that is, addresses it.
I can't remember what the nameof the app was.
I wish I could put a plug infor them, but nevertheless, this
is a way for them to havemothers to interact with each
other and communicate with eachother, and that in itself can
help, because they're allsharing, in many cases, some of
the same experiences and some ofthe same worries, some of the
(15:41):
same challenges.
Jason Crosby (15:45):
Kind of keep going down the legislative path there
.
Aaron Higgins (15:47):
In January kind of fast forward.
Jason Crosby (15:48):
Now here we are.
It's just the 1st of March, butyou've been pretty busy.
Already In January, youintroduced the Emergency Medical
Services for ChildrenReauthorization Act, and so
again you know, we talked abouthealthy moms and babies and now
here we are with making sureemergency services are
sufficiently provided forchildren.
(16:09):
What can you share about thatthat has recently passed?
Rep. Buddy Carter (16:15):
Well, this is bipartisan, by the way, and let
me just say that the Energy andCommerce Committee I would
submit to you that it's the mostbipartisan committee in
Congress we really do worktogether on things.
You know, broadband isbipartisan.
Everybody needs high-speedInternet broadband.
Broadband is bipartisan,everybody needs high-speed
internet broadband.
Healthcare is bipartisan.
As I said earlier, and I thinkit bears repeating, all of us
(16:37):
want the same thing affordable,accessible, quality healthcare.
I don't care if you'reRepublican or Democrat.
So this is another example of abipartisan bill Kathy Castor,
who's a Democrat from Florida,kim Schreier, who is a Democrat
from Washington, a pediatricianalso.
John Joyce is my otherco-sponsor.
He's a Republican.
He's a dermatologist fromPennsylvania.
(16:59):
You know we all sponsored thisbecause we want to make sure
that children get theappropriate health care during a
medical emergency that theyneed.
You would think that that goeswithout saying or that that goes
without legislating, but thereare instances where we've
actually had the emergencymedical services for children.
(17:20):
This was an act that wasestablished in 1984, and it's
really the only program that'sfocused on making sure that
emergency care for children andadolescents is available.
This is simply areauthorization of that, but it
is extremely important because,as I say, it's really the only
(17:40):
act that addresses this to makesure that we've got the medical
equipment that children need,the specific medical equipment,
the drugs and all the otherthings, particularly in the case
of emergencies.
Jason Crosby (17:53):
Very well said, You've hit on a couple of good
pain points that you guys areaddressing.
What are some other pressinghealthcare concerns that
Georgians, or Americans broadly,are facing particularly?
You know we've talked aboutrural communities as well.
What other sort of issues therethat you see that you and your
team are addressing?
Rep. Buddy Carter (18:14):
Well, a couple of things.
First of all, I failed tomention, in answering one of the
other questions about anotherpiece of legislation I think you
were asking about the SavingLives in Schools Act, and that
is very important.
You know we got as everyoneknows we've got a problem on our
southern border and we got aproblem with illegal immigrants.
But we also got a drug problem,a fentanyl problem, enough
(18:37):
fentanyl coming in this countryevery day.
We are losing 200 people everyday as a result of fentanyl
poisoning, poisoning ourcitizens fentanyl poisoning,
poisoning our citizens.
Fortunately, there is a drugthat, if used quickly enough
after ingesting fentanyl, it canreverse the effects of it.
(18:58):
It's called naloxone.
Now I led a letter last year tothe FDA encouraging them to
turn naloxone into over thecounter where you can buy it
without a prescription.
Now, I'm often critical of theFDA, as I think they are
deserving of us to be criticalof them, but in this case I have
(19:19):
to say I applaud them becausethey did just that.
They made naloxone where youcan just walk into pharmacy.
Now you don't have to ask thepharmacist or anything.
You can buy naloxone.
Well, saving Lives in SchoolAct.
What I'm proposing is thatnaloxone be in every school in
America.
