Science Suggests Booze Helps Networking (Or Rich Kids Just Drink More), UnitedHealth Drops 50% and Nobody's Crying, and Federal Government Finally Explains What 'Most Favored Nation' Actually Means

Hey all,

Happy Hump Day! Sometimes change arrives, though rarely in the form or at the speed we desire. UnitedHealth has lost nearly $300 billion in market value as its vertically integrated rent-seeking model finally collapses under regulatory scrutiny and customer exodus and Lilly's expanding direct sales at 50-60% discounts because even pharma companies have figured out that middlemen are optional. Change may be glacial, but occasionally icebergs do shift—usually right after they've extracted maximum profit and the public finally notices what's been happening all along.

Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroRX)

(The Times Of London) Early Adult Heavy Drinking Linked To Career Success

A long-term Norwegian study tracking over 3,000 individuals found that those who engaged in heavy drinking during their late teens and twenties were more likely to attain higher levels of education and income later in life. While this challenges typical narratives about alcohol's harms, the researchers suggest alcohol may act as a social catalyst that facilitates networking and career advancement—though causation is very much not established, and early or solitary drinking showed negative outcomes. Those who started regularly having heavy drinking sessions in their late teens and twenties were later found to have higher levels of education and income compared with those who had abstained or drank very little—which might just mean that the party crowd weren’t total buzzkills, while the sober folks were too lame to network their way out of entry-level. Full Article.

(Dutch Rojas) UnitedHealth’s Collapse

 UnitedHealth has lost $288 billion in market value, dropping nearly 50% from its peak due to collapsing Medicare Advantage margins, public backlash, CEO upheaval—including a murder—and multiple federal investigations. Once considered untouchable, UnitedHealth’s vertically integrated model—built on opaque practices, aggressive cost-cutting, and rent-seeking—has begun to unravel as seniors flee, regulators circle, and investors retreat. The downfall signals not just the failure of a single firm but a broader reckoning for profit-driven healthcare models—and really, it couldn’t have happened to a more honest, selfless, and altruistic bunch than the executive team at UnitedHealthcare. Full Article.

(Cost Curve) Most Favored Nation Pricing & LillyDirect Expansion

 The federal government has clarified how to calculate a “Most Favored Nation” (MFN) price, defining it as the second-lowest net price from a set of eight peer nations, adjusted for GDP per capita using purchasing power parity—marking the most detailed guidance yet under the GENEROUS model for Medicaid drug pricing. This approach could significantly lower costs for states, while pressuring drugmakers to justify U.S. pricing disparities. Meanwhile, Lilly is expanding its direct-to-patient platform, LillyDirect, to include Trulicity and Emgality—two legacy drugs facing declining sales—offering them at 50–60% off list prices as part of a broader shift toward pharm-to-table strategies. Full Article.