Everywhere you see adefibrillator, you ought to see
(19:40):
naloxone, and it saves lives,and even if we save one life,
it'll be worth it.
I keep it in my backpackEverywhere I go.
I've gotten Naloxone Now.
Thank God, I've never had touse it, but I have it.
So if I run into a situationwhere we need it, I'll have it.
But it ought to be in everyschool in America and that's why
I've introduced the SavingLives in Schools Act.
(20:11):
Another thing that I want tomention is, as you would expect,
being a pharmacist, you knowone of my primary goals has been
to lower drug cost.
After all, for over 40 years, Iwas the one who had to go to
the counter and tell the seniorcitizen how much their
medication was and watch themmake a decision between buying
their medicine and buying theirgroceries.
I was the one who had to go tothe counter and tell the mother
how much her child's antibioticwas and watch her in tears as
(20:32):
she tried to figure out how shewas going to pay for it.
Well, I set out to do somethingabout that and that's why we're
trying to get more transparency.
Remember we talked about thelower cost, more transparency.
We're trying to get moretransparency, particularly in
the drug pricing chain, becausethat's very important that we
have that transparency in there,particularly when it relates to
(20:55):
the middleman the PBMs asthey're called, pharmacy benefit
managers and I'm very proudthat and very happy that, after
I've been in Congress for eightand a half years, finally, I've
been since one asking the FTC tolook into the vertical
integration that exists in thedrug pricing chain.
(21:15):
They are finally looking intoit.
So whatever their findings maybe, I think they're going to be
beneficial to us in healthcare.
Aaron Higgins (21:24):
That's fantastic to hear.
So I know we're running up hereon our allotted time,
congressman, so certainly thankyou for joining us.
Two last things that we wantedto talk about quickly.
What are any other issues thatyou wanted to make sure our
listeners were aware of and,from your perspective, how would
(21:48):
you imagine that our listenersshould be contacting their
congressmen?
You know many of our listenersaren't in the first district, so
I guess, speaking on behalf ofyour colleagues, what's the best
way for Joe Citizen to getinvolved and help advocate
certain positions or talk to you?
Rep. Buddy Carter (22:07):
Well, aaron, as you know, being a public
servant yourself, you depend onthat and you need input from
people.
Look, I always say, if you'renot at the table, you're on the
menu.
So you need to be at the tableand you need to make your voice
heard.
You need to make sure yourprofession is represented.
I encourage people all the timeemails, letters, phone calls,
(22:31):
whatever it may be.
Please, I want to hear from you.
I, you know, I have the honorand privilege of representing
the people of the FirstCongressional District of
Georgia and that's a bigresponsibility.
But I need to hear from themand if you don't get out there
and tell your story, it's notgoing to be told, and that's why
it's so vitally important thatpeople be involved.
(22:53):
It is a citizen legislature.
You know, I'm a pharmacist.
We've got, you know we've gotnew car salesmen, we've got
farmers, we've got preachers,we've got way too many lawyers,
but you know we've got just acitizen legislature in Congress.
That's why it's important foryou to get to know your
congressman, to get to know yoursenator, to get to know and to
(23:15):
build up a relationship and, ifnot necessarily with them, with
their staff members, I mean.
A lot of times we, you know, Idepend on staff.
Obviously, I couldn't do allthe things I do if I didn't have
a good team behind me.
And I've got an excellent teamand you need to make sure they
know you and you know them.
Aaron Higgins (23:32):
Yeah, no, that's certainly excellent advice, and
I think our listeners know ifyou've listened to a previous
episode, I'm on my local citycouncil, and so I would
encourage people to reach outall levels of government.
We're here and ready to listen.
So, congressman, before we letyou go, we have a most pressing
(23:53):
question that I'm sure all ofour listeners want to know what
is your favorite Pop-Tart andwhy?
Rep. Buddy Carter (24:00):
What is my favorite Pop-Tart?
That's a good one.
I wasn't expecting that one.
You know I'm a chocolate-holic,so I guess anything chocolate,
although I don't know that one.
You know I'm a chocolate-holic,so I guess anything chocolate,
although I don't know thatPop-Tarts necessarily come in
chocolate.
But if I had to choose one, I'dprobably say blueberries.
I love blueberries, andblueberry Pop-Tarts are good.
Jason Crosby (24:20):
Okay.
Rep. Buddy Carter (24:21):
Well, thank you for your time Congressman
and being a good sport.
Thank you all.
I enjoyed it yeah we'll see yousoon Okay.
Jason Crosby (24:29):
Great information and great conversation with
Congressman Carter today.
We thank you very much for yourtime, congressman.
We can certainly go on and onwith lots of more questions and
conversations, so we'll have todo this again sometime.
We really appreciate your timeand thank you for joining us
today, and thank you to ourlisteners for your time as well.
We look forward to our nextpodcast.
Until then, have a great restof your day.
Aaron Higgins (24:55):
This has been an episode of Beyond the
Stethoscope Vital Conversationswith SHP.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please be sure to rate and share
it with your friends.
It sure helps the showProduction and editing by Nala
Weed.
Jason Crosby (25:08):
Social media by Jeremy Miller.
Aaron Higgins (25:11):
And our co-hosts are me, aaron C Higgins and
Jason Crosby.
Our show producers are MikeScribner and John Crew.
Jason Crosby (25:21):
Thank you for listening and we'll see you next
time.
Welcome to Beyond the Stethoscope Vital
Conversations with SHP.
As we end our summer break, aswe're preparing for Season 5,
we're revisiting some of ourmost compelling episodes In this
Season 4 opener.
We welcome Congressman EarlBuddy Carter, a pharmacist and
Georgia's First DistrictRepresentative, to discuss his
(00:36):
role in healthcare reform.
From his work on the Energy andCommerce and Budget Committees
to his support fortransformational bills like the
Lower Cost More Cures Act andthe Saving Our Students and
Schools Act, congressman Carteroffers an inside look at the
legislative process and itsimpact on health care.
We explore how Medicare andMedicaid shape health care
(00:57):
services, the role of telehealthand improving rural access, and
the ongoing legislative effortsto address maternal mortality
through the Healthy Moms andBabies Act.
Additionally, we delve intobipartisan initiatives like the
Emergency Medical Services forChildren Reauthorization Act and
their importance for enhancingemergency care for children.
(01:17):
Join us for this enlighteningdiscussion on the future of
healthcare policy and thelegislative efforts that are
driving the change.
Thank you, hey, everyone.
Welcome to Beyond theStethoscope Vital Conversations
with SHP.
Jason Crosby (01:54):
I'm Jason Crosby and I'm joined today by my
partner in crime, aaron Higgins.
Tell you what?
Today we have a special guestUS Congressman from our very own
Georgia's 1st DistrictRepresentative, earl Buddy
Carter, known as Buddy, in ourarea.
Have a special guest USCongressman from our very own
Georgia's 1st DistrictRepresentative, earl Buddy
Carter, known as Buddy, in ourarea.
Congressman Carter, thanks forjoining us today.
Rep. Buddy Carter (02:10):
Well, thank y'all for having me.
I'm excited about being here.
Jason Crosby (02:13):
Fantastic.
Thanks again.
We know you've got a busyschedule so we appreciate your
time.
So we have some great questions.
We want to jump right into theconversation.
Tell you what, if you wouldn'tmind start off by telling
everyone a little bit aboutyourself, your health care
background which is unique upthere in DC and your time and
responsibilities as a UScongressman and came back and
settled in Pooler and have beenin Pooler since 1980.
Rep. Buddy Carter (02:47):
So I've seen a lot of change in Pooler and it
continues to just improvethanks to the good work of the
mayor and council there inPooler, and they continue to do
a great job.
I had the opportunity to serveas mayor of the city of Pooler
and also served in the statelegislature and now serve in
Congress.
But professionally I'm apharmacist and for many years I
was the only pharmacist inCongress.
But professionally I'm apharmacist and for many years I
was the only pharmacist inCongress.
In fact, one of my colleagueshad given me the hashtag OPIC to
(03:10):
mean only pharmacist inCongress.
Well, a couple of years ago wegot another pharmacist in
Congress, diana Harshbarger fromTennessee, and she's a rising
star doing a great job.
But my colleague told me hesaid well, you can continue to
use the hashtag OPIC, but now itmeans oldest pharmacist in
Congress.
So I guess I'll have to goalong with that.
(03:30):
You know it is important andobviously in Congress I
concentrate a lot on health careissues, as you would expect
being a pharmacist, and that'swhy I'm enjoying serving on the
Energy and Commerce Committee.
One of the reasons why isbecause that's where the health
subcommittee is and that's whereI need to be.
Aaron Higgins (03:52):
That really frames, I think, for our
listeners here you have the bonafides, as it were, speaking as
the health care professional inCongress.
But how has your time inCongress evolved your, your
perspective on healthcare andhow would you say that that has
shaped, uh, what you do inCongress now?
(04:14):
You said you were on acommittee.
Talk a little more about that,if you could.
Rep. Buddy Carter (04:19):
Well, um, you know, first of all I want to
share a quick story with youbecause you know, I was a mayor,
as I said, and I served in thestate legislature, and in both
of those you have theopportunity to really get things
done in kind of a quicker way.
The wheels run so slow inWashington DC that when I was in
(04:41):
the state Senate and this seatbecame available, became open, I
went to then Governor NathanDeal, who had served 16 years in
Congress, and I told him I said, governor, I'm not going to be
running for reelection in thestate Senate, I'm going to run
for Congress.
And he was very encouraging ofme, but he was not encouraging
of Congress at all.
He sounded like someone who hadbeen up there 16 years.
(05:03):
And he told me he said you'regoing to be frustrated.
He said you serve here in thestate legislature.
You can come here and in 40days you can introduce a bill in
one chamber, get it out theother and sign in the law and
then go home.
He said in Washington DC youcan work for years on an
amendment and never get it done.
And you know he was right.
It is very frustrating.
(05:24):
The wheels move very slow inWashington DC, particularly as
it relates to health care.
Now, having said that, I willtell you that we have had a few
instances where that has notbeen the case, specifically
because of the pandemic that wewent through.
Telehealth is something we'lltalk a lot about during this
(05:45):
podcast and because it's such abig issue for me and for the
country right now.
It's been said that telehealthgrew more in two weeks than it
did in 10 years during thepandemic, and it really became
an integral part of ourhealthcare system.
So you know, on one hand, I'llsay that it takes a long time to
(06:07):
make changes in health care.
On the other hand, I'll saythat the pandemic really helped
us to make some good changesrather quickly.
Aaron Higgins (06:14):
Well, you bring up an excellent point.
Legislation takes time.
Now, two bills in particularthat we wanted to talk to you
about are two bills that you'vesupported the Lower Cost, more
Transparency Act and the SavingOur Students and School Act From
a high level.
We don't need to get into theweeds.
I don't think our listenerswant to get into the weeds as
(06:35):
much as I would.
What can you tell us aboutthose bills and maybe even the
process in getting those foreven out there for consideration
?
How long did that take?
Rep. Buddy Carter (06:46):
Well, that's a great question and I
appreciate the opportunity todiscuss both of these bills,
particularly the lower cost,more transparency act, because
what this was was really aconglomeration, if you will, of
about 27 bills that were passedthrough the Energy and Commerce
Committee that we put all intoone act.
They're all relevant and allthe same subject matter, but
(07:11):
instead of taking themindividually, we put them all
together because they all striveto do the same thing, and that
is to lower prescription, drugand health care costs and to
increase transparency.
I've always said that, you know, sunlight is the greatest
transparent out there, andthat's what we have to keep in
mind.
Is that the more transparencywe have?
(07:33):
Because right now in ourhealthcare system it is very
opaque and you know, I just gotback from the doctor's office a
few minutes ago and, you know,before I even walk in, they say,
oh, you owe $218.
I have no idea what that wasfor.
Now I've got to go back andI've got to try to figure out
what that was for, and you know,I'm a health care professional.
(07:55):
If that happens to me, I canonly imagine what it's like for
most people you know who aren'tin the health realm and in the
healthcare world.
So it really is.
It really is something that weneed to work on and something
that that this the lower cost,more transparency will help,
(08:15):
because whether you're aRepublican, a Democrat or an
independent, you all want thesame thing in healthcare.
You want accessible, affordable, quality health care, whether
you're Democrat or Republicanaccessible, affordable quality
health care.
And one way we can make itaccessible or make it affordable
is through transparency.
(08:36):
If we have more transparency,then we would have better health
care.
Jason Crosby (08:42):
Congressman, you've hit on a couple of great
points already in terms oftelehealth and accessibility and
such.
What would you say is, in termsof your vision for the future
of health care delivery in theUnited States, and again
mentioning telehealth and therole that technology plays and
other innovation that may follow, how do you see that playing
(09:03):
out in terms of health caredelivery going forward?
Rep. Buddy Carter (09:06):
I think it's going to be extremely important
for a couple of reasons.
First of all, you know we saidaccess and how important access
is.
Telehealth gives people accessto healthcare.
We also have a providershortage in this country.
We don't have enough primarycare providers, we don't have
enough psychiatrists, we don'thave enough of just about every
(09:29):
discipline within the healthcaresystem.
This will give us a chance tobe more efficient and to utilize
the services that we do haveavailable in a more efficient
way, and I think you know that'sgoing to be extremely important
.
It's extremely important.
Telehealth is extremelyimportant in rural areas of our
(09:50):
country.
Now, I acknowledge that thereare urban deserts where we don't
have access to health care, butyou know, the rural areas
really do struggle and that'swhy telehealth plays such an
important role.
You know we say all the timethat there are two Georges
there's Atlanta and everywhere.
You know we say all the timethat there are two Georgias,
there's Atlanta and everywhereelse.
Well, we're everywhere else andyou know we just don't have the
(10:11):
access here in South Georgiathat they do up in the Atlanta
area.
Jason Crosby (10:16):
That's an excellent point and you know you
mentioned, for example,telehealth during the pandemic
in terms of its growth in just amatter of a couple of weeks and
obvious government involvementat the time.
What role do you see thegovernment playing in taking
health care delivery to thatnext level and hopefully
embracing further technologicaladvancement?
(10:38):
What role do you see thegovernment playing there?
Two roles.
Rep. Buddy Carter (10:42):
First of all, from a healthcare perspective.
You know the federal governmentis the highest utilizer of
healthcare services in AmericaMedicare, medicaid all of those
are funded through the federalgovernment.
So you know reimbursement isgoing to be very important and
being able to utilize thoseservices and make them more
(11:05):
readily available is going to bevery important.
Now, also, on the Energy andCommerce Committee, I serve on
the Communications andTechnology Subcommittee as well
as the Health SubcommitteeCommunications and Technology.
Access to broadband,communications and technology,
access to broadband, access tohigh-speed internet very, very
important.
We can't have telehealth unlesswe have broadband and
(11:27):
high-speed internet.
That's particularly importantin the rural areas.
Aaron Higgins (11:31):
again, so that's why our committee is playing a
very pivotal role in all of this.
It certainly feels like amulti-pronged approach.
You know the other bill, theLower Costs and More
Transparency Act, combiningmultiple ideas that were more or
less overlapping, and I thinkJason would agree with me I'm a
(11:55):
policy wonk, I love legislation.
So there's another bill that'skind of in the same vein, no pun
intended, but HR 4605 from lastfall, the Healthy Moms and
Babies Act, as it was called.
How does that contribute, then,towards obviously having
(12:16):
healthy moms and babies right?
That's certainly a big issue inAmerica, and you know how do
you see this bill going to helpa problem and maybe help
identify what that problem is?
Rep. Buddy Carter (12:28):
Well, I appreciate you asking about this
because I have to be quitehonest with you, this is
something that has bothered mefor years when I served in the
Georgia state legislature.
I could never understand howGeorgia could have one of the
highest maternal mortality ratesin the country.
You would think that that wouldbe and, with all due respect,
(12:48):
more like some, you know, maybeMississippi or Alabama or South
Carolina, but Georgia we're.
You know, we've got greathealthcare services here in this
state.
So why are we a leader inmaternal mortality?
And why is the United States aleader worldwide, the most
advanced country in the world,and yet we are?
(13:11):
Maternal mortality rate is, insome cases, double what it is in
other countries, and and itjust has never made sense to me
and I've never been able to getmy arms around that, and as much
as I study it, I still don'tunderstand it.
So that's why we wanted toaddress it with this legislation
.
And what it does is we'retrying to reduce maternal
(13:32):
mortality and trying tounderstand how can we address
this and why is it worse inblack people and brown people
than it is in Caucasians?
You know, and the CDC tells us,that 80 percent of all maternal
mortality could be prevented.
(13:53):
Well, if that's the case, youknow why aren't we doing it?
And that's what we wanted toaddress with this bill, and
that's what we're trying to do.
We, you know, we're making surethat we're looking at the whole
person, looking at, you know,depression and about other
things that impact mothers, butat the same time, we need to be
(14:17):
studying that, we need to haveresources going toward it.
Telehealth is another.
You know I interject that here.
This is another area where itcan be helpful for mothers as
well.
Aaron Higgins (14:29):
Yeah, I think it sounds to me that this is the
issue that a lot of people don'teven know is an issue.
I've talked to other people inthe profession, I've kind of
casually mentioned that and theygo what we have?
One of the highest, certainlythe highest amongst the what's
considered the first world.
So I think this is a really bigissue and so thank you for
(14:52):
tackling that.
I guess, just to dovetail onthat a little bit, how
ultimately do you see thiscontributing to the better
patient outcomes, particularlyin mothers and infants?
Rep. Buddy Carter (15:17):
that is, addresses it.
I can't remember what the nameof the app was.
I wish I could put a plug infor them, but nevertheless, this
is a way for them to havemothers to interact with each
other and communicate with eachother, and that in itself can
help, because they're allsharing, in many cases, some of
the same experiences and some ofthe same worries, some of the
(15:41):
same challenges.
Jason Crosby (15:45):
Kind of keep going down the legislative path there
.
Aaron Higgins (15:47):
In January kind of fast forward.
Jason Crosby (15:48):
Now here we are.
It's just the 1st of March, butyou've been pretty busy.
Already In January, youintroduced the Emergency Medical
Services for ChildrenReauthorization Act, and so
again you know, we talked abouthealthy moms and babies and now
here we are with making sureemergency services are
sufficiently provided forchildren.
(16:09):
What can you share about thatthat has recently passed?
Rep. Buddy Carter (16:15):
Well, this is bipartisan, by the way, and let
me just say that the Energy andCommerce Committee I would
submit to you that it's the mostbipartisan committee in
Congress we really do worktogether on things.
You know, broadband isbipartisan.
Everybody needs high-speedInternet broadband.
Broadband is bipartisan,everybody needs high-speed
internet broadband.
Healthcare is bipartisan.
As I said earlier, and I thinkit bears repeating, all of us
(16:37):
want the same thing affordable,accessible, quality healthcare.
I don't care if you'reRepublican or Democrat.
So this is another example of abipartisan bill Kathy Castor,
who's a Democrat from Florida,kim Schreier, who is a Democrat
from Washington, a pediatricianalso.
John Joyce is my otherco-sponsor.
He's a Republican.
He's a dermatologist fromPennsylvania.
(16:59):
You know we all sponsored thisbecause we want to make sure
that children get theappropriate health care during a
medical emergency that theyneed.
You would think that that goeswithout saying or that that goes
without legislating, but thereare instances where we've
actually had the emergencymedical services for children.
(17:20):
This was an act that wasestablished in 1984, and it's
really the only program that'sfocused on making sure that
emergency care for children andadolescents is available.
This is simply areauthorization of that, but it
is extremely important because,as I say, it's really the only
(17:40):
act that addresses this to makesure that we've got the medical
equipment that children need,the specific medical equipment,
the drugs and all the otherthings, particularly in the case
of emergencies.
Jason Crosby (17:53):
Very well said, You've hit on a couple of good
pain points that you guys areaddressing.
What are some other pressinghealthcare concerns that
Georgians, or Americans broadly,are facing particularly?
You know we've talked aboutrural communities as well.
What other sort of issues therethat you see that you and your
team are addressing?
Rep. Buddy Carter (18:14):
Well, a couple of things.
First of all, I failed tomention, in answering one of the
other questions about anotherpiece of legislation I think you
were asking about the SavingLives in Schools Act, and that
is very important.
You know we got as everyoneknows we've got a problem on our
southern border and we got aproblem with illegal immigrants.
But we also got a drug problem,a fentanyl problem, enough
(18:37):
fentanyl coming in this countryevery day.
We are losing 200 people everyday as a result of fentanyl
poisoning, poisoning ourcitizens fentanyl poisoning,
poisoning our citizens.
Fortunately, there is a drugthat, if used quickly enough
after ingesting fentanyl, it canreverse the effects of it.
(18:58):
It's called naloxone.
Now I led a letter last year tothe FDA encouraging them to
turn naloxone into over thecounter where you can buy it
without a prescription.
Now, I'm often critical of theFDA, as I think they are
deserving of us to be criticalof them, but in this case I have
(19:19):
to say I applaud them becausethey did just that.
They made naloxone where youcan just walk into pharmacy.
Now you don't have to ask thepharmacist or anything.
You can buy naloxone.
Well, saving Lives in SchoolAct.
What I'm proposing is thatnaloxone be in every school in
America.
Everywhere you see adefibrillator, you ought to see
(19:40):
naloxone, and it saves lives,and even if we save one life,
it'll be worth it.
I keep it in my backpackEverywhere I go.
I've gotten Naloxone Now.
Thank God, I've never had touse it, but I have it.
So if I run into a situationwhere we need it, I'll have it.
But it ought to be in everyschool in America and that's why
I've introduced the SavingLives in Schools Act.
(20:11):
Another thing that I want tomention is, as you would expect,
being a pharmacist, you knowone of my primary goals has been
to lower drug cost.
After all, for over 40 years, Iwas the one who had to go to
the counter and tell the seniorcitizen how much their
medication was and watch themmake a decision between buying
their medicine and buying theirgroceries.
I was the one who had to go tothe counter and tell the mother
how much her child's antibioticwas and watch her in tears as
(20:32):
she tried to figure out how shewas going to pay for it.
Well, I set out to do somethingabout that and that's why we're
trying to get more transparency.
Remember we talked about thelower cost, more transparency.
We're trying to get moretransparency, particularly in
the drug pricing chain, becausethat's very important that we
have that transparency in there,particularly when it relates to
(20:55):
the middleman the PBMs asthey're called, pharmacy benefit
managers and I'm very proudthat and very happy that, after
I've been in Congress for eightand a half years, finally, I've
been since one asking the FTC tolook into the vertical
integration that exists in thedrug pricing chain.
(21:15):
They are finally looking intoit.
So whatever their findings maybe, I think they're going to be
beneficial to us in healthcare.
Aaron Higgins (21:24):
That's fantastic to hear.
So I know we're running up hereon our allotted time,
congressman, so certainly thankyou for joining us.
Two last things that we wantedto talk about quickly.
What are any other issues thatyou wanted to make sure our
listeners were aware of and,from your perspective, how would
(21:48):
you imagine that our listenersshould be contacting their
congressmen?
You know many of our listenersaren't in the first district, so
I guess, speaking on behalf ofyour colleagues, what's the best
way for Joe Citizen to getinvolved and help advocate
certain positions or talk to you?
Rep. Buddy Carter (22:07):
Well, aaron, as you know, being a public
servant yourself, you depend onthat and you need input from
people.
Look, I always say, if you'renot at the table, you're on the
menu.
So you need to be at the tableand you need to make your voice
heard.
You need to make sure yourprofession is represented.
I encourage people all the timeemails, letters, phone calls,
(22:31):
whatever it may be.
Please, I want to hear from you.
I, you know, I have the honorand privilege of representing
the people of the FirstCongressional District of
Georgia and that's a bigresponsibility.
But I need to hear from themand if you don't get out there
and tell your story, it's notgoing to be told, and that's why
it's so vitally important thatpeople be involved.
(22:53):
It is a citizen legislature.
You know, I'm a pharmacist.
We've got, you know we've gotnew car salesmen, we've got
farmers, we've got preachers,we've got way too many lawyers,
but you know we've got just acitizen legislature in Congress.
That's why it's important foryou to get to know your
congressman, to get to know yoursenator, to get to know and to
(23:15):
build up a relationship and, ifnot necessarily with them, with
their staff members, I mean.
A lot of times we, you know, Idepend on staff.
Obviously, I couldn't do allthe things I do if I didn't have
a good team behind me.
And I've got an excellent teamand you need to make sure they
know you and you know them.
Aaron Higgins (23:32):
Yeah, no, that's certainly excellent advice, and
I think our listeners know ifyou've listened to a previous
episode, I'm on my local citycouncil, and so I would
encourage people to reach outall levels of government.
We're here and ready to listen.
So, congressman, before we letyou go, we have a most pressing
(23:53):
question that I'm sure all ofour listeners want to know what
is your favorite Pop-Tart andwhy?
Rep. Buddy Carter (24:00):
What is my favorite Pop-Tart?
That's a good one.
I wasn't expecting that one.
You know I'm a chocolate-holic,so I guess anything chocolate,
although I don't know that one.
You know I'm a chocolate-holic,so I guess anything chocolate,
although I don't know thatPop-Tarts necessarily come in
chocolate.
But if I had to choose one, I'dprobably say blueberries.
I love blueberries, andblueberry Pop-Tarts are good.
Jason Crosby (24:20):
Okay.
Rep. Buddy Carter (24:21):
Well, thank you for your time Congressman
and being a good sport.
Thank you all.
I enjoyed it yeah we'll see yousoon Okay.
Jason Crosby (24:29):
Great information and great conversation with
Congressman Carter today.
We thank you very much for yourtime, congressman.
We can certainly go on and onwith lots of more questions and
conversations, so we'll have todo this again sometime.
We really appreciate your timeand thank you for joining us
today, and thank you to ourlisteners for your time as well.
We look forward to our nextpodcast.
Until then, have a great restof your day.
Aaron Higgins (24:55):
This has been an episode of Beyond the
Stethoscope Vital Conversationswith SHP.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please be sure to rate and share
it with your friends.
It sure helps the showProduction and editing by Nala
Weed.
Jason Crosby (25:08):
Social media by Jeremy Miller.
Aaron Higgins (25:11):
And our co-hosts are me, aaron C Higgins and
Jason Crosby.
Our show producers are MikeScribner and John Crew.
Jason Crosby (25:21):
Thank you for listening and we'll see you next
time.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